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LOCALLY GROWN, ORGANIC PRODUCE DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR.

HURRICANE HARVEY DONATION RECAP + JBG FALL OPEN HOUSE

09/29/17 — Heydon Hatcher

After Hurricane Harvey, we immediately knew we wanted to help, and the best way we knew how was - you guessed it - vegetables. A fresh head of lettuce or bunch of carrots is a welcome change from canned goods and boxed meals. In addition to donating a portion of our harvest directly from the farm, we also put the word out to our amazing CSA members to see if they would like to help, too. We sent out an email to our CSA community asking for donations, tallied up the total number of CSA donations received, and sent produce in bulk to Houston. We were shocked by the response. So many of our CSA family (and even some non-members!) gave over 300 CSA shares, totalling $9,507.50. This is absolutely incredible! Since that first week after Harvey, we’ve been sending donations to many different outlets, and have used our amazing community to find kitchens and pantries that are most in need.

Donations. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

In addition to the produce we send every week to the Central Texas Food bank here in town, we've donated over 4,000 lbs of produce directly to those affected by Harvey, and we’ve got many more to go. The need for help and resources will be ongoing in affected areas. So many families are still displaced from their homes, living in tents, and are reliant on kitchens for food. A massive thank you to all those CSA members who donated to this cause, to the JBG staff who took the time to wash, sort, and pack these veggies, to all of our community members who helped us vet donation outlets and coordinate these deliveries, and finally, a mammoth thank you to the volunteers like Eli and Lauren who drove long distances (multiple times!) to help get this produce where it was needed most. We have been floored by the kindness and love that has poured out of this community to help fellow Texans in need.

Places we've sent donations:

Royal Fig Catering who have been cooking meals for folks in the Humble, TX area.
 

Our friends at Memorial Villages Farmers Market helped us get produce to The Jesse Tree in Texas City.

Memorial Villages Donation.

Eli from the Wildflower Herbal Aid Group helped get produce to some pop-up kitchens in destroyed neighborhoods in Houston on her first trip.

On her second trip, Eli also got food to the Cajun Navy. They have a large kitchen and make food for delivery to spots all over Houston.

Eli with donations.

Eli also transported food to the Altruist Relief non-profit. Their trained volunteers have been responding to Hurricane Harvey with an extensive industrial kitchen, capable of preparing 100 gallons of food every few hours.

Lauren helped us get food to Rockport Relief Camp in Rockport. A camp set up by Samantha McCrary, owner of a local Houston catering company, after she learned that she had lost her business to the hurricane.

Lauren and her chariot.

The Houston Food Bank, who is helping reach many smaller pantries and kitchens, is receiving over 1300 lbs of sweet potatoes and over 800 lbs of red potatoes from us this week!

Houston has quite a long journey ahead in their relief efforts. Still want to donate? Email farm@jbgorganic.com to let Casey know that you would like to forego your regular delivery and send it to Houstonians in need. Want to donate time as a cook? Throw us a line and we will connect you with mobile kitchens that are still searching for extra help.

Boxes of produce. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Mark your calendar - JBG Fall Open House, October 28th!

This year we're going to have a laid-back and very casual Fall Open House at our Garfield farm on Saturday, October 28th from around 4:30 until sunset. Free and open to the public, this event is for our beloved CSA community and anyone else who’s had a hankering to experience the magic of the farm. We can’t think of a better place to relish the beautiful Texas fall than our expansive 200 acre farm. What a time to get lost at the farm, too, with fields galore laden with your favorite fall crops. Rows upon rows of collards, kale, broccoli, turnips, carrots, beets, parsley, cilantro, and the list goes on!

Fields of collards. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Have kids in tow? Good news, as always, this is a kid-friendly event! Have a kid who loves cars and tractor toys? Well now they can play with one in real life! We will have a line up of our handy dandy tractors for your kiddos to climb on and explore, plus our infamous and all-time favorite sand pile. Kids usually love our flatbed tours of the farm, too. We will be hosting multiple rounds of farm tours on our flatbed trailer, but if you’d rather stretch your legs, we will have maps for self-guided tours as well. A fun and interactive way for the whole family to see where your food is grown!

Flatbed tours. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Self-guided saunter. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Think: scavenger hunt, fall photo booth, contests, and more! We will have a yoga class, too, if you prefer to get your stretch on immersed in the farm fresh air. There will be a food truck slingin’ delectable treats, or if you prefer to pack your own picnic, be our guest! We will have a market stand set up for those of you who want to stock up on veggies for the week. If you are a CSA member and would prefer to pick up your share at the open house, we will gladly reschedule. Just email Casey at farm@jbgorganic.com to coordinate.

Future farmer. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Sand pile shenanigans. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Yoga at the farm. Photo by Charlotte McClure.

Fall is a notoriously stunning time at our farm, and we want to share the beauty of it with you, our community. We want you to see, spend quality time, and create memories on the land where your weekly veggies are cultivated. Come join the fun, you won’t regret it!

Sunset farm adventure. Photo by Scott David Gordon.
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