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LOCALLY GROWN, ORGANIC PRODUCE DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR.

PHOTOS FROM THE FARM: 9.27.19

09/27/19 — Ada Broussard

A purple sky and bright, fragrant harvests of lemongrass. Scroll below to see what was happening this week at the farm.

Some sunrises are purple, which has got to be a harbinger of fall. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Purple to blue, happens in a flash. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

According to Farmer Brenton, this is an optimistic time at the farm. These 6 seedlings would have to agree. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Brenton and harvest manager, Vicente, scouting the fields. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Potential, as far as the eye can see. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Sweet potato (greens) harvest. Get 'em before they're gone. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Our fall crops are a bit confused by this lingering heat. Fingers crossed they'll make it. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Repairs, and then more repairs. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Bunched lemongrass stalks. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Vicente in his summer hat, harvesting early fall collards. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

 

EGGPLANT CAPONATA

09/25/19 — Ada Broussard

Recipe by Megan Winfrey

Meals on toast are becoming a regular thing at my house, for the simplicity and for the love of good bread. This eggplant caponata spooned over toasted bread with a generous smear of mascarpone has served as breakfast, lunch, and dinner at least once this week. Tonight, I'm excited to use up the rest of it by folding it in with whatever short shape pasta I have on hand. I'll probably add some feta and fresh parsley over the top. Mmmmm my mouth is watering just thinking about it! I've never been a huge fan of eggplant, but this recipe will certainly join our regular rotation when the late summer CSA is brimming with these hearty nightshades.


  • 4 eggplant, cut into 3/4" inch cubes
  • 2 tbs. kosher salt
  • 4 cups vegetable, coconut, or avocado oil
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds
  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 serrano peppers, thinly sliced (remove seeds for less spice)
  • 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 tsp. paprika
  • 1 cup crushed tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
  • 3 tbs. sugar
  • Grilled crusty bread and mascarpone (or any spreadable cheese) for serving


In a large bowl, toss eggplant with the kosher salt and set over a colander. Leave in the fridge for a few hours to chill and drain its liquids. Gather up the eggplant in a kitchen towel and squeeze out as much excess liquid as possible.

Pour the 4 cups of oil to a dutch oven or heavy bottomed pan and add the eggplant to the room temperature oil. Heat on high and cook, stirring occasionally, until eggplants are golden brown - about 30 minutes. Transfer eggplant to a paper towel to drain and cool down. While the eggplant is cooking, toast the almonds in a small dry skillet over low heat until lightly brown and just beginning to smell. Set aside. Using the same dutch oven or pan, add a few tablespoons of olive oil or ghee and heat over medium. Cook the onions, chiles, and garlic until tender. Stir in the paprika and cook for another minute before adding the tomatoes, vinegar, and sugar. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the nuts and eggplants, toss to heat through and adjust seasoning. Remove from the heat, let cool to your desired temperature, and serve with mascarpone and toasted crusty bread.

CSA BOX CONTENTS WEEK OF SEPT 23RD

09/24/19 — Scott

CSA Box Contents Week of Sept 23rd

Large Box
Bok Choy, Baby
Cucumber
Eggplant
Greens, Collards
Greens, Mustard
Herb, Parsley, Flat
Melon, Farmers Choice
Okra
Onion, Multiplying
Potato, Sweet
Radish
Turnips
Medium Box
Eggplant
Greens, Arugula
Greens, Collards
Herb, Parsley, Flat
Melon, Farmers Choice
Okra
Onion, Multiplying
Potato, Sweet
Radish
Turnips
Small Box
Greens, Arugula
Greens, Collards
Herb, Parsley, Flat
Melon, Farmers Choice
Onion, Multiplying
Potato, Yukon Gold
Radish
Individual Box
Bok Choy, Baby
Melon, Farmers Choice
Okra
Potato
Radish

EATING FOR PLANETARY HEALTH

09/19/19 — Ada Broussard



This week we're sharing a piece written by our friends at the Sustainable Food Center about how to eat to better for the health of the planet. There are so many reasons that many of you choose to be CSA Members including the convenience of delivery, the quality and taste of the produce, the interest in supporting the local economy... but today we're here to remind you that no matter what reason you choose to buy produce from us, you're also doing Plant Earth a favor. As always, thank you for your support! And thank you to SFC for sharing this wonderful piece! 

