This week we are one step closer to planting our first Spring tomato crop! For the past month, our tomato plants have been growing in tiny seedling cells while they have developed true leaves and a sturdy stem. Now they are ready to be transferred to 4-inch pots where they will finish out their journey of growth in the greenhouse. Tomato plants have a unique ability to produce roots from their stems, often called “air roots.” Each time our farmers transfer the tomato plants to a larger growing area they encourage the roots to grow wider and deeper, leading to a healthier and more robust plant.

In preparation for Spring harvests, we are also planting more beets, carrots, lettuce, and scallions! Although these plants thrive in cold environments, they also gain sizable growth as the weather warms and daylight hours increase. Many of these vegetables will still be harvestable when we pick our first Spring crops like squash and cucumbers. If you enjoy feasting with your eyes, this season offers a colorful array of roots like carrots and beets paired with vibrant leafy greens that are sure to please the palate too!

After two weeks of inclement weather without our Saturday Farm Stand, we are happy to invite you out to the farm again from 9am - 12pm to shop for veg and say hello to Farmer Sarah! We also wanted to answer a few common questions about our Grab-n-Go cooler : The Grab-n-Go is stocked with veggies throughout the week and is available to shop from 24/7 at your convenience. Once you have filled a bag with your favorite veg, there is an iPad next to the cooler to pay for your items! If you need assistance, feel free to message us on Facebook or Instagram at Sunset Farm at Jordan Ranch!

In Season: Carrots, Spinach, Celery, Fennel, Green Onions, Green Cabbage, Parsley, Collard Greens, Curly Kale, Tuscan Kale, Swiss Chard, Arugula, and Radishes

If you have been a fan of the broccoli and cauliflower found in our Grab-n-Go veggie cooler, you won’t want to miss the last wave we are planting this week! These two crops have been our best sellers over the winter season, and we will only have a limited amount available until this last round matures. The warmer weather we have experienced this winter has caused some of our broccoli to produce flowers - the plant's natural response when it feels stressed. Thankfully, this weekend will bring cooler temperatures which will make these cool-weather crops feel right at home!

We’re excited that baby carrots are back on the menu! This sweet staple is a family favorite and can be enjoyed as a healthy snack, in a warm soup, or a savory stir fry. We planted carrots in our high tunnel and two beds in the field, so you can be assured of a steady supply throughout the winter and spring months. If you ever want to make use of the whole carrot while reducing food waste, we recommend including them in a carrot-top pesto recipe like this or adding them to a homemade veggie stock.

One of the highlights of our week as farmers has been admiring the sweet honey bees that love to visit our plants in bloom on Sunset Farm. We encourage you to take a walk by the farm sometime and soak up the colorful landscape. Hopefully these bees will stick around to help pollinate our Spring crops like tomatoes and squash that will be planted in just a few months!

​​In Season: Baby Carrots, Broccoli (limited), Cauliflower (limited), Spinach, Celery, Fennel, Green Onions, Green Cabbage, Parsley, Cilantro, Collard Greens, Curly Kale, Red Russian Kale, Tuscan Kale, Romaine Lettuce Heads, Swiss Chard, Arugula, and Radishes

Have you had a chance to try any of our Swiss chard yet? We’re growing a mix of different varieties which means each bunch has a rainbow of different colored stems! This leafy green is a great sub for spinach as the leaves have a similar flavor and are in the same family. Both the tender leaves and crunchy stems can be used in recipes. For an easy side dish, saute chopped Swiss chard stems and garlic in olive oil until the stems are tender, then add the chopped leaves and cook until just wilted. Season with salt and pepper and a sprinkle of grated parmesan.

We are planting seeds in the last 3 empty beds in the high tunnel this week. We will be seeding additional rounds of carrots, arugula, radishes, and turnips along with some spinach. Once these seeds are in the ground, the high tunnel will be fully planted! Since we’ve been planting a lot of quicker growing crops in the high tunnel, we’ve been able to regularly harvest delicious veggies like turnips and radishes.

Our carrots in the high tunnel are coming along nicely but they aren’t quite ready for harvesting. We’re hopeful that we will be able to make the first harvest within the next 2-3 weeks! Since carrots are a community favorite, we like to plant several successions of them throughout the cooler growing seasons. This allows us to lengthen the amount of time they’re available for you and helps lessen or eliminate any gaps in their availability.

