Green Gate Farms: Polar Vortex Hits CSA Week 7
Announcement:
*Due to the frozen weather conditions this week, our CSA share delivery has been postponed to Saturday, Feb. 20th, at the regular times for each pickup location. Thank you for your understanding. We hope you are staying safe and warm!
Farm News:
Farm stand and private sales via Facebook REKO Ring suspended until further notice.
- See how the storm took over our River Farm in Farmer Skip's film
- Spring CSAs for Veggies and Flowers Sign up has begun, don’t dally! https://greengatefarms.net/shop
- Flower Power Workshares: Learn how to cultivate organic cut flowers this spring. Farmer Erin is putting her team together for the season...Apply here
- We're hiring! Seeking a farm manager and seasonal workers. See www.greengatefarms.net
- Green Gate Gift Cards Available Need something special for your friends and family? Give the gift of fresh, organic food! We have Farm Bucks for all your celebrations.
- Tater Planting Time! All are invited to help plant our red, blue and yellow potatoes as soon as the ground allows. All ages welcome at our River Farm. Stay tuned...
How To Survive A Polar Vortex: Message From The Smart Wren
By Farmer Skip Connett
It began in ice and ended in ice, our seven-day plunge into the polar vortex. The jet stream went on a bender, wobbling so far south that snow fell in Galveston, a blizzard paralyzed Dallas, and Austin was colder than Anchorage.
We vegetable and flower farmers spent Thursday miserable in the freezing rain, yet determined to put coats on our crops. They must have been as confused as we were: only two weeks earlier we were adjusting to record highs, resigned to KXAN’s meteorologist Jim Spencer’s prediction that winter was about over, one more week at most. Valentine’s Day was only four days away — love cheered on by early blooming forsythia and green blades of grass announcing Spring.
Only parental love can explain why we bothered putting those thin coats of row cover on our babies when we knew the frozen-hard truth: we were witnessing an epic assault not even the toughest of the bunch — hard-neck garlic — was likely to survive. The hope we put in Nature’s row cover - an armor of ice and snow — was short-lived once we looked at the forecast with cold clear eyes: Austin, TX, would become Austin, MN for an entire week!
Continue reading Skip's essay on our website:
Winter CSA - Week 7 Veggie Share
- Broccoli or Cauliflower
- Lacinato Kale
- Green Onions
- Butternut Squash
- Cabbage
- Thyme
- Mystery Veggie (doing what we can with what we’ve got!)
Food and Flower Snapshot
- Veggie CSA Winter season, 10 weeks: January 4th - March 10th (*This may change due to extensive crop losses. We'll know more when the freezes end.)
- $25 each week, prorated
- 5 pick-up locations, Wed/Sat; no home deliveries *CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE: Additional vegetables, herbs, flowers and specialty items (e.g., pickled okra, plants for your garden, etc.) posted every Wednesday on Green Gate’s private Facebook page; touchless pickup at our intown farm is on Saturdays, 10-noon. (8310 Canoga Ave., Austin 78724)
- Volunteers welcome at both farms. More information on our website.
- Questions about your CSA share? Contact your Community Organizer, the volunteer who manages your pickup site and handles any issues that might arise.
Recipes From Kalina:
Roasted Butternut Squash with Lemon, Thyme, and Parmesan - A simple and delicious way to enjoy your butternut squash on these cold days!
Parmesan Butternut Squash with Lemon and Thyme – Kalyn's Kitchen
This Parmesan Butternut Squash with Lemon and Thyme is a delicious way to celebrate butternut squash season.
Southern Fried Cabbage - Treat yourself to some classic comfort food after this difficult and chilly week!
https://www.adventuresofanurse.com/southern-fried-cabbage-bacon/Lacinato Kale and Eggs - A quick, simple, healthy, and filling scramble to keep you going as we all recover from last week!