Friendly farmer faces are another good reason to buy locally. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

HOW YOU CAN EAT FOR PLANETARY HEALTH

Adrienne Haschke, SFC Farm Direct Program Director



“For I have no doubt that it is only on the condition of humility before our Planet that our species will be able to remain in it.” – Wendell Berry

We are at a critical moment in time. We face deep environmental harm, ongoing food insecurity and increasing rates of diet-related disease caused by the industrial food system. But it’s not too late to make a difference. We must act now to protect the health of our planet.

Planetary Health is a term coined in 2014 and expanded on by EAT-Lancet Commission, and refers to how human health is linked to the health of our environment. The Planetary Health movement recognizes that, “everything is connected — what we do to the world comes back to affect us” - Planetary Health Alliance.

By making different individual food choices, supporting sustainable agriculture and creating systems-level transformative change we can protect our health, rehabilitate the Planet, and restore balance with the land and the animals whose lives are defined by the way we eat.

Forest Fire


Stock image used for illustration purposes. Not an actual picture of the Amazon.

HOW INDUSTRIAL AGRICULTURE HURTS OUR PLANET



There is no better example of how industrial agriculture can harm our environment than the catastrophic wildfires in the Amazon rainforest. This region of stunning plant and animal diversity and “the lungs of our Earth” is being destroyed largely for the benefit of agriculture.

But rainforests aren’t the only precious resource being damaged by globalized industrial agriculture.
  • Freshwater: Cropland irrigation uses 70% percent of the Earth’s freshwater and is depleting underground reserves more quickly than they can be replenished.
  • Oceans: Creeks, streams and rivers are polluted with soil particles, fertilizer and pesticide runoff. Every spring, fertilizer from the Midwest “bread basket” runs off into the Mississippi River. These excess nutrients are carried all the way to the Gulf of Mexico, where every summer they create a “Dead Zone” the size of New Hampshire.
  • Carbon Emissions: Agriculture – in particular, industrial beef production - is a significant contributor to climate change, accounting for roughly 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Species Diversity: The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) released a recent report warning of rising extinction rates. An estimated 1 million species are threatened with extinction, many within decades, due in large part to land-use changes for agriculture.
Planetary Health Meal


Image credit: EAT Lancet Report, 2018, page 9

HOW TO PLAN YOUR MEALS FOR PLANETARY HEALTH



“Food is the single strongest lever to optimize human health and environmental sustainability on Earth.” Eat-Lancet Summary Report

The first step in taking action for better Planetary Health is changing type of food you put on your plate. By making some simple changes, you can plan all your meals for Planetary Health and make an even greater impact for the benefit of our environment.

As shown in the image above, a Meal for Planetary Health is rich in plant-based foods with modest amounts of sustainably-sourced animal proteins. Refined grains and low-quality meat proteins are two of the main drivers behind large-scale production of a few industrialized crops.

If we all made some slight changes in our eating habits and introduced a larger variety of plant foods and plant-based proteins, then we could collectively reduce the negative environmental impacts of industrial agriculture.

Currently, only 1 out of 10 adults is eating enough fruits and vegetables. To eat for Planetary Health, focus on filling half of your plate with vegetables and fruits, and the other half made of whole grains, plant-based proteins, healthy oils and some sustainably-sourced animal proteins. The average American is encouraged to double the daily amount of fruits and vegetables, and triple the daily amount of legumes and nuts, they eat.

Eating a variety of foods like this can meet the average, healthy American’s protein, carbohydrate, fiber, vitamin and mineral needs while limiting saturated fats, sodium, and carcinogenic nitrates found in processed meats.

Every time you choose to plan, prepare and share a Meal for Planetary Health, you are contributing to a kinder, more compassionate world and improving your health along the way.

