Welcome to Green Gate Farms Spring CSA, Week 6! Mother's Day Class and More!
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, Spinach, Lettuce
- Root Veggies: Red Radishes, Watermelon Radishes, Beets
- Alliums: Spring Onions, Onions (Red & Yellow), Garlic Chives, Garlic
- Herbs: Parsley, Fennel Fronds, Mint, Thyme
- Other: Fennel, 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
- Love in a mist a.k.a. nigella
- Mint or Dill
- Larkspur
- Ranunculus, Sunflowers or Rudbeckia (wildflowers are popping!)
- Artichoke, buddliea or sage
*Be sure pull the brown anthers as they bloom so pollen doesn’t drop on your table
FARM NEWS & EVENTS
- Mother’s Day Bouquet-Making Class This Saturday at our east Austin farm. After a tour of the flower fields, Farmer Erin will teach you how to make an extra special bouquet for your Mom (or someone you love) using freshly harvested flowers and herbs. (Admission includes a tour and one bouquet.) This outdoor class meets at the picnic tables beside Big Red Barn, Saturday, May 8th, class repeats at 10:00 and 1:00. Kids welcome. (Psst….there’s a special gift for CSA members who attend).
- 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 6th.
- 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
Village Farm:
The more than 50 fruit trees residents helped us plant this spring are loving this rain. The beginnings of apples, peaches, pears, plums, loquats and more are beginning to unfurl as our orchard gets underway.
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.
Support Local Farmers at the Farm Out Fest!
- Come on out this Saturday and enjoy a day of local veggies, baby goats, good music, and food and drinks in support of local farmers! Proceeds from this event support local farmers through Farmshare Austin. Learn more here!
FARMER UPDATE
Notes From the Field: Half-Way Through The Spring CSA; The Season Is Turning! By Farmer Kalina
As we hit the halfway point of the Spring CSA, the change in the seasons feels very clear to me. The frenzy of Spring planting, which this year was compounded by the loss we experienced from winter storm Uri, is almost over. The basil, tomatoes, peppers, okra, eggplant, cucumbers, melons, and summer squash have all been put in the ground. We are still adding successions of some for the late summer but for the most part we are moving onto another phase in the growing cycle.
This summer crops are more demanding than their slow winter counterparts. While in the winter I watch a head of broccoli form over the course of several weeks, this time of year and beyond a single zucchini doubles in size in forty-eight hours. This means harvesting more frequently than I have for months. In the peak of the summer our okra, cucumbers, and summer squash are harvested every other day. It’s a pace that feels jarring after the ease of the winter. But we farmers always rise to the occasion. Today in the 90 degree sun, slathered in sunscreen and hiding under a wide brim hat, I harvested 50lbs of summer squash, and will continue to do so as long as the plants are producing this abundance!
Spring CSA - Week 6 Veggie Share
- Beets
- Cabbage
- Swiss Chard
- Spring Onions
- Fennel Fronds
- Watermelon Radishes
- Lettuce
Sneak Peak Of The Week 7 Veggie Share:
- Fennel
- Kale
- Lettuce
- Carrots
- Radishes
- Garlic Chives
- Summer Squash *Items are subject to change based on availability!
Recipes From Kalina:
- Watermelon Radish, Orange, and Goat Cheese Salad - Try this spring salad that is vibrant in both color and flavor! Sub the chives for the greens on your spring onions and add a little diced fennel fronds for a true CSA to table experience.
Watermelon Radish & Goat Cheese Salad | Alexandra’s Kitchen
This watermelon radish, orange, and goat cheese salad recipe, topped with toasted walnuts, shallots, olive oil and chives, is irresistible!
- Vegetarian Stuffed Cabbage Rolls - Get a little creative with your cabbage this week and try making some cabbage rolls! Use this recipe or find one with your favorite fillings.
- Spring Onion and Mushroom Frittata - I have been enjoying frittatas lately! Try this quick, easy, and delicious recipe with your spring onions this week!