The Great Potato Harvest

Fresh picked potatoes were shared with farmers the other night.

Our farm team planted 4 baskets of potatoes in February. Browning leaves told us that it was time to harvest in June.

This was all that was left after  our harvest.

And..., happy farmers with buckets of potatoes!

East Texas - Poppa Skinny's & Jacksonville Tomato Fest

Mouth watering, juicy, delicious tomatoes were the theme at this classic East Texas event. If you ever get a chance to time your visit to this small Texas town, try and make it during this annual festival. You'll be glad that you did!

Tomatoes are celebrated year round in this community's Tomato Bowl stadium.

This tomato expert gave us a ton of historical and yes, a little hysterical tomato fest info.

After the Tomato Fest, we stopped by Poppa Skinny's Farm  located near the town of Rusk. This organic farm produces seasonal crops and offers community-shared agriculture to local residents. CSA's are an alternative, locally-based model of agriculture and food distribution. It is wildly popular on the East and West coast and thankfully is gaining popularity in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. Local, organically grown food is the healthiest option for all of our families. So if you're looking to get your family to eat healthier,  try switching over to this method of buying fresh, local produce.

Sweet corn is delicious straight off the stalk!

At Poppa Skinny's, they have hoop houses that house their organic chickens.

A trailer train system is their hen house. They rotate it around the field for the grazing hens that lay eggs.

At Poppa Skinny's, Terry will sell you fresh produce, chicken, pork products, preserves and eggs. She also has a wealth of information and advice about crops. They are open most days and welcome folks who stop by. We even got a tractor ride! This stop is highly recommended to learn more about the farm to table cycle and pick up some tasty treats for your own table.

Look How Far We Have Come

This is the view of the farm 2 years ago. The back of our school was an area that was infrequently used. It also had full day southern exposure, so it was the best choice as to where to plant our crops.

This is what it looks like now.

Today our farm is buzzing with activities during the school day, after school and even on weekends.

In addition to our school farm setting down roots in our community, many families in our neighborhood are starting their own gardens and farming at home.

Growing Goodness and Hatching Healthiness...,

We can't wait to see what next year brings!