Our booth at SFC's Downtown Farmers' Market. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

SHOP FROM LOCAL SUSTAINABLE FARMS TO PROTECT PLANETARY HEALTH



The next step in taking action for Planetary Health is buying your food from sustainable farms. Sustainable agriculture has the ability to heal and regenerate the land.

An increasing number of farms and ranches are moving to practices that mirror native ecosystems – they replenish the soil and pasture, protect sensitive watersheds, allow for natural animal behaviors, preserve and restore biodiversity, and minimize greenhouse gas emissions. And we are fortunate to have a wide variety of these farms and ranches right here in Central Texas.

Many of the farmers and ranchers at our SFC Farmers’ Markets are managing their pastures to holistically incorporate cows, chickens, pigs, goats and other livestock in their operations.

Responsibly rotating animals in dense herds or flocks has the power to transform landscapes into thriving ecosystems. It can re-build soil organic matter, grow healthy perennial grasses, increase water retention in the soil, repair waterways, restore pollinators and native bird species, pull carbon out of the atmosphere, and so much more.

When you support sustainable farms, you are supporting the livelihood of people who are working to protect our land. By shopping at your local farmers’ market, like our SFC Farmers’ Markets, you can buy your food directly from the farmer who grew it.

At a farmers’ market, you can talk to the farmer about how your food was raised - empowering you to make food choices for better Planetary Health. While you’re at the market, round out your grocery shopping with fresh produce and value-added items such as locally-made honey, bread, hummus, salsa, kimchi and fermentables, and more!

Sari at Grand Opening - WEBSITE.jpg

SYSTEMS LEVEL CHANGES TO PROTECT PLANETARY HEALTH



Individual choices matter to the future of our planet. But wide-spread systems change will be the key to facing climate change head-on.

The EAT Lancet Report offers the following strategies to achieve a fundamental, system-wide change:

1. Make healthy foods more available, accessible and affordable.

2. Intensify sustainable agriculture production.

3. Shift production towards a greater diversity of foods rather than higher volumes of a few crops largely grown to feed livestock.

4. Strong governance of land and oceans, in order to conserve and manage natural ecosystems, species-rich forests and the world’s oceans.

5. Minimize food loss and waste.

At Sustainable Food Center we are - alongside many regional, statewide, and national partners - actively working on strategies 1 and 2 listed above. We are also building new programs to support and celebrate the hard work, passion, and skill of sustainable farmers and ranchers in Central Texas. As we move into the future with our new vision, we hope to make big strides on systems-level change here in Texas.

CARROT HUMMUS

09/18/19 — Ada Broussard

A local and seasonal version of everyone's favorite snack. Photo by Mackenzie Smith

Last year, Ada Broussard, the co-founder of Club Homemade, served a carrot hummus during our book club that spurred a year of me trying to copy her perfect dip. By now, I have made so many iterations that I’m not sure if its anything like Ada's original, but it is just as tasty. There are plenty of ways to make this your own based on what you have available: swap beets for carrots, tahini or nut butter for peanut butter, lime for lemon, etc. This recipe is a delicious way to use up a solid pound of carrots, and the perfect answer to daily snacking needs. 
Ingredients:
  • 1 bunch of carrots, washed and dried
  • 5 tablespoons olive oil
  • salt
  • pepper 
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper
  • turmeric
  • 2 tablespoons miso
  • zest of half a lemon
  • juice of one lemon 
  • 4 tablespoons peanut butter
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 can of chickpeas, drained
  • olive oil
  • salt to taste
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 450
Place carrots in a half sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil-- enough to coat the carrots and then some, erring on the side of "more is more" 
Sprinkle salt and pepper 
Roast for 10 minutes, then turn each carrot so the other side can brown on the hot pan. 
Roast for another 10-15 minutes, until carrots are caramelized and very fork-tender. 
While carrots are in the oven, add the turmeric, miso, peanut butter, lemon juice and zest, garlic, black pepper, and a teaspoon of salt to the food processor. Blend until completely smooth. Add the chickpeas and blend until smooth (1-2 minutes). Once carrots have cooled, chop into 1-inch pieces and blend in the food processor until smooth, another 1-2 minutes. Add water or olive oil, 1 tablespoon at a time if needed to achieve desired texture. Taste, and add salt if needed. 
Transfer hummus to a bowl and drizzle with olive oil, fresh herbs and chili flakes. Serve with fresh pita, chips, or crudite.

