Fresh Roots Farm

CSA Week One

2011-05-22T14:27:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

We are proud to announce that the first week of our CSA program went off without a hitch. This week Mark gathered turnips, arugula, radishes, spinach, beets, swiss chard and various herbs for the first harvest of the season.

We even delivered the food in fashionable farm tote bags (created by yours truly).

The first harvest:

And the final product....

So, it looks like Fresh Roots is off to a great start this year. Thanks to all our CSA members for their support, and we hope you enjoy your first basket of the season.

Happy Harvesting,
Elizabeth

First Video

2011-05-15T06:02:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

Yesterday was just a normal Saturday on the farm, and I caught some of it on film. This is my first video, and hopefully this summer I will be able to capture a lot more footage (with less shaky shots...)

Enjoy!

Elizabeth

Extending Our Roots

2011-05-05T12:20:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

Harvesting time is almost here, and Fresh Roots has been quite busy preparing for yet another great season. Over the past month we've added fresh soil to the garden, created beds and planted the first seeds of the season. Here are some pictures that show the transformation of the farm over the past month.

And after all of the fun tilling, raking, and sweating... We finally have our first crops of the season. Currently we have lots of fabulous greens including swiss chard, arugula, spinach and much more...

The green house now has a lovely brick walk way, making maneuvering through this spot a lot easier.

Mark has also been busy building compost boxes out of old wood and other goodies...

We are also excited to announce that the farm has extended its roots to Cabbage Town. We now are farming a small lot off of Berean Avenue. This plot will help provide even more fresh, naturally grown vegetables to the Atlanta community.

It's almost time for our CSA program to start and we couldn't be more excited. We hope you are all enjoying the last of spring as we head very quickly into a new season.

Take Care,
Elizabeth

Ringing in Spring

2011-02-20T13:12:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!

It looks like it's just about time for Spring, and that means the start of another season for Fresh Roots Farm. We started off this year by preparing the green house for another season.

We also added chicken manure to the green house soil... Thanks chickens!

We're starting to prepare the soil throughout the rest of the garden as well, but we won't start planting these rows until around April.

I'm also proud to announce that Olivia lost a significant amount of weight over the winter thanks to a diet of all vegetables. You go girl!

We also want to announce that our CSA program is now accepting applications for half or full shares. Visit our website at www.freshrootsfarm.com for more information. Here's a sample of what the baskets looked like last year:

We're looking forward to another great season!
Elizabeth

Fall Fresh

2010-10-12T08:25:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

Long time no blog!!?? It has been quite a while since we've last updated the blog -- my apologies. Quite honestly though, the transition from summer to fall is always a bit slow, and there just simply isn't much going on during that time. But thankfully with the beautiful fall weather, comes lots of new crops! Take a look>

We've got lots and lots of greens right now, and later we should have some broccoli in addition to some more surprises I'm sure Mark has planted...

There is also a really neat variety of radish growing in the garden. They are called Easter Egg radishes because they come in variety of colors. They're like M&M's but healthier...

To make room for new fall/winter crops, Mark and a volunteer from GA Organics have been busy clearing out the green house in addition to the last of the tomatoes and melons.

So all in all, I think we've had a pretty good season thus far. We didn't get as much rain as we wanted during the summer (do we ever?), but we've been very lucky to have such a luscious garden this fall. We hope next summer we will have enough food to attend market all summer long, but we are thankful our CSA program was a success.

We only have about a month left for our CSA, and then it will be time to hibernate once again. I hope you all enjoy this beautiful weather while it lasts- I know Olivia, the chickens and Peanut will...

Take Care,
Elizabeth

Picklin'

2010-07-30T11:10:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

It's been a while since our last update, but we've mainly been trying to beat the heat and keep the plants alive! We've missed the last few weeks of market due to the fact that our CSA baskets have used most of our produce in addition to Olivia's raid on the garden!! She finally figured out that a delicious array of vegetables were sitting only few feet away on the opposite side of the fence... She pretty much helped her self to anything and everything in the garden. Everything has turned out fine, but we just haven't had the surplus of vegetables we normally do. Mark will be at Market this Saturday however with lots of wonderful veggies!

We have had a surplus of cucumbers however... so we've been doing some good ol'fashion picklin!

We tasted the pickles the other day and they're great! It was surprisingly not very difficult to do.

We've also had a few little surprises pop up on the farm...

New baby silkies! So cute...

And here are a few pictures that our neighbor and photographer, Lynn, took of the farm a week or two ago:

And Ms. Diva herself was featured in Creative Loafing...

She's been in a music video, wedding video, on Fox-5, painted, sketched, photographed... what's next??? She needs an agent.

