Fall is in full swing at Sunset Farm and we are seeking enthusiastic individuals to help us grow good food and cultivate meaningful memories in the Jordan Ranch community! No prior gardening experience is required to become part of the farm family, our experienced farmers will work alongside you to complete tasks and help expand your farming horizons! Typically volunteer tasks include harvesting, planting, weeding, and caring for our perennials plants like fruit trees and herbs. Reach out to jordanranch@agmenity.com to begin your farming journey now!

This week we planted our biggest wave of Fall crops including kale, collards, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and beets! With the weight of the summer heat now lifting, these plants are loving cooler nighttime temperatures and periodic rainfall waterings. To our resident farm rabbits, these new plantings are a sign of a full buffet! In an effort to save these baby plants, we have installed small white fences that deter little critters.

By design, the perennial pollinator patch always has a surprise waiting for our flying friends to enjoy! This season our Beauty Berry plants have bloomed and fruited, bearing as their name sake implies, bright purple berries! Over 40 species of songbirds can feast on these fruits, while native bees and butterflies pollinate the flowers. These berries are also edible for humans and though bitter tasting when raw, they make a great vibrant colored jam!

In Season : Arugula, Baby Kale, Radishes, Okra, Long Beans, Jalapeno Peppers, Banana Peppers, Sweet Italian Bell Peppers, Hibiscus Pods, and Flowers

Sunset Farm is beaming with beautiful Fall veggies like baby greens and newly planted root crops like carrots and beets. You won't want to miss this weekend's free farm tour to learn more about what we have planned this Fall season and get a taste of new veggies on the menu! Join us on the farm porch at 10am and shop the Farm Stand before you leave!

If you're interested in gaining hands-on farming experience, consider joining our Volunteer Program this Fall season! Volunteers work alongside Farmers Josie and Matt to help harvest and wash veggies or assist with field tasks like planting and weeding. Become part of the Sunset Farm family this season and help our farmers feed the Jordan Ranch community! If you're interested in volunteering, please send us an email at JordanRanch@Agmenity.com!

This week we planted our first round of Chinese cabbage and kale! Unlike our quick-growing arugula and radishes, these crops will take several weeks to fully mature before harvest. As Farmer Matt is experimenting with a hibiscus petal vinegar, he also can't wait to prepare a fresh slaw with the first Chinese cabbage!

In Season : Arugula, Radishes, Zucchini, Korean Melon, Cucumbers, Okra, Long Beans, Jalapeno Peppers, Banana Peppers, Sweet Italian Bell Peppers, Hibiscus Pods, and Flowers

Add a little spice to your life with our freshly harvested arugula and radishes! Delicate arugula greens washed and bagged for convenience is perfect to have on hand for a quick dinner salad. The radishes are small and pack a peppery punch - perfect for topping on tacos or slicing on a sandwich! This first Fall crop is available for sale in the Grab-n-Go cooler and at the Farm Stand this Saturday.

Also new on the shelves are hibiscus pods sold by the pint! The petals on each pod can be peeled away and brewed fresh for hibiscus tea, or dried and saved for fun recipes like jam and mock cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving! Coming soon are baby kale greens and hakurei turnips, both great additions to salad season!

Mark your calendars for a Farm Tour next Saturday, September 26th, from 10am-11am! Meet at the farm porch and take a journey through the farm to learn how we grow food year-round for the surrounding community! Participants will have a chance to ask questions about backyard gardening and get tips on starting your own Fall garden. Browse our selection of new Fall veggies at the Farm Stand before you leave!

In Season : Arugula, Radishes, Zucchini, Korean Melon, Cucumbers, Okra, Long Beans, Jalapeno Peppers, Banana Peppers, Sweet Italian Bell Peppers, Roselle Greens, and Flowers

This week we are taking advantage of rain by seeding Fall cover crops like clover and rye! While our farm irrigation systems are set up to be efficient and conserve water usage - there is truly no replacement for rainfall that has broad coverage and falls with an impact that penetrates the soil perfectly for new seeds to hatch. As this crop matures, beautiful red clover blooms will blanket the farm and serve as a snack for our resident bees!

As you begin to decorate your home for Fall, don't forget to stop by the Farm Stand on Saturday to grab a hand-arranged bouquet with colors to match the new season! This Fall we also plan to have fun events for the whole family on the farm - stay tuned to Facebook and Instagram for event updates!

As our final row of long beans starts producing, we are busy making way for cool-season vegetables like broccoli, beets, and carrots! Our first crop of arugula and radishes should be ready next week and stocked in the Grab-n-Go cooler. Salad turnips and Asian greens will be the next crops to mature this Fall!

In Season : Zucchini, Korean Melon, Cucumbers, Okra, Long Beans, Jalapeno Peppers, Banana Peppers, Sweet Italian Bell Peppers, Roselle Greens, and Flowers

Did you know at Sunset Farm we grow the hibiscus plant that produces petals to brew hibiscus tea? The good news is they are just beginning to bloom and will be harvestable in just a couple of weeks! You can look forward to these purple pods sold by the pint in our Grab-n-Go cooler! These petals can also be dried for later use in tea, jam, or a cranberry sauce substitute for Thanksgiving!