CSA BOX CONTENTS WEEK OF SEPT 16TH

09/17/19 — Scott

CSA Box Contents Week of Sept 16th

Large Box
Eggplant
Greens, Arugula
Greens, Collards
Greens, Mizuna
Herb, Farmers Choice
Melon, Farmers Choice
Okra
Pepper, Sweet
Potato
Radish
Squash, Farmer's Choice
Turnips
Medium Box
Cucumber
Greens, Arugula
Greens, Mizuna
Herb, Farmers Choice
Melon, Farmers Choice
Okra
Potato
Radish
Squash, Farmer's Choice
Turnips
Small Box
Bok Choy, Baby
Cucumber
Eggplant
Greens, Collards
Herb, Farmers Choice
Potato
Turnips
Individual Box
Eggplant
Greens, Collards
Potato
Squash, Farmer's Choice
Turnips

SOME NATURAL INSPIRATION

09/13/19 — Ada Broussard

 

Photo taken this summer at the farm by Tamir Kalifa. Here Luis is using a machete in a jungle of weeds to clear a path.

Today's post is an inspired one. Today, we are dipping the very tip of our steel toe in the vast world of art and nature/art and agriculture, and are sharing a few of works of our favorite artists that use the earth as their creative medium and farm fare as their subject matter. 

Is there anything more awe-inspiring than the blows and bounty of mother nature herself? It’s no surprise that the intersection of farmers and artists is a natural one. Both pursuits require an attitude and a spirit of fearlessness. Both strive to create something greater than themselves, beginning with only a few humble materials. Both farmers and artists have forgone practical reason and chosen a path that seldom is financially secure (or easy). While farmers might not ever be troubled with the “starving” modifier, both farmers' and artists' success is driven by market factors outside their control. But somehow, farmers grow and artists create, both driven by forces as strong as these days are long. Farmers, who are both chemical and biological wizards, combining seeds as wispy as the hairs on your arm with soil, water, and minerals to create vibrant, edible(!), and nourishing(!) plants, are artists in their own right. Or so we (farmers) like to think.

Original farmtoon illustration by CSA Driver Lucas Rager. This one is for sale! Email ada@jbgorganic.com for info.

On an introspective day, the germination of small black watermelon seed into a tiny but sturdy green sprout, and then into seven pounds of sweet and vibrant pink flesh is spellbinding. But on most days,  this germination and the harvesting of this heavy crop is the day’s tasks. We are so interconnected with the natural world that its functions aren't there to be analyzed, and instead are there to be lived. But does an artist always know when they’re creating a masterpiece? Perhaps we’re indulging too much here, but we do think our carrots are quite phenomenal. 

Maybe it’s the cooler season ahead and the faint (but detectable) rumors that a reprieve is on its way that have us so inspired. Maybe it’s the way the breeze feels right before the sun comes up. Maybe it’s the way the dirt smells when the drip irrigation has been turned on, the soil saturated, the plants singing. Well, whatever it is, we’re quite inspired by the natural beauty of our natural landscape right now, and are thrilled that there artists out there are able to capture this agrarian experience .

 

NATURAL LANDSCAPES, NATURAL MATERIALS AS ART 

The following artist, in one way or another, use elements in the natural world to create their work. 

 

Agnes Denes

Photo of Agnes Denes, by Agnes Denes. Courtesy of her website.

