Zinnia glory. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

There is an inevitable torrent of resolutions with the advent of a New Year, as we try to jumpstart grand life changes when the clock strikes twelve to ring in a new trip around the sun. Whether we stick to these goals or fall short, these forays into oftentimes lofty ambitions demonstrate that we indeed DO know how improve our lifestyles (even when we seem stuck in stagnant and cob-webbed old habits). Instead of becoming frustrated at our inabilities to adhere to grand declarations first thing this year, let’s create intentions that set us up to attain overall better well-being. We could all do a little more for our bodies, and in 2017, why don’t we all aim to brighten our plates, make more meals, become more in tune with our environment, and ameliorate our diets once and for all. Easy enough, right? As we all strive for health in the new year, consider one life hack that is sure to bring welcome and easy change, our CSA! A simple and painless delivery service that ensures organic and fresh produce will be integrated into your diet week after week!

Many of those reading this post are current CSA members, but of course, some of you are not! For those of you who might have never even heard of a CSA (it means Community Supported Agriculture by the way!), or have taken a break from your subscription, we wanted to pause and share some of the most common and frequent questions that we receive regarding the CSA program. This straightforward method of obtaining veggies weekly need not be an exclusive process! Hopefully some of these FAQs answer any queries you have as well as familiarize you with your new soon-to-be favorite veggie program.

Farm-fresh carrots. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

What do I get in my box? Cultivated in East Austin and harvested no more than a day or two before reaching your doorstep, these certified organic fruits and vegetables (Over 200 varieties) are at peak nutrition and flavor. Getting a CSA share with JBG means you know exactly where your food is coming from and how it's grown. GMO? Heck no! You might even see a bunch of flowers in your share during certain months!

Eating locally connects you to the seasons, to the land, and to your own health and wellness. Cucumbers will cool you down in the summer, while braised collards will warm you up when the temperatures start to drop. Enjoy the best pico de gallo of your life during the short window when cilantro, onions, peppers, and tomatoes all overlap, and we promise you'll never go back to the store-bought stuff again. You'll get acclimated with the seasons on a whole new level, and learn about what naturally grows when and why.

CSA bounty. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Can I choose what's in my box each week? We are happy to offer CSA members the ability to customize your share. To use our customization feature, simply login to your JBG account and click on the button that says "customize this share". You are only able to customize your CSA share during your "customization window", which is based on your particular delivery day. All customers are able to customize beginning Saturday at midnight (the week prior to your delivery). To learn when your specific customization window closes, email the farm! This limited customization window helps us ensure that we harvest according to your needs. At all farmer’s market pickup locations, members can trade out any number of items in their box with those available at our market stand. Check out all the pick up locations here.

Market pick-up. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

How much does it cost? Starting at $25, the individual box offers enough veggies for 1-2 people. The next size up, the small box provides for 2-4 people and costs $30.50. The medium box provides for 3-5 people and is valued at $38. Finally, the large box which provides veggies for 4-7 people costs $44. You can also add on a dozen or half a dozen organic eggs ($6 and $3 accordingly) as well as whole or ground organic micro-roasted coffee at $12 a pound.

How does payment work? When you sign up for a CSA, your account is set to auto-renew. This way you don't miss any week's worth of veggies. Your account always renews the day after your last delivery. For example, if you sign up for four shares and your last share is scheduled for February 2, your account would renew on February 3 and four more shares would be added to your schedule - following your usual weekly or bi-weekly pattern. Anytime you postpone a share, your renewal date is automatically adjusted. If you'd prefer for your account to not be on auto-renew, you can simply log-in to your account and un-click the button that says "active".

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Can I change my subscription? Of course! If you're ever in the middle of a subscription and want to alter your box frequency or box size, just shoot us a call or an e-mail and we can make those changes for you. If you're new to the CSA, finding the box size and frequency that is just right for you might take a few weeks. Our goal is to get you the perfect amount of veggies and keep your produce-waste to minimum. Veggie-shame is a real thing, and we don't want you to have it. If you checkout our veggie guide, we offer some storage tips, and each week on our blog we're posting some recipes with items currently in your share.