Hope you are all doing well and staying cool out there!

Take Care,
Elizabeth

4th of July Peachapalooza!

2010-07-05T09:19:00.001-07:00

Hello All,

I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend! We had a great time at the East Lake Farmer's Market Peachapalooza cook off! The market was filled with vendors, patrons, live music, and lots of peach dishes. We had a great time sampling the food and seeing old and new customers.

Once again, we brought lots and lots of tomatoes....

And we SOLD OUT again

Also, our watermelons have started to come in. We're very eager to eat one...

Thanks to everyone that came out to market this weekend! Happy fourth!

Elizabeth

Attack of the Killer Tomatoessss

2010-06-25T04:32:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

I thought I would let everyone know what's currently growing on the farm. We've officially entered the summer season as far as vegetables go. Now you can find more hearty vegetables on the farm as opposed to the thinner greens we grow during spring. Take a look...

Our first melon of the season.. and lots and lots of tomatoes...

I'm very excited about the Bell Peppers.. they are so photogenic...

Here are the cucumber plants-

And we planted more arugula .. it should be ready soon.

And good news! Our salad mix grew back, so we should have just enough for one more harvest for market this Saturday. Come on out and get a bag o'greens!

Our squash and potatoes are still growing...

And these are one of my favorite surprises of the summer... We never know how tall they will get. These are about 6 1/2 ft.

Also, these stickers have been very popular at market..

We hope you're enjoying summer and all the wonderful food it brings!
Take Care,
Elizabeth and Hall

Follow Us on Twitter

2010-06-17T06:52:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

Fresh Roots Farm is now on Twitter! You can follow us @freshrootsfarm1. We'll keep everyone posted on the newest vegetables and happenings on the farm.

Keep in Touch!
Elizabeth

Wedding Day at the Farm

2010-06-13T09:44:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

We've had quite the week at Fresh Roots! Katie and Brion Kennedy were married yesterday in the garden, and it was an absolutely beautiful celebration. We feel very lucky that we got to celebrate their wedding day at the farm. Here's a few pictures of the decorations:

Congrats and best wishes to Brion and Katie!

Market and CSA's are continuing to go very well. The spring crops are almost finished and we are making plenty of room for tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, eggplants... and lots more! Here's what our CSA baskets have looked like the past couple of weeks:

And the baby chicks are getting bigger and bigger :)

Also, check out this recipe ...

VEGETABLE QUICHE

1 ready made pie crust
1 1/2 c. (6 oz.) grated Swiss or Gruyere cheese
1 tbsp. flour
1 c. diced or sliced cooked vegetables in any combination: Broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, green beans,
spinach
5 eggs
2 c. (1 pt.) half & half
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. chopped, fresh dill

Mix the cheese and flour and sprinkle into pie pan. Spread the vegetables on top. Beat eggs with half & half; add salt and dill and pour this mixture over vegetables. Bake in a preheated moderate oven (350 degrees) for 1 hour or until puffed and brown. Cool 15 minutes before cutting.

Hope you are all staying cool in this heat!
Take Care,
Elizabeth

SOLD OUT

2010-05-30T10:48:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

What a weekend we've had! Yesterday was our first day of market, and it was quite successful. We sold every vegetable we brought from the farm, and we even purchased some delicious peaches to supplement our CSA baskets. East Lake is a wonderful market, and it was so nice to see some old customers and meet new ones as well. Here are a few pictures from our first day of market:

This is what our table looked like towards the end of the day...

We were so happy to see Pearson Farm again as well as their always delicious peaches that come directly from Peach County (seriously).

I've also been busy making new t-shirts for Fresh Roots. They are now available for $10 each. Right now they are plain cotton t-shirts (available in small, medium and large). We should have some available in organic cotton soon as well as shopping bags with the logos. Check them out!

Who knew a farmer could model??

An lastly, this morning came with a few little surprises... New baby silkies! So far, three have hatched... and they are little poof balls of cuteness. We may get up to 5 babies...

We are very thankful to everyone that came out to market this weekend and supported ELF as well as us. Next week the market is hosting a dog adoption/rescue day at the market- bring your puppy and stop by and see us!

Contact us at freshrootsfarm@gmail.com if you're interested in a shirt.

Take Care,
Elizabeth

Harvest Time Again!

2010-05-26T13:25:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

So our second CSA harvest took place today, and I must say the baskets look delicious! This week we've added various herbs (spearmint, peppermint and dill) in addition to beets, green tomatoes, and wild mulberries.