© Agnes Denes. Courtesy Leslie Tonkonow Artworks + Projects, New York

Agnes Denes’s piece “Wheatfield - A confrontation: Battery Park Landfill” was at the forefront of our minds when considering the intersection of agriculture and art. In May of 1982, this land artist planted 2 acres of golden wheat on a landfill in Manhattan, only a few blocks away from the Statue of Liberty and the World Trade Center. To complete the task, two hundred truckloads of topsoil were brought in, and hundreds of pounds of garbage and rock were removed to ready the land. After being carefully farmed by this artist, 1,000 pounds of wheat were harvested.

Denes on the piece: “ Planting and harvesting a field of wheat on land worth $4.5 billion created a powerful paradox. Wheatfield was a symbol, a universal concept; it represented food, energy, commerce, world trade, and economics. It referred to mismanagement, waste, world hunger and ecological concerns. It called attention to our misplaced priorities. The harvested grain traveled to twenty-eight cities around the world in an exhibition called "The International Art Show for the End of World Hunger", organized by the Minnesota Museum of Art (1987-90). The seeds were carried away by people who planted them in many parts of the globe.” (Quote taken from Agnes Dene’s website, which you should visit to see more incredible pictures of this piece, along with others.) 

 

Andy Goldsworthy: 

Sculpture and photo by Andy Goldsworthy as a part of his Ephemeral Works series.

Sculpture and photo by Andy Goldsworthy as a part of his Ephemeral Works series.

Andy Goldsworthy is a British sculptor known best for use of leaves, sticks, stones, and even snow and ice to create temporary art pieces, all subject to the degradation from natural forces, whether it be over the course of years or in a matter of moments. From around the age of 13, Goldworthy worked on farms in Yorkshire, England. When asked about his tediously constructed sculptures, Goldworthy says the time consuming yet meditative aspects of farm work primed him for his sculpture work. In 2007 he told the Guardian, "A lot of my work is like picking potatoes. You have to get into the rhythm of it. Farming is a very sculptural profession. Building haystacks or ploughing fields, burning stubble." You're welcome to come pick our potatoes anytime, Andy.  We know the rhythm you speak of!

 

 

James Turrell: 

James Turrell Third Breath (2009) , Photo: via Kunstgebiet

We’re so lucky to have one of the works of land artist, James Turrell, up for public enjoyment at the University of Texas. Instead of creating a piece from tangible naturals like twigs and mud, Turrell simply creates a space where light, itself, is art. Viewing his “Skyscape” is a truly incredible experience, accessible to all of us Austinites via a quick field trip to UT. We strongly encourage you to visit this exhibit. For a sunset viewing, you must make reservations ahead of time. Prepare to be peaceful. 

 

Mark Dion: 

Neukom Vivarium, 2006. Mixed-media installation, greenhouse structure: 80 feet long. Installation view: Olympic Sculpture Park, Seattle. Courtesy of the Seattle Art Museum.

Production still from the Art in the Twenty-First Century Season 4 episode, Ecology. Segment: Mark Dion. © Art21, Inc. 2007.

Mark Dion, an American conceptual artist working out of New York and Pennsylvania, is known for his exhibition of the national world in a scientific context. In his work “Neukon Vivarium” he took a massive fallen hemlock tree, and put its degradation on display in a carefully constructed greenhouse. Dion, on this piece: “ I think that one of the important things about this work is that it’s really not an intensely positive, back-to-nature kind of experience. In some ways, this project is an abomination. We’re taking a tree that is an ecosystem—a dead tree, but a living system—and we are re-contextualizing it and taking it to another site. We’re putting it in a sort of Sleeping Beauty coffin, a greenhouse we’re building around it. And we’re pumping it up with a life support system—an incredibly complex system of air, humidity, water, and soil enhancement—to keep it going. “ (Quote courtesy of this interview via Art 21) 

 

Maura Ambrose: 

Mara Ambrose is an example of the artists and makers out there who transform raw materials from the natural world to create something beautiful, colorful, and in this case, cozy. Maura uses native plants to create natural dyes and uses those to create fiber art that you can use - beautiful heirloom quilts.  See her creations on the Folk Fibers website. 

"Flying Geese", courtesy of Folks Fiber's website.  Fun fact: Mara used to be the JBG Greenhouse Manager 10 or so years ago.

