• Box Contents & Local Items
• Recipe Corner
• Featured Farmer

• Sale -Whipping Cream from Organic Valley
  
• New -Fresh-Baked Bread from Texas French Bread
  
• New - Fruit, fruit, and more fruit - all kinds
  
• Substitution - Richardson Farms will still be helping to complete the chicken orders
  
• New - More Beef cuts from Betsy Ross
  
• Out of Stock - Local Milk from Remember When - they have stopped producing milk. Go stock up in stores cause it won't be available anywhere at least for now

Ross Farm (beef)
Betsy Ross
Granger, Texas

Betsy is one of the founders of Holistic Resource Management. She doesn't just pasture her cattle, she's a scientist who rotates her herd between many pastures and she runs experiments on each one to learn the best ways to manage her land and animals. Looking at her little notebook is amazing. Only she can figure out what her notes say, but what they mean is that she's evolving grass-fed ranches. She's even selectively breeding to improve genes for grass-finishing. I sure hope she finds time to teach others her methods cause she creates the best beef available anywhere.

#1 tip for making your produce last longer has got to be 'Green Bags.' They can literally double or triple the life of veggies in your fridge. Everyone here uses them.

To make leafy veggies last even longer in the green bags dampen a paper towel and wrap the veggies in that and then place in a green bag.

Eating For Sustainability, cont.

Someone emailed me about my article last week skeptical about the numbers I was quoting. You can fact check here, but his question was that if Organic ag was so much more water and energy efficient why was it more expensive? Great question.

So, the #1 contributing factor to higher Organic prices, according to market research by NMI, is supply and demand. There's simply not enough to go around. And supply can't respond quickly to demand because it takes 3 years for farmers to get certified Organic. Also I mentioned that most agriculture land gets special water rates so water savings are not substantial. Further, energy efficiency can easily be offset by increased labor costs. We still haven't figured out how to tell a machine to only pick weeds and not the crops.

But to me something to always keep in mind is that Organic farmers actually have agriculture expertise and knowledge which has been eroding from conventional farming. Just go see King Corn to see how a conventional commodities farmer lives. They plant and spray and wait. Maybe spray some more. Organic farmers have to constantly monitor their crops. They have to react quickly to pests and disease or risk losing their whole crop. Without easy chemical fixes, farming can be quite a daunting task. Organic farmers put up with it out of love for the planet and for us. Nothing sounds more fulfilling to me. I used to think I was way too lazy to be a farmer. Joel Salatin (of Polyface Farms and the hero of Ominvore's Dilema) came to speak to TOFGA this year and completely mesmerized me. He made me want to be a farmer and I hope someday I can be.

Greenling News & Events

Local Box Workshop

-Saturday, June 6th

-3 Classes - 9:30 am, 11:15 am, 1:00 pm

-$5

-Faraday's Kitchen Store

Join Chef Andrew Brooks (spiritedfood.com) Saturday, June 6th for our Local Box Workshop, as he shows you easy recipes and storage tips for using fresh, seasonal produce. You'll leave armed with a variety of ways to use what's local and in-season right now!

We will offer three sessions of this workshop with 15-person capacity for each at 9:30 am, 11:15 am, and 1:00 pm (1-hour sessions). Call 266-5666 TODAY to reserve your spot! These classes sell out fast.

Other News & Events

Sustainable Food Policy Board meeting

-Monday, June 1 6:30-8:30pm

-APL Carver Branch (map)

-FREE

The Sustainable Food Policy Board was spearheaded by Marla Camp of edible Austin and created by a joint effort between the City of Austin and Travis County last fall. They want your input on Monday to help identify issues and set priorities for the city and county about how to improve the availability of safe, nutritious, locally and sustainably grown food at reasonable prices for all people.

See More Info Here

This Week's Box Contents & Local Items

Here's what's available from local farms on our website this week (the best selection of local produce in the city - guaranteed):

In Local Boxes ($34.99) this week (June 1-5):

• Blackberries - Naegelin Farm
• Cucumber - Buena Tierra
• Carrots - Tecolote
• Tongue of Fire Beans - Animal Farm
• Patty Pan Squash - Naegelin
• Green Tomatoes - Ringger Farm
• Corn - Acadian
• Mangoes - G&S Groves
• Peaches - Caskey
• Beets - Tecolote

Last Week's (May 25-29) Local Box Video

Cucumbers, elephant garlic, garlic chives all new last week. Plus leeks, peaches, mangoes, blackberries, squash & more

In Farmstead & Local Produce Boxes ($49.99) this week (June 1-5):

• Caesar Dressing - SASS
• Red Chili & Garlic Pappardelle - Pasta & Co
• Salt & Olive Oil Foccacia - Texas French Bread

Produce from Local Farms

• Arugula, Baby - Animal Farm
• Beets, Bunch -Tecolote
  
• Berries, Blackberries Naegelin
  
• Cabbage, Green - Buena Tierra
  
• Carrots, Baby Bunch - Tecolote
  
• Daikon - Tecolote
  
• Fennel - Buena Tierra
  
• Garlic - Naegelin
  
• Garlic, Green - Green Gate
  
• Grapefruit - G&S Grove
  
• Greens, Kale - Buena Tierra
• Herb, Asst - Pure Luck
  
• Herbs, Basil - Buena Tierra
  
• Herbs, Basil - Live Bella Verdi
  
• Leeks - Tecolote
  
• Sunflower Sprouts - Groovy Greens
  
• Tomatoes, Slicing - Walnut Creek
  
• Elephant Garlic - Green Gate
  
• Raddachio - Buena Tierra
  

Produce from Local Farms

• Lettuce, Baby - Animal Farm
• Lettuce, Bibb -Bella Verdi
  
• Limes -G&S Grove
• Mangos -G&S Grove
  
• Microgreens, Arugula -Bella Verdi
  
• Microgreens, Broccoli -Bella Verdi
  
• Mushroom, Crimini -Kitchen Pride
  
• Mushroom, Portobello -Kitchen Pride
• Mushroom, Shiitake -Kitchen Pride
  
• Mushroom, White -Kitchen Pride
  
• Onion, White -Naegelin
  
• Onion, Yellow -Naegelin
  
• Onion, Red-Arnold Organic's
  
• Orange, Valencia -G&S Grove
  
• Peaches -Caskey Orchards
  
• Potatoes, Red -Naegelin
  
• Squash, Yellow -Naegelin
  
• Squash, Zucchini -Acadian Family Farm
  
• Green Beans -Naegelin, Acadian Family Farm
  
• Squash, Gold Zucchini -Buena Tierra
  

Recipe Corner

Potato & Onion Soup

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup butter

1 White onion, thinly sliced

2 leeks

2 red potatoes, peeled and sliced

2 quarts water

1 tablespoon salt

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

DIRECTIONS

1. In a heavy 4 quart pan, melt 1/4 cup butter and onion until wilted. Add cleaned and sliced leeks, potatoes, water and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes or until potatoes are very tender.

2. Remove from heat and cool if you want. Blend the cooked mixture until smooth. Return to the saucepan; add 1/4 cup butter, cream and chives. Check for seasonings. Heat, but do not boil or the cream will curdle.

3. Garnish with either white cheddar and bacon or a few snipes of chives.