If you were wondering how to eat/prepare beets, here are a few tips:

Cook beets lightly. Studies show beets' anti-cancer activity is diminished by heat.
Don't peel beets until after cooking. When bruised or pierced, beets bleed, losing some of their vibrant color and turning a duller brownish red. To minimize bleeding, wash beets gently under cool running water, taking care not to tear the skin since this tough outer layer helps keep most of beets' pigments inside the vegetable. To prevent bleeding when boiling beets, leave them whole with their root ends and one inch of stem attached.

Since beet juice can stain your skin, wearing kitchen gloves is a good idea when handling beets. If your hands become stained during the cleaning and cooking process, simply rubbing some lemon juice on them will remove the stain.

A Few Quick Serving Ideas:

Simply grate raw beets for a delicious and colorful addition to salads or decorative garnish for soups.
Add chunks of beet when roasting vegetables in the oven.
Sauté beet greens with other braising greens such as chard and mustard greens.
Marinate steamed beets in fresh lemon juice, olive oil, and fresh herbs.

Also, we've gotten a few more chickens on the farm. Check em' out!

And I know you were all wondering- Olivia is doing very well. I think she's enjoying the beginning of summer as much as we are.

Once again we will be at the East Lake Farmers Market on Saturday from 9am-1pm. It's located at 2nd Avenue and Hosea L. Williams Drive in Kirkwood.

Here's a website for more information on the market:
http://www.eastlake.org/news-events/event.php?id=45

Hope you all are enjoying summer as much as we are! Enjoy your beets and berries if you are a CSA member, and come see us at market on Saturday.

Elizabeth

Fresh Roots Farm makes it big time!!

2010-05-19T07:28:00.000-07:00

Happy Harvesting Day!

So today has been a BIG day on the farm. We have officially started harvesting for CSA baskets that will be distributed today, and Good Day Atlanta came to film us in action. Check out our guest appearance:

http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/good_day_atl/Road-Warrior:-Fresh-Roots-Farm-051910

We're slowly becoming the movie stars we've always wanted to be...

The vegetables look great and we are so happy to begin our CSA program. Market starts next week for us at East Lake Farmers Market. Here's a glimpse of all today's activities...

Enjoy your baskets if you're a CSA member, and come see us at the market next Saturday!!

Elizabeth

Earth Day on the Farm

2010-04-24T03:50:00.001-07:00

Hello!

We were fortunate enough to have seven Howard School classes come over and spend Earth Day with us. The students were supposed to complete worksheets while visiting us.. but who can do that when there are chickens, a pig, and lots of fun things to touch?!?! We mainly spent the day discussing what we do at Fresh Roots Farm and how to hold a chicken correctly. As you can see, the students became pros very quickly.

We talked about composting and why it makes soil healthy..

Olivia took a dip in her pool while we had guests over...

A special thanks has to go out to our wonderful volunteers, Madi and Ami, for helping us out yesterday and making Earth Day very special for the Howard School students.

We feel very fortunate that such a great school is right next door to us, and we look forward to many more visits in the future.

Eat Well,
Elizabeth

They're Back...

2010-04-22T05:23:00.000-07:00

Hello All!

Well, it has only been a few short weeks since we planted our first seeds, and I must say, they have already grown up quite nicely. Here's what the garden currently looks like:

As you can see, we have new and colorful containers for all of our herbs. The tomatoes located in the green house are also doing very well.

I always love seeing the lettuce mix in the garden. It adds so much color.

Mark didn't know he was scheduled for a photo shoot.

We've also had two new visitors on the farm. Two lonely roosters have wandered over to pay a visit to my lovely hens. We've named them Hall and Oats. For now, they are keeping Olivia company..

Happy Earth Day,

It's Official!

2010-04-06T09:26:00.000-07:00

OH what a happy day... Our little Miss Butter Bean has laid her first egg...

She's our tiniest chicken and she makes the tiniest eggs.

Congrats Butter Bean...

Howard School Visits!

2010-04-04T18:08:00.001-07:00

Happy Easter Everyone!

This past week we have had some wonderful visits from our neighbors at the Howard School. The classes helped us plant potatoes, clean the coop, and paint signs. They were a huge help to us!

The students were wonderful and we're looking forward to many more visits!

Elizabeth

Welcome Spring

2010-03-30T07:41:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

So it is officially Spring on the farm and we have been busy preparing the garden for another great season. We have planted a majority of the beds, and as you can see, the plants are sprouting perfectly...

We've also added potato towers to the farm:

Potatoes are a crop new at farm. Hopefully this season we will have lots of wonderful varieties to sell at market and through our CSA program.