In Season: Broccoli, Cilantro, Dill, Collard Greens, Cauliflower (limited), Curly Kale, Red Russian Kale, Tuscan Kale, Bok Choy, Lettuce Heads, Swiss Chard, Arugula, Hakurei Turnips, Amara Mustard Greens, Wasabina Mustard Greens, Radishes, Spring Onions, Lunchbox Peppers, and Bell Peppers

We are pleased to share that carrots are back in season at the Farm Stand just in time for holiday cooking! These vibrant orange carrots are sweet, tender, and crisp. They’re just as delicious raw as they are cooked and can be enjoyed in a multitude of ways. Once you bring your carrots home from the Farm Stand, we recommend trimming off the leafy green tops as this will keep your carrots nice and crisp. You can use the carrot tops in a batch of pesto or chimichurri. 

We are harvesting a delicious variety of winter lettuces at the moment! You can currently find Romaine lettuce, Little Gem lettuce, and salad mix at the Farm Stand with green butter and red leaf lettuce coming in the next couple of weeks. Romaine lettuce produces large heads with leaves that are crisp, juicy, and mildly sweet. Little Gem lettuce (below) is like a mini-Romaine with a buttery texture and sweet flavor. Try pairing any of these lettuce varieties with our carrots, tomatoes, radishes, and scallions for a farm-to-table salad!

Have you had a chance to try any of our broccoli rabe? Also called rapini, broccoli rabe (below) is a nutty and somewhat bitter leafy green with a flavor that is a cross between mustards and broccoli. It’s popular in Italian cuisine, especially as a side dish. It pairs well with sausage, caramelized onions, lemon, white beans, and garlic. We recommend trying broccoli rabe in a frittata or omelet (recipe here). 

In Season at the Farm Stand: Kale, Collards, Komatsuna (Asian Spinach), Bok Choy, Swiss Chard, Mustard Greens, Napa Cabbage, Cone Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Scallions, Romaine Lettuce, Broccoli Rabe, Cilantro, Carrots, Beets, Turnips, Radishes, Salad Mix, Arugula, Little Gem Lettuce, Cherry Tomatoes, Early Girl Tomatoes, Eggplant, and Roselle Pods

We are excited to relaunch our volunteer program on the farm this month! Every Saturday from 8:30-11am beginning December 7th, volunteers will be able to work with us on various tasks to help keep Sunset Farm an enjoyable and thriving part of the Jordan Ranch community. Volunteer activities will align with our farm team’s needs each week and can range from weeding to planting to harvesting. Since we are a working production farm, we ask that volunteers are able to commit to the entirety of the time slot and arrive promptly by 8:30am. If you are interested in volunteering with us and would like more details, please reach out to our Farm Team at JordanRanch@Agmenity.com. 

Cauliflower is back in season at the Farm Stand! This member of the vast and delicious brassica family can be eaten both raw and cooked. If you’d like to enjoy it raw, try slicing the florets thinly with a mandoline then toss them with sliced celery, pickled onions, capers, and an herb-forward creamy dressing. If you’re craving something warm, our favorite way to enjoy cauliflower is to give it a simple roast in the oven until tender and beginning to caramelize around the edges. 

Our carrots are coming along nicely but they’re not ready for harvesting quite yet. We have successions planted in the high tunnel as well as in the field. Our hope is that both of these successions will allow us to lengthen the amount of time they’re available for you at the Farm Stand once we are able to begin harvesting. Based on their current size, we’ll most likely be able to harvest the first round of carrots in about 2-3 weeks which means they should be available just in time for Christmas! 

In Season at the Farm Stand: Kale, Collard Greens, Komatsuna, Bok Choy, Swiss Chard, Mustard Greens, Napa Cabbage, Cone Cabbage, Broccoli Rabe, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Scallions, Beets, Hakurei Turnips, Radishes, Salad Mix, Arugula, Little Gem Lettuce, Tomatoes, Eggplant, Roselle Greens, and Roselle Pods. 

The arrival of February means it’s time to begin sowing seeds for spring in the greenhouse! We planted the first succession of spring crops this week and we couldn’t be more excited. Among the varieties planted are yellow crookneck squash, Dunja zucchini, and slicing cucumbers. We also planted herbs like basil and dill along with flowers that will eventually make their way into spring bouquets. We don’t know about you, but Farmer Anna is really excited for the cucumbers!

If you’re curious what else we’ll be planting for the spring season, we encourage you to join us for our next Farm Tour on Saturday, February 10th at 10:30am. Our tours are the best way to experience all of the seasonal shifts on the farm and ask us any questions you might have. They’re also a great way to experience new and exciting crop varieties like the vibrant purple cauliflower we just started harvesting. Our tours are open to the public and free of charge. We would love to see you there!

Calling all carrots lovers! Have you had a chance to snag any carrots from the Farm Stand yet?! We will have both bunches and clamshell containers of carrots for you at the Farm Stand this weekend. Our bunches are made up of medium-sized carrots while our containers are filled with petite baby carrots. These carrots are sweet and tender and ready to be added to all of your favorite recipes. Farmer Anna recommends roasting them in a honey glaze spiced with nutmeg and seasoned with salt and pepper.