This week we are breaking ground for new Fall crops and cool-season cover crop like clover and rye! Farmer Josie is doing a rain dance while broadforking in hopes of a summer shower to water in new seeds. Radishes, arugula and turnips are just germinating in our high tunnel and we expect to harvest them in just a few weeks!

A fresh and abundant harvest of zucchini has just hit the shelves of the Grab-n-Go and will be available at the Farm Stand this Saturday! Feel free to take a walk through the farm to see what's new and upcoming for the Fall menu!

In Season : Zucchini, Korean Melon, Cucumbers, Okra, Long Beans, Jalapeno Peppers, Banana Peppers, Sweet Italian Bell Peppers, Roselle Greens, and Flowers

While most parts of the country are wrapping up the growing season in October, Sunset Farm's Fall flower patch will just begin to bloom! Our warmer climate matched by sufficient daylight hours allows us to continue flower production into the winter months, alongside all of our cool-season vegetables. Fall flowers on the farm will boast of beautiful autumn colors like yellow sunnies, orange marigolds, and bright red and purple zinnias.

Along with our flowers, the first Fall seedlings have also just germinated in the greenhouse! These seedlings will spend about one month maturing into healthy and robust plants before being transferred into the field. Here's a glimpse of vegetable varieties you can look forward to once they are harvestable :
- Kale
- Swiss Chard
- Collard Greens
- Asian Greens (pac choi, etc.)
- Arugula
- Radishes

After an epic Italian eggplant season, the Asian eggplant counterpart is back on the menu! Farmer Matt prefers this varietal as it cooks quickly and is simple to prepare without salting to remove bitterness. In addition to thriving summer veggies, our blackberry brambles have exploded with new growth throughout the summer season! With a single Spring fruiting season, these berries will continue to develop more foliage and an expansive root system until they hit dormancy this winter.

In Season : Zucchini, Korean Melon, Cucumbers, Okra, Long Beans, Shishito Peppers, Jalapeno Peppers, Sweet Italian Bell Peppers, Roselle Greens, and Flowers

Preparing for a new season is akin to welcoming home a friend who has been gone on a long journey. After waiting in joyful anticipation, we have now begun the process of fortifying the soil with compost and fertilizer, and creating more space in the coveted high tunnel. This week we seeded our first round of cool-season crops and soon enough we will meet again the familiar faces of Fall on the farm - leafy greens, root crops, fresh salad mixes, and tasty herbs. Come check out what's new during the Farm Tour this Saturday from 10am - 11am!

With the palette of a trained chef, Farmer Matt is still soaking in the tastes of summer. He has been enjoying fresh snacks of our new crop of Armenian cucumber and the versatility of sweet Italian peppers included in any meal on the menu! Matt also recommends keeping long beans on hand as they are great for a variety of dishes like a light broth with veg, or heavy cuisine like saucy stir fry with noodles.

Be sure to shop the Farm Stand this Saturday after the morning Farm Tour! Feel free to ask the farmers any questions you may have about starting your own Fall garden at home!

In Season : Zucchini, Korean Melon, Cucumbers, Okra, Long Beans, Shishito Peppers, Jalapeno Peppers, Sweet Italian Bell Peppers, Roselle Greens, and Flowers

At Sunset Farm, we have the joy of growing food 365 days out of the year! Of all seasons, summertime produces more exotic vegetables and less varieties compared to Spring and Fall peak seasons. With a bit of creativity in the kitchen, summer veggies can be prepared in a multitude of ways that will help them remain exciting and new at each meal!

Check out some ways below that you can continue to enjoy our summer produce, as we wait for Fall veggies that will be seeded in just a couple of weeks:

• Okra - Try slicing length wise and baking or air frying for a non-slimy result - also great cooked with eggs or paired with a sticky rice

• Long Beans - These can be used in any traditional green bean recipe and are also great to cook and use as a veggie noodle or blanch and chop into a salad

• Squash - In addition to baking and sauteeing - try shredding this veggie into a breakfast hash and baked goods, or use a quick pickle recipe with your favorite spices for fresh eating

• Cucumbers - The best lettuce replacement for summer salads, and great in preserved foods like kimchi and pickles

Add a spark to your home by taking home our beautiful fresh flowers too! We have had a bumper crop of sunflowers this year, and plan to keep producing until we enter cooler months. These blooms are very dependent on longer daylight hours, as shown by their faces beaming toward the morning sun!

In Season : Patty Pan Squash, Zucchini, Korean Melon, Cucumbers, Okra, Long Beans, Basil, Peppers : Shishito, Green Bell, Sweet Bell, Jalapeno, and Flowers

This week we harvested 106 pounds of Korean Melon off of just one row! These mildly sweet and crisp fruits lived up to their reputation of being super productive in the summer season. Farmer Matt prefers to enjoy these personal-sized melons as a mid-day snack, especially on hot days! Also known as Chamoe in Korean, this melon is traditionally prepared in salads, kimchi, and as an appetizer.