What happens if I cannot pick up my box? How do I postpone my next delivery? Fancy yourself quite the traveler? Well, good on ya! You can jetset, and still maintain your farm-fresh lifestyle. We are super flexible with regard to crazy and hard-to-tack-down schedules. If you contact our office 48 hours prior to your delivery day, we can arrange for a pick-up at an alternate community pick-up site during the same week. Members also have the option to call our office to donate your share. We have a partnership with the The Settlement Home and SafePlace. We donate produce to these organizations several times each week. Lastly, you can always postpone.

If you want to postpone, just email us by Friday the week prior to your delivery day, or by logging into your account and clicking on the My Deliveries tab. By clicking on the "Postpone One Week" button on the middle right hand of the page, all of your deliveries will move forward one week.

Matt stocking up the CSA pallet. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Interested in the CSA? Check out these New Year’s Promos!

• If you are a new customer or have been taking a hiatus, sign up now through the end of January and get your first box free! Yep, you heard us right, FREE! It’s a great way to integrate fresh, organic produce into your daily regimen. It’s the perfect nudge you’ve been waiting for, so don’t dally, the offer ends January 31st! If free organic veggies aren’t convincing enough, check out these other 21 reasons to join our farm and make 2017 a year to remember. To join (or rejoin) the CSA click here and use the promo code: StartFresh or call the farm at 512.386.5273.
• If you are a returning CSA member, have you considered a long-term subscription? An annual or 6-month subscription gives us money upfront to grow the organic vegetables you love, and helps us balance some of the risks inherent in vegetable production. This past year, mother nature dealt us some pretty disastrous weather, and the past couple of seasons have been very tough for us financially. January is always a month when our cash flow is tight and our expenses higher, due to seed and compost purchasing for spring planting. As an added thank you, now through the end of January, we will send you a one-box trial JBG Gift Certificate to give to a friend, and a tote bag, t-shirt, hat, or bag of citrus just for you. Here's the lowdown on a long-term subscription with JBG: 52-week subscription, and save 10% or 26-week subscription, and save 7.5%! Call Daniel at the farm - 512.386.5273 if you are interested! Your switch to an annual or 6-month subscription will truly help the farm and be greatly appreciated.

Our CSA Community. Collage by Ada Broussard.

CSA Stories:

If you haven't been swayed yet, the community that has grown throughout the years around our CSA is nonpareil. It is truly is a force to be reckoned with... we are constantly amazed by their many varied life stories as well as their unconditional support of the farm. With member-only dinners, happy hours, plant sales, cooking classes, yoga + races at the farm, PYO-events, there is no shortage of events for you to get to know all these amazing Central Texans. We want the farm to connect awesome people, whether at one of the aforementioned events or at your neighborhood pick-up site. Below are some testimonials from some of our long-time customers/heroes.

“JBG changed my life. I’ve been saying so for 4(!!) years now. They make me eat my vegetables. After joining the CSA I lost weight. I cook at home so much more, instead of eating greasy, salty heavy food in restaurants. With all those vegetables on hand, I feel obligated to eat several times more vegs than I would have otherwise. I feel so much better after eating a healthy home cooked meal than a heavy, expensive dinner out. Also it’s good to know where your food has been! It makes me happy to know that the environmental impact of the food I eat is lessened... no bee-killing pesticides, no big carbon footprint of packaging, shipping across the country, and so on. The food I eat is almost as close to fresh from the ground as it would be if I grew it in my own backyard…” - Mel Jo

“JBG has been a blessing to me and my family. We have gotten to share that blessing with many people in our community. I love sharing recipes and visiting with other subscribers as they come to collect their produce. We talk about what's in the box. We talked about how to prepare kohlrabi or kale or rutabagas. I would encourage anyone to step outside your norms and experience the bounty grown right here at JBG in Austin, Texas…” - Kari Michalek

“I've been a CSA member since the farm was an actual backyard in east Austin, and JBG has changed the way I eat. I've learned to love beets, discovered the beauty of a kale chip, and found that eating seasonally really does taste better. The CSA subscription is such an easy way to access healthy food, it's hard now to imagine what my diet would look like without it.” -Kelly West

“Put quite simply, being part of the CSA connects our family more deeply to some of the most important things in life - our planet, seasonality, culinary creativity, international food traditions, and obviously organic, local, and wildly fresh foods.” - Cameron Allen

Happy New Year! With the advent of 2017, comes a deluge of resolutions (hopefully healthy and attainable ones!) and a collective sigh of relief (maybe?) with the long-awaited exit of a grueling 2016. A new year provides us with a multitude of new opportunities and a plethora of possibilities, plus, a blank canvas to create something new. Let's all set intentions to thrive in what is sure to be a great year.