In Season at the Farm Stand: Kale, Collard Greens, Salad Mix, Carrots, Fennel, Watermelon Radish, Kohlrabi, and Purple Cauliflower. 

Our first Farm Tour of the year is this Saturday, January 13th, at 10:30am! Come join us for an informational stroll around the farm on what looks to be a cool and mostly sunny morning. We’ll discuss which tomato varieties we’re planting this year and how we’re keeping them nice and warm in the greenhouse. This tour will also highlight some of our prep for the upcoming freeze along with which crops you can expect to see over the coming weeks. Our Farm Tours are open to the public and free of charge so we hope to see you there!

You’ll have another opportunity to see us this weekend at our pop-up at the Heights Mercantile Farmers Market on Sunday, January 14th from 9am-1pm! We will have first of the season Brussels sprouts for you so we highly recommend stopping by if you can. In addition to our produce, you’ll be able to peruse local goods like honey, coffee, gourmet chocolates, and so much more! The Heights Mercantile Farmers Market is located at 714 Yale Street in Houston. 

We are happy to report that our carrot crop is coming along beautifully. We thinned our carrots this week to give them the opportunity to size up which means we’ll have beautiful bunches of baby carrots available for you! These baby carrots are sweet and crunchy and a delicious preview of what’s to come. We recommend enjoying them in their raw form paired with your favorite dip or sliced and added to a salad. We’ll have bunches of baby carrots available at the Farm Stand and at our pop-up at the Heights Mercantile Farmers Market on Sunday.

In Season at the Farm Stand: Brussels Sprouts, Watermelon Radishes, Baby Carrots, Scallions, Cauliflower, Broccoli (limited), Kohlrabi, Hakurei Turnips, Swiss Chard, Collards, Cabbage, Kale, Lettuce Heads, Salad Mix, Spinach, Cilantro, Dill, and Parsley.

Upcoming Farm Events:

• Monthly Farm Tour: Saturday, January 13th at 10:30am
• Pop-up at the Heights Mercantile Farmers Market: Sunday, January 14th from 9am-1pm
• Pop-up at the Heights Mercantile Farmers Market: Sunday, January 28th from 9am-1pm

The first round of carrots has been officially seeded in the high tunnel! Since we direct-seed carrots densely, it’s the perfect opportunity to use our Jang push seeder to make quick work of the task. Using this tool, we’re able to sow several rows of carrots seeds in just a couple of minutes! This varietal of carrot is called Ya-Ya and takes about 60 days from germination to harvest. We hope to be able to harvest them for you in time for Christmas!

Remember the high velocity farming system that we mentioned last week? We’ve already harvested radishes and arugula using this system and within the next week, we’ll be making our first harvest of baby bok choy! This variety of bok choy is called “Shanghai”. Just like our arugula, it grows exceptionally fast and has more of a heat tolerance than other fall leafy greens like kale and Swiss chard. We should have the first baby bok choy of the season ready for you just in time for our next Farm Tour on Saturday, October 21st!

Did you know that a lot of the crops we grow during the cooler seasons belong to the brassica family? Brassicas prefer cooler temperatures and can tolerate reduced daylight hours thus they’re grown during the fall, winter, and early spring months. Members of this extensive family include broccoli, kale, radishes, and turnips.. We just transplanted a succession of brassicas including cauliflower, curly kale (pictured below), and Brussels sprouts. While the Brussels sprouts won’t be ready for a couple of months, we should have the first kale available in early November!

In Season at the Farm Stand: Arugula, Radishes, Eggplant, Long Beans, Okra, Malabar Spinach, and Korean Melons.

Coming Soon: Baby Bok Choy, Bush Beans, Swiss Chard, and Kale.

The greenhouse is starting to fill up with summer crops! Even though we just started harvesting our first round of summer squashes, we’re already planting seeds for the next one. This is called succession planting and it helps to lengthen our harvest window and maintain more of a steady supply of produce throughout the season. In addition to summer squashes, we’ve also been starting seeds for hot peppers, melons, and okra (pictured below). Before you know it, it will be time to plant these crops in the field!

Our onion crop sized up nicely in the field so now it’s time to harvest and cure them. Curing involves spreading the onions out in a single layer with plenty of air circulation so that their papery skins dry and tighten around the bulbs. We’re doing this on the tables in our greenhouse. After the curing process, the onions become a storage crop and can last up to a few months if kept in a cool, dry spot. This was a bountiful harvest so make sure to stock up on onions next time you’re at the farm stand! They make the perfect addition to so many recipes and can even be cooked down into a savory and flavorful onion jam. 