Despite rising temperatures, the farm is vibrant with colors of deep green from Roselle and Cowpeas, sprinkled with a pop of color from beautiful flowers! We highly recommend taking advantage of the last days of summer with kiddos and enjoy a morning walk through the farm landscape. If you are interested in a more educational farm adventure, mark your calendar for our monthly Farm Tours that take place every fourth Saturday of the month!

Farmer Josie is also in the planning process for community events and programs on the farm this coming Fall! Adults and kids alike will have an opportunity to learn more about our sustainable growing practices we use to produce delicious food for the community, while also interacting with nature in fun and creative ways!

In Season : Patty Pan Squash, Zucchini, Cucumbers, Okra, Long Beans, Basil, Peppers : Banana, Shishito, Green Bell, Sweet Bell, Jalapeno, Mad Hatter, and Poblano, and Flowers

New to the Grab-n-Go cooler this week are Roselle Greens - a refreshing, tangy leafy green loaded with nutrients like Vitamin C and antioxidants! This summertime staple can be eaten raw by finely chopping into a salad, or sauteed and paired with your favorite fish or meat! As part of the hibiscus family, this plant will soon grow into a large bush and produce pods that can be used to brew your own hibiscus tea! Stay tuned for updates as we begin selling the pods later this summer.

Flower bouquets continue to be a steady source of joy and are beaming with the most vibrant colors of zinnias! If your Spring garden is coming to an end and you are looking to fill it before planting Fall vegetables, we highly recommend tossing in zinnia and sunflower seeds, as they are easy to germinate and will quickly fill your garden space with beautiful blooms!

As we have hit some of the hottest days of summer so far, our crop rotation has narrowed down to only the most heat tolerant varieties. This week more long beans have germinated while our current succession is producing in abundance! Farmer Matt is preparing more growing space for okra by broad forking the bed - which so far is his favorite farm task even in the heat of the summer!

In Season : Patty Pan Squash, Zucchini, Cucumbers, Okra, Long Beans, Basil, Peppers : Banana, Shishito, Green Bell, Sweet Bell, Jalapeno, Mad Hatter, and Poblano, and Flowers

A new crew has arrived at Sunset Farm and they are excited for the opportunity to steward the land and serve the community of Jordan Ranch! A native Texan, Josie (pictured sitting), comes to us with agricultural experience fostered from a young age of cultivating home gardens and growing pasture-raised chickens. Josie has also worked at another Houston agrihood and brings a breadth of knowledge and passion to serve as the new Farm Manager.

Matthew (pictured standing) hails from the Northeast and more recently moved from Ohio to set roots in Texas. He is a professional chef by trade and has experience working in high-end and Farm-to-Table restaurants, managing meals for school districts, and everything in between. Matthew is also a personal trainer and looks forward to becoming more in-tune with the physicality of farming as well as experiencing the origins of food before it hits the hands of chefs! Be sure to stop by the Farm Stand this Saturday from 9am - 12pm to meet our new team members!

This week we tackled a bigger farm project of re-mulching the oldest blackberry row in our fruit orchard. These plants, along with the other two rows planted by volunteers this Spring, are thriving and the extra layer of mulch should prevent weeds from growing alongside them. Our sunflower patch is also in full bloom and a spectacle to see! Pollinators from butterflies to bees and wasps are bustling at the buffet of flowers!

In Season : Patty Pan Squash, Zucchini, Cucumbers, Okra, Long Beans, Basil, Peppers : Banana, Shishito, Green Bell, Sweet Bell, Jalapeno, Mad Hatter, and Poblano, and Flowers

These tiny blossoms in the fruit orchard belong to the Jujubee tree! Commonly coined as the "Texas Apple," Jujubees are small fruits with a thin skin and crisp apple-like flesh, only a bit drier and sweeter. This is the first fruit load for these trees and will likely be a smaller harvest. However, Jujubee trees can grow to be about 50ft tall and bear a significant amount of fruit!

After a whopping harvest of over 30lbs of cucumbers from our new variety called "Diva," we are excited to be planting more in our high tunnel this week! These cucumbers have a thin skin making them perfect for a summertime snack. Our favorite way to enjoy cucumbers on the farm is by including several slices in our water throughout the day - the perfect natural flavoring to encourage hydration on hot days!

Coming soon to the Grab-n-Go cooler are Cantaloupe and Korean melons! Stay tuned for updates as we wait for melons, zucchini, and a new variety of peppers to ripen. Be sure to stop by the Farm Stand this Saturday from 9am - 12pm to get your fill of summertime veggies and take home a beautiful flower bouquet!

In Season : Patty Pan Squash, Cucumbers, Okra, Long Beans, Basil, Peppers : Banana, Shishito, Green Bell, Sweet Bell, Jalapeno, Mad Hatter, and Poblano, and Flowers