Green Gate Farms News: Carrots and Flower Tatoos!
FARM STAND/ADVANCE ORDERS
Farm Stand at Big Red Barn, East Austin (8310 Canoga Ave., Austin 78724)
- Open to all, Saturdays, 10-12
- Veggies, Flowers, Garden Plants and Breathtaking Beauty at our 1902 Historic Bergstrom Farm
- SNAP accepted (soon!)
This week at the farm stand you’ll find:
- Greens: Kale, Swiss Chard, Lettuce
- Root Veggies: Radishes, Beets, Carrots
- Onions (Red & Yellow), Garlic Chives
- Herbs: Parsley, Fennel Fronds, Mint, Thyme
- Other: Fennel, Cabbage, Napa Cabbage, Kohlrabi, Zucchini, Zephyr Squash
- Plants for your Garden and Flower Bouquets!
AND MORE!
Advance Orders via “REKO Ring” Place your order weekly at private Facebook page for touchless pick up on Saturday mornings
CSA NEWS
- Spring Veggie and Flower CSA Snapshot:
- Veggie CSA Spring Season, 10 weeks: March 31st - June 2nd, $25 share weekly/prorated
- Flower CSA Spring Season, 12 weeks: April 7-June 26, $20 bouquet weekly/prorated. (Or join for one month in May and/or June.)
- 5 pick-up locations in Austin and Bastrop, Wednesday/Saturdays
- Got a question about your food or flowers? Contact your Community Organizer, the volunteer who manages your pickup site and handles any issues that might arise.
FLOWER NEWS
All these showers lately mean gorgeous flowers are headed your way! Lilies, larkspur and lisianthus are just some of the 40+ organic flowers and herbs that we grow and will be featured in weekly bouquets.
Pick up a bouquet at our farm stand or join the remainder of our 12-week Flower CSA (prorated from the week you join-this is week 5 of 12). You can also join for just One Month of Flowers in May and/or June. Guaranteed to put a smile on your face, and help our flower farm to thrive!
This week, your bouquet may feature:
- Snapdragons
- *Lilies
- Orlaya or Ammi
- Love in a mist a.k.a. nigella
- Mint or Dill
- Larkspur or delphinium
- Calendula
- Artichoke leaves, buddliea or sage
*Be sure pull the brown anthers as they bloom so pollen doesn’t drop on your table
FARM NEWS & EVENTS
- Floral Tattoo Classes are back! Now that we can get out and about, there’s nothing finer than wearing your blooms. Learn how to make a bracelet, necklace or anklet of fresh flowers and herbs. This fun, easy class also includes a portrait session. Perfect for birthdays, celebrations. Saturday, May 22 at our east Austin farm, class repeats at 10 and 1.
- Farm Camp for Adults: Have a farm or want one? The founders of GGF share their secrets (and mistakes), while advising on tools and techniques, one Sunday morning, June 27th, 9-12.
- Cooking Class! Get some fresh ideas as our Farm-to-Table Intern Reese Bergschneider leads a cooking class at the Bergstrom farmhouse next month...stay tuned!
- Green Gate Gift Cards Available: Need something special for your friends and family? Give the gift of fresh, organic food while supporting our farm. We have Farm Bucks for all your celebrations.
AGRIHOOD NEWS
Want to learn how to garden? Our Garden Club is open to all neighbors. Recent accomplishments include reviving the Permaculture Garden Bed, installing Van’s Planter and Worm Bin and planning for the Farmhouse Garden. Learn more at our monthly meetings at the Big Red Barn, second Wednesdays, 5:30-6:30; After a farm update, Farmer Skip leads an activity. Wear covered toes!
GET INVOLVED
- Volunteer on our farm! Shifts available in east Austin and Bastrop. No experience necessary. Just complete the volunteer form on our website and we’ll be in touch!
- Speak up as our legislature makes rules that affect farmers, gardeners and eaters. Bills HB1686 and SB1062 assures your right to grow your own food. Learn more through FARFA (an organization you should join!)
- Make a difference: Texas Organic Farmers & Gardeners Association (TOFGA) is the leading voice of education and advocacy for organic food production in Texas. As a member-run/funded organization, TOFGA includes farmers, ranchers, gardeners, dairies, cheese makers, soil amendment producers, nurseries, food markets, farmers markets, educators, students, eaters and more. Volunteers and donations welcome, see www.tofga.org.
FARMER UPDATE:
Notes From the Field: Hooray for Carrots!
By Farmer Kalina
Spring carrots have arrived! Over the past several months, we have had many failed attempts at growing carrots. We experienced poor germination, extreme weather, and weeds competing for sunlight and nutrients. Despite all of this, we kept trying. Sometimes there are factors outside our control when it comes to growing vegetables. What worked last year may not be the perfect solution for this year; farming is an ongoing learning process. And this season, through it all, this row and subsequent successions have finally begun to be big enough to harvest! This morning, as I headed towards the carrot row with a pitch fork in hand, Rebecca looked at me in disbelief and asked if I was finally harvesting the carrots. Once I confirmed her suspicion, she eagerly asked if she could harvest them instead. I found this amusing because carrots are usually not the most fun crop to harvest at the farm. Unlike other root vegetables that can be easily pulled from the soil by their stems, carrots tend to break or lose their leaves and need to be dug up with the pitch fork. On top of that, it isn’t always clear how large the carrot is until it is free from the ground, making some fork fulls exciting and some disappointing. All of that said, after waiting for these carrots for so long, getting to harvest them again was a real treat. Through the hard work of farming, finding moments of joy like these are important!
Spring CSA - Week 7 Veggie Share
- Carrots
- Kale
- Fennel
- Red Onions
- Lettuce
- Zucchini
- Mint
- Radishes
Sneak Peak Of The Week 7 Veggie Share:
- Napa Cabbage
- Swiss Chard
- Fingerling Potatoes
- Summer Squash
- Garlic Chives
- Beets
- Lettuce
- Thyme
*Items are subject to change based on availability!
Recipes From Kalina:
- Carrot Top Pesto Pasta with Zucchini Noodles - I love finding recipes that incorporate greens that are not often used. Give this carrot top pesto a try for these flavorful overlooked greens!
Carrot Top Pesto Pasta
This easy, gluten-free pasta dish is flavored with an easy carrot top pesto. A delicious meal ready in 30 minutes!
- Fennel Slaw with a Mint Vinaigrette - This recipe uses such a wonderful balance of flavors and is a perfect treat to make with your fennel and mint this week!
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Fennel Slaw Salad with Mint Vinaigrette
Fennel slaw salad with thinly sliced fennel bulb and a fresh mint vinaigrette. Great with seafood!
* Baked Parmesan Zucchini Spears - This recipe is a simple and delicious way to enjoy your zucchini this week!
