Austin 2016 Fall Farm Share/CSA – Week 4

Posted on October 4, 2016 by Mark

Here’s our expected harvest this week, though shares may vary:

Full Share: Sweet potatoes (double portion), Sunflower sprouts, Rosemary, Pumpkin or melon, Eggplant or tomatoes, Malabar spinach, squash, Basil, Peppers, Onions, Okra, Black eyed peas (double portion)

Half Share: Sweet potatoes, Pumpkin or melon, Rosemary, Basil, Peppers, Onions, Okra, Black eyed peas

Sweet Potatoes are from our friends at Fruitful Hill Farm.

Blessing Falls Farm Share, Fall 2016 Week 4: Onions, sweet potatoes, sunflower sprouts, tomatoes, squash, Rosemary, peppers, basil, black eyed peas, okra, Malabar spinach, melon (or pumpkin)

Blessing Falls Farm Share, Fall 2016 Week 4: Onions, sweet potatoes, sunflower sprouts, tomatoes, squash, Rosemary, peppers, basil, black eyed peas, okra, Malabar spinach, melon (or pumpkin)

Recipe

Sweet Potato Pie!

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Austin 2016 Fall Farm Share/CSA – Week 3

Posted on September 29, 2016 by Mark

Full Share: Basil, Rosemary, Sunflower sprouts, Okra, Black eyed peas, Pumpkin, Peppers, Onions, Squash or Cucumber, Winter squash,

Half Share: Basil, Rosemary, Sunflower sprouts, Okra, Black eyed peas, Pumpkin, Peppers, Onions

Blessing Falls - Farm Share Fall 2016 Week 3 (clockwise from top left) Pumpkin, sunflower sprouts, tomatoes, okra, Malabar spinach, melon, winter squash, onions, black eyed peas, squash, basil, Thai chilies, Rosemary

Blessing Falls – Farm Share Fall 2016 Week 3 (clockwise from top left) Pumpkin, sunflower sprouts, tomatoes, okra, Malabar spinach, melon, winter squash, onions, black eyed peas, squash, basil, Thai chilies, Rosemary

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Pasture Raised Pork Available – Fall 2016

Posted on September 28, 2016 by Mark
redwattle

Red Wattle Heritage Breed Hog on Pasture at Blessing Falls Farm

October 4 update: Our fall pork is sold-out.  Please contact us to be added to the waiting list or to be notified early about our 2017 pork.

Our heritage breed, pastured hogs are about a month away from being ready.  These are the Red Wattle breed and have been raised with full time access to our pastures where they can graze, root, run, and just lay around – to be a true pig.  They are kept in with electrical fencing which we move regularly to give them access to fresh grass.  Pigs cannot live on grass alone so we supplement their food with conventional (non-organic) corn and hog feed.

As with our beef, our pigs are free of antibiotics, synthetic hormones and implants.  These are not vaccinated and have had no drugs of any kind.  They are handled gently, never hit or abused in any way. They were born a few miles away on a local farm that practices these same humane, natural, sustainable methods.

We expect these to weigh around 250 pounds.  We’ll sell them by the half or whole.  A half should give you about 60 pounds of packaged pork in your freezer.  You can have the half processed any way you like, including cured ham and bacon, pan and link sausage, along with pork chops, ribs, roasts, hocks, lard, etc.  Since this is our first pork, we’ll offer halves at the introductory price of $4 per pound (plus processing costs paid to the butcher), based on hanging weight.  A half hog’s estimated hanging weight should be around 75-85 pounds.  When your half is ready, you’ll pick up directly from the butcher – at either their main shop in Westphalia (15 minutes east of Temple) or from their Hutto shop for an additional convenience fee.  For more on processing costs and hanging weight vs. live or packaged weight, see details on our grass fed beef.  The processing costs are similar to beef though hogs yield a higher percentage of packaged pork vs. hanging weight than beef does, typically about 75%.  You’ll get even more usable pork from a pig if you can use the feet, lard, head, and organs.

We have a very limited amount of pork this year (it’s our first year, and if it goes well we hope to raise more hogs in 2017).   You can reserve a half with a deposit of $80.  Just contact us and we’ll get back with you regarding the deposit details.

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2016 Thanksgiving Turkeys

Posted on September 27, 2016 by Mark
Bourbon Red and Spanish Black turkeys at Blessing Falls Farm

Bourbon Red and Spanish Black turkeys at Blessing Falls Farm

Our turkeys are now 3 months old and out on pasture.  These are heritage breeds – Bourbon Red, Royal Palm, and Spanish Black, like we’ve raised in the past.  They should be a good size for your Thanksgiving holiday table in a couple months.  As heritage breeds, they won’t be huge like some conventionally birds you find at the supermarket.  We expect them to be between 7 and 12 pounds.  We offer these as live birds but will also process them for you at your request at no extra cost.