With our first week in the books, we are ecstatic to start our year-long photo stream anew! Here's to a farm-fresh 2017!

Dill. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Spinach! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Cilantro harvest. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Tomato cage party. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Montana working on the tiller. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Greenhouse vastness. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Transplants. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Transplants. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Lettuce varieties. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Washing to the beet. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

CSA boxes ready to house some veggies. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

by Megan Winfrey

Happy New Year, all! I hope everyone had fantastic, meaningful celebrations and that you all got your black eyed peas and collard greens! 2017 is looking like it's going to be a transitional year on many levels, but knowing I can count on local, organic produce every week is such a relief. Although this year holds many uncertainties, I think we can all agree that clean eating is of utmost importance- and at least we can say we've got that covered. Here's to a year of home cooked meals, expanding your palate, and spreading the word about our favorite local CSA!

Pork Chops with Butternut Squash and Sage

• 4 pork chops, bone-in or boneless
• 2 tbs. brown sugar
• 12 fresh sage leaves
• kosher salt
• 2 butternut squash, peeled, halved, and sliced into crescents
• 3 tbs. olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 lemon, juiced

Preheat the oven to 425.

In a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup water, 2 tbs. salt, 1 tbs. brown sugar, and 4 sage leaves.

Cook, stirring, over medium high until the salt and sugar has dissolved. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and add 5 cups of cold water. Submerge the pork chops in the brine and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Chop 3 sage leaves and set aside. Stack the remaining sage leaves on top of one another, roll up, and cut into ribbons. Toss with the squash, 2 tbs. olive oil, nutmeg, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Spread on a baking sheet and roast until tender, 25-30 minutes.

Heat the remaining 1 tbs. of olive oil in a skillet over medium high, drain the pork chops, and pat them dry. Cook the pork chops for 5-7 minutes on each side, until cooked through, then divide onto four plates.

To the hot skillet, add the chicken broth and the remaining 1 tbs. of brown sugar. Simmer, while stirring, until reduced by half- about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice and reserved chopped sage. Add salt to taste. Plate the squash and drizzle the sauce all over everything. Serve immediately.



**BONUS RECIPE** A magical elixir came into my life recently that I just had to share. I've had a horrible cold for the last week - hacking cough, sneezing, runny nose, sinus headaches - and I know I'm not alone. A friend suggested I try turmeric milk, and I swear that I felt better after the first sip! Two cups later and my symptoms are indeed, less intense. Turmeric has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties and has been used as medicine for centuries.

Turmeric Milk

• 2 cups whole or almond milk
• 1 tbs. coconut oil
• 1 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 small pinch fresh grated ginger

Bring all ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add 1 tbs. honey, if desired.

Enjoy the deliciousness, and feel better.

CSA Box Contents Week of Jan 2nd

Sunrise at the farm. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

The New Year approaches, how exciting! Whilst looking forward to 2017, we are taking a moment to revisit some moments from quite the eventful 2016. While some of the recollections from the past year have us cringing, others have us smiling ear-to-ear. So, cheers to a year well-lived, 2016, you sure have taught us a lot.

FARM TO SCHOOL! Early 2016, we visited a lot of cafeterias, and saw our farm-to-school program in real-life... on cafeteria trays.

Ada at Travis Heights Elementary. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

All of our events, including: Our Gardening Workshop was a veritable success and so much fun. There are more events like this to come in Spring of 2017! Community: what kind of workshops would you like to see?

In 2016, we hosted more farm tours than ever (gardening workshop tour, several CSA tours, chef tours, Slow Food tours, Grinch in the Greenhouse tour)! It’s so great to share our beautiful farmland with our community.