The warm weather has also brought out more visitors and volunteers to the farm. Recently a class from the Howard School paid us a visit, and their excitement and curiosity was absolutely contagious. It was a joy to see them interact with all the animals and learn about everything in the garden. They are helping us paint signs for the garden, and I will post pictures when they are finished. We are very much looking forward to future visits from students at the Howard School.

We have a few more beds to create and plant before our first round of crops are officially in the ground. So far everything is running smoothly and it looks like we are going to have another great season.

Here are a few more pictures from around the farm. As you can see, Olivia is really enjoying the weather...

Happy Spring,
Elizabeth

Dirt Don't Hurt!

2010-03-11T13:46:00.000-08:00

Hello All,

Last weekend was absolutely beautiful, and we took full advantage of the weather. The entire weekend revolved around dirt- shoveling dirt, hauling dirt, raking dirt... Mark had a pile of healthy, nutrient filled soil delivered to the farm, and it was our job to transfer every bit of it to the garden.

Here's an idea of the pile:

Thankfully, three wonderful volunteers came out on Saturday and helped us move the soil into the garden. Thanks Madi, Dennis, and Jeremy!!

Jeremy proved to be an excellent chicken wrangler...

Once we transferred the soil to the garden, Mark tilled the ground, mixing old and new dirt...

And believe it or not, moving this dirt took the entire day. With 4 and 1/2 people moving the dirt, we got this much done..

Though our backs ached and our hands were blistered (an obvious sign that it is only the start of the season) we spent Sunday creating beds out of the dirt we moved. Luckily our new friend Diana was there to take some very beautiful pictures

Now half of the garden is ready to plant. Once the ran stops and the soil dries out, we'll be in business.

Take care,

Elizabeth

Snow Day on the Farm

2010-02-12T15:02:00.000-08:00

G'day!

So these are pictures from the farm last week. It was an absolutely beautiful day outside, and I even broke a sweat helping Mark with the greenhouse. (As you can see, the hoop house is progressing nicely.)

And this is today...

Olivia officially has a Pigloo and is refusing to come out...

Happy snow day #2, Atlanta!

Stay warm,

Elizabeth

Olivia

2010-02-08T09:52:00.000-08:00

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I present to you, Olivia:

That's right! We've got a pig! The other animals are still adjusting (Oli bit Coco, the dog, and she also ate all the chickens' food this morning) but I'm sure we'll be one big happy family in no time!

Oli will help us clear out a space in the garden that we haven't been able to use due to uneven ground and poor soil quality. She also we bring us (especially me) immense amounts of happiness.

Stop by and say "Hello" sometime!

Elizabeth

Hoop House Construction and CSA Memberships

2010-02-07T10:06:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone,

Thank god General Lee saw his shadow (or wait... didn't see his shadow?). Either way, Spring is almost here! We are definitely ready for warmer weather and longer days under the sun. Mark has been busy constructing our hoop house (green house), and it is a great addition to the farm.

Here are a few pictures:

In addition to the hoop house, I would also like to mention that CSA membership information is available on our website: www.freshrootsfarm.com

CSA memberships are a great way to eat fresh, local vegetables (and eggs) all season long. Check it out! The number of memberships available are limited, so let us know if you are interested ASAP.

Here's a basket from last season:

Take care,
Elizabeth

Hello 2010

2010-01-24T14:51:00.000-08:00

Hello cyberspace!

Well it is officially 2010, and Fresh Roots Farm has finally jumped on the blog bandwagon. For those of you who don't know, Fresh Roots was founded in April of 2009 right in the heart of Atlanta. We are an urban farm that aims to provide our local community with fresh and organic produce. Though neophytes in the world of urban farming, Fresh Roots experienced a great first season thanks to hard work and the support of our wonderful community. Thanks to all of you who came out to market, donated your time as volunteers, purchased CSA baskets, and simply encouraged us to keep going. A special thanks also goes out to Doug and Amy at the Kirkwood Farmer's Market and to our wonderful landlords who provide land to farm.

Currently we are still waiting out the winter months, trying to keep the chickens warm, and preparing for another successful season. We are in the midst of constructing our first hoop house (green house), and this should hopefully prolong our season past summer. Also, Mark was accepted into the Georgia Organics mentoring program where he will have the opportunity to work along side other urban farmers in Atlanta. This will be a great chance to meet others within the urban farming community.

With the experience of one season under our belt, we hope to have an even more successful and productive year. Be on the look out for more events, a wider variety of produce and perhaps even more home brewed beer.

That's all for now but keep checking back for more updates, pictures, and videos of whats happening on the farm.

Happy Harvesting,
Elizabeth (Chicken Wrangler)