For Fall CSA/Farm Share members, we can deliver your turkey with your weekly share on November 16 or 19.  For others, you can pick up your turkey at Svantes Restaurant in Round Rock on either of those dates or can come by the farm to get yours.

Pasture raised turkeys at Blessing Falls Farm

Pasture raised turkeys at Blessing Falls Farm

The price is $8/lb and a $25 deposit will secure your turkey, with the balance payable before delivery in November after we know the final weight.  We have a very limited supply this year so let us know soon if you are interested.

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Austin 2016 Fall Farm Share/CSA – Week 2

Posted on September 20, 2016 by Mark

We’re enjoying another (final?) blast of summer weather in late September this week here in central Texas.  This unseasonable taste of August is setting back our plans for cool-season greens.  We’re preparing to plant as soon as the hot weather breaks. Earlier attempts simply scorched and withered as soon as they germinated.  Meanwhile, the grasshoppers are thriving with the hot weather and we’ve had some damage from them.  These are the challenges of summer gardening in Texas which make every year very interesting!  We had hoped to be past them by now, but we have to adjust and take what comes.  We appreciate our members’ support and hope you enjoy this week’s harvest.

Here’s our expected harvest this week, though shares may vary:

Full Share: Melon or pumpkin, Tomatoes, Eggplant or extra Winter Squash, Malabar spinach, Squash, Winter squash, Cucumbers, Okra, Basil, Peppers, Black eyed peas (double portion), Onions, Sunflower Sprouts

Half Share: Squash, Cucumbers, Okra, Basil, Peppers, Black eyed peas, Onions, Sunflower Sprouts

See last week’s post for a photo – the harvest hasn’t changed much

For a recipe idea, Sunflower sprouts are a delicious topping for almost any dish. You can dress up salad, pasta and pizza with these nutritious little sprouts!

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Austin 2016 Fall Farm Share/CSA – Week 1

Posted on September 13, 2016 by Mark

Our 10 week Fall season begins, after a 4 week break following 20 consecutive weeks of our Spring and Summer seasons.  The harvest still looks a lot like summer.  We’re planting and working the cool weather greens and varieties, but the hot weather continues which means summer varieties continue to thrive.

Here’s our expected harvest this week, though shares may vary:

Full Share: Melon, Tomatoes or Eggplant, Malabar spinach, Squash, Winter squash, Cucumbers, Okra, Basil, Peppers, Black eyed peas (double portion), Onions, Rosemary

Half Share: Squash, Cucumbers, Okra, Basil, Peppers, Black eyed peas, Onions, Rosemary

Blessing Falls Fall Week 1 Full Share (clockwise from top left) watermelon, black eyed peas, winter squash (acorn pictured), onions, squash, peppers (Thai chilies pictured), Rosemary, basil, Armenian cucumbers, okra, tomatoes (or eggplant), Malabar spinach

Blessing Falls Fall Week 1 Full Share (clockwise from top left) black eyed peas, winter squash (acorn pictured), onions, squash, peppers (Thai chilies pictured), Rosemary, basil, Armenian cucumbers, okra, tomatoes (or eggplant), Malabar spinach, watermelon

Recipe

Try out this tasty black eyed pea salsa dip this week with your onions, peppers and, of course, black eyed peas! This recipe could also be delicious with cucumbers!

To prepare your black eyed peas for this recipe, first shell and rinse the peas. Place peas in a pot with just enough water to cover and simmer until soft. Simmering time will vary with your preference of softness.

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Beef Bone Broth Recipe

Posted on September 8, 2016 by Mark

Bone broth provides great nutrition and many health benefits.  And bones from our 100% grass fed, naturally raised beef cattle have none of the drawbacks and concerns from conventionally raised cattle.  With no grain, no antibiotics, no synthetic hormones you know you’re getting pure broth from cattle raised on pasture on a stress free family farm – rather than drugged, force fed cattle raised in feedlots, standing in their own manure with thousands of other animals.

Here’s the recipe we’ve use for bone broth.  We found it unnecessary to roast the bones and have made it without leeks, and still find it tasty and wonderful – great for sipping daily, or save the broth for your recipes.

We sell our beef bones in convenient 3-5 lb packages, perfect for your crock pot and perfect for this recipe.  Enjoy!

Beef Bone Broth Recipe

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