Fall Potluck farm tour. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

The Rolling Roadshow screenings of The Seer (this summer) and The Grinch (this winter) have been such wonderful events. We really think that these are so unique, intimate, and special gatherings. Working with the Alamo Drafthouse has been a dream, they are truly an amazing team to collaborate with. We hope for more screenings in 2017!

Our Spring Potluck + Fun Run & Fall Potluck - We relish getting the community together, especially over dishes that everyone has taken the time to create and share. There is nothing like bonding over a home-cooked meal especially at the farm where the food is grown. It doesn’t get much better than that!

Fall Potluck. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

NEW CROPS: With a new year comes ample opportunity to dabble and experiment in new crop varieties! Radishes galore: Black Spanish, Chinese Green, Green Neck Daikon, Chinese Pink, Purple Daikon, Plum Purple, Red Top.

A smattering of our new radish varieties. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

New garlic varieties: German White, Spanish Roja.

Greens: Bok Choy, Red Kale, Tatsoi, Choi Sum, Hon Tsai, Komatsuna, and Braising Mix.

Asian greens spotted at market. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

This year we even harvested red and white table grapes for the first time. They sure were delicious! We can’t wait until the next harvest. We even had a miniscule but highly succulent harvest of Satsuma Mandarins, which were immensely delectable. On top of that, we harvested pomegranates, loquats, pears, and two kinds of persimmons as well as sugar cane! We sure did branch out!

Katie in the vines. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Other Notable Events: In May of this year, storms wreaked havoc on our greenhouses. This was a major setback to our daily operations, but with the continual support of the community and the Drafthouse, we were able to reconstruct these structures.

In the words of Ada, our CSA Marketing and CSA Manager: “For me, a large part of what has defined the past year is our crew.  For example - it's now been over a year since we've had Daniel on the team. He is the rock and foundation of all things customer-service... he does an amazing job + truly cares about our members. CSA program would not run without him!” There are so many hard-working gems that keep the farm running daily.

Our superhero, Daniel. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

General changes in the (J)b(G)usiness that made our lives easier and the farm more efficient: new harvest trailers, a new mini-van, and last but not least, a CSA customization feature that is finally glitch-free!

Harvest trailers! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

...And so much more! We are so grateful for the lessons that 2016 instilled in us, and of course, the growth of the community around our farm. We say it over and over again, but we wouldn’t be here without you. So, we thank you, and send you wishes of the happiest New Year yet!!

“Connection is health. And what our society does its best to disguise from us is how ordinary, how commonly attainable, health is. We lose our health -- and create profitable diseases and dependencies -- by failing to see the direct connections between living and eating, eating and working, working and loving.” -Wendell Berry

With the advent of a new year, there are plentiful chances to start anew, reassess, and establish new lifestyle routines. It’s a prime time to change your diet and get healthy! If you're thinking about joining our CSA community, keep your eyes peeled for a special limited time gift that we'll be throwing your way… VERY soon. It can’t be beat!

A very merry 2017 from the JBG farm family to yours! This week we revisit and celebrate 2016 in photographs, and prepare to start the cycle all over again in the New Year. We want to take a brief moment to shower our farm photographer, Scott David Gordon, with all the praise and accolade we have in us! Scott is an unbelievably invaluable asset to our farm - he's out in the fields week after week, rain or shine, to take dazzling photos so that we can share our daily farm-fresh experience with you, our community. Thank you, Scott!

January:

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

February:

Visiting AISD. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

March:

Transplant sale. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Gardening workshop trailer tour. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

April:

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Spring 5k. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

May:

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Greenhouse destruction. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Rainy May. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

June:

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

July:

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Yoga at the farm. Photo by Charlotte McClure.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Rolling Roadshow screening of The Seer at the farm. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

August:

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

September:

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

October:

A check-up of our farm bees. Photo by Charlotte McClure.

Fall potluck shenanigans. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Fall potluck shenanigans. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Halloween at Hergotz. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

November:

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Chucha, our model farm dog. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

December:

Gettin' colder! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Grinch in the Greenhouse. Photo by Charlotte McClure.

Holidays at the Hergotz office. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Thanks for an amazing year, we can't wait to see what 2017 will bring! Happy New Year!

 

CSA Box Contents Week of Dec 26th