 

FARMS AND FARM PRODUCTS AS ART 

Pastoral landscapes have been inspiring artists for centuries, and ever since the Impressionist marched outdoors to capture these scenes, farms have been the subject of art. Here, we’ve decided to highlight 4 local Austin artists who use photography and watercolor to capture the spirit of farm life and the beauty of its products. 

Scott David Gordon

If you look hard, it's chard. Photo by Scott.

If you read our blog regularly, Scott David Gordon should be a household name. Scott began at JBG as a delivery driver, but soon began to capture JBG’s farmscapes via digital photography. He has photographed the farm, just about every week, for almost 10 years! (Here are this week’s photos.) We highlight his photographs in our weekly blog, and when considered longitudinally, his photos tell our story better than we ever could.

Scott is there to capture something as stunning as the morning dew puddled on wrinkly nappa cabbage leaves  to things more utilitarian in nature like tractor parts, welding helmets, and stacks of produce boxes. Though the physical location of Scott’s photographs remain constant, he somehow manages to capture the reality of the JBG farm world: the ever present variation of people, crops, weather, and tools. And he often has to stand on top of a tractor to do it. 

A once-was leaf. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

 

Tamir Kalifa

Tamir Kalifa is a visual journalist living in Austin, Texas. He has followed Beto O’rourke  around on campaign rallies and documented the Cajun Navy’s cleanup efforts after Hurricane Harvey. Last summer Tamir shot a beautiful series of portraits of some of the JBG farm crew using his medium format Hasselblad 500 cm. He also captured a series of aerial photographs which make our tractor passes look like carefully orchestrated crop circles. Which maybe, they were.  

This summer, Tamir visited the farm again and paired an off-camera flash with his digital camera to add a surreal, vivid element to everyday scenes on the farm. Below, our everyday farm truck, takes on a magical and cinematic quality, and we can’t quite tell if we’re about to be transported into a virtual reality farming game of the future or into a Baroque painting of the past.  

A view into our world. Photo by Tamir Kalifa.

Basil twist-tying, from below. Photo by Tamir Kalifa.

 

Mackenize Smith

We first met Mackenzie by way of her beautiful food photography, and somehow convinced her to contribute to our blog as a recipe developer. Her eye for color and light define just about every one of her photos, and her fantastic food styling makes you want to take a bite of whatever it is she’s whipped up. We love the way she made this okra swim for a study she did of our summer produce back in 2018.

Okra migration. Photo by Mackenzie.

Peppers. Photo by Mackenzie.

Jan Heaton 

Local watercolor painter, Jan Heaton, highlights the beauty of local produce in her series “The Market” in which shapes, lines, and colors at one moment feel like an abstract illusion, and at another moment feel like an onion. Or, a watermelon radish. If you’d like to hear Jan talk about her process, we encourage you to checkout Scott’s recent podcast on the subject. Here is a link. 

Watermelon radish. Photo courtesy of Jan's website.

Photo courtesy of Jan's website. High resolution tiff photo on DVD- Holland Photo

 

Farmers as Artists 

“We have neglected the truth that a good farmer is a craftsman of the highest order, a kind of artist.” - Wendell Berry.  

We opened this week’s blog post positing that farmers, themselves, are artists. The way farmers manipulate the earth, and perhaps even the way they season and cook their harvests, is a craft. Many farmers use medium beyond the barnyard, and are talented visual artists, too. Prizer Gallery in East Austin is currently showing an exhibit featuring the visual art of local area farmers, and includes work from JBG staff as well as other local farms like Boggy Creek, Millberg Farm, Middle Grown Farm, Farmshare, and Munkebo… just to name a few. Whether you make a trip to see the Turrell exhibit, make an appointment to see the Farmer as Artist show, or perhaps play with your food and make some edible art, we hope you find some inspiration this weekend. 

Checkout the Farmer as Artist exhibit that is up at Prizer Gallery. Contact them via Facebook for viewing times. Photo by Scott.

 
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