We know you enjoyed our baby carrots so we’re happy to share that we will have bunches of full sized carrots at the farm stand this weekend! Did you know that you can eat both the root and the leafy green portion of carrots? Once you bring your carrots home, make sure to separate the greens from the carrots. The greens can be used like an herb and they make an especially delicious pesto. Farmer Anna recommends roasting your carrots, then pairing them with a carrot top pesto for a simple and tasty springtime side dish.

In Season at the Farm Stand: Carrots, Zucchini, Zephyr Summer Squash, Beets (red, golden, & Chioggia), Fennel, Spring Onions, Cabbage, Collards, Kohlrabi, Celery, Kale, Turnips, and Icicle Radishes.

We transplanted our high tunnel tomatoes last week and we’re already starting to see the first blooms! Here are the three varieties that will be growing in the high tunnel: Sungold (orange cherry tomatoes), Caiman (red slicing tomatoes), and Valencia (orange slicing tomatoes). The lower branches of each tomato plant was pruned shortly after planting in order to improve air flow and reduce disease issues. Since we’re just started to see blooms on the Sungolds, it’s only a matter of time before we start to see the first baby tomatoes! We’ll make sure to keep you updated on their progress.

Baby carrots are making their way into season this week! We’ll have a mix of orange, yellow, and purple baby carrots at the farm stand that are delightfully sweet and crunchy. Their size makes them perfect for pairing with your favorite dip or enjoying them as a quick spring snack. Farmer Anna recommends roasting the baby carrots with some honey, nutmeg, and rosemary for a sweet and aromatic side dish. Or, you could pair them with our kohlrabi for a crunchy slaw.

If you want to get a taste of our sweet baby carrots AND experience the spring transition on the farm, don’t forget to come to our Farm Tour this Saturday, March 11th, at 10:30am! You’ll be able to see all of the newly planted field tomatoes. And, you’ll get a sneak peek at all of the other spring crops we’ve been planting. Our Farm Tours are free of charge and open to the public but we ask that children be accompanied by an adult. We’d love to see you there!

In Season at the Farm Stand: Baby Carrots, Spring Onions, Purple Broccoli, Celery, Hakurei Turnips, Icicle Radishes, Kohlrabi, Collards, Cabbage, Kale, Spinach, Lettuce, and Cilantro.

We are incredibly excited to announce that we will have rainbow carrot bunches for you at the farm stand this weekend! While the freeze at the end of last year slowed down their growth, it also left them nice and sweet. Certain crops like carrots will convert their starches into sugar in freezing weather as a way to protect their cells and prevent damage. Lucky for us, that natural defense mechanism yields a sweeter carrot! Farmer Alex recommends picking up a bunch and either roasting them with za’atar or pureeing them into a smooth and silky soup along with some coconut milk and your favorite spices.

Are you curious what it takes to grow food year-round in our climate? Or maybe you’re interested in immersing yourself in the environment of a small local farm? Come volunteer with us! We welcome volunteers on the farm on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 9am-noon throughout the year. Our awesome volunteers help us with myriad tasks around the farm planting like planting, weeding, and harvesting. If you’re interested, please send us an email at JordanRanch@Agmenity.com.

Sugar snap peas just made their way back into season as well! While peas are often grown as a spring crop, our high tunnel allows us to extend their season. That means we’re able to grow and harvest peas for you during the winter! Sugar snap peas are one of our favorite veggies to snack on raw, especially with hummus. If you’d like to enjoy them cooked, Farmer Anna recommends stir-frying them with some of our other veggies and hoisin sauce for a quick and flavorful side dish.

In Season at the Farm Stand: Sugar Snap Peas, Rainbow Carrots, Arugula, Scallions, Lettuce, Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts, Kale, Purple Broccoli, Cauliflower, Beets, Turnips, Watermelon Radishes, and Cilantro.

We have two veggies on the harvesting horizon this month: carrots and Brussels sprouts. Farmer Alex estimates that our Brussels sprouts (pictured above) will reach harvesting size in the next couple of weeks. As for our carrots, you can see in the photo below that they are still pretty small. Farmer Alex thinks we should have the first carrots for you by Christmas. We’ll make sure to keep you updated!

The time has finally come to bid farewell to our summer crops! Our okra and roselle are completely done for the season but we’ll have sweet peppers and eggplant for you through the rest of the month. We highly recommend enjoying these remaining summer crops while you can before they finally make their way out of season! A great way to enjoy sweet peppers and eggplant is by making a batch of Ajvar, a tangy Serbian relish. Here’s a recipe if you’d like to try it this month.

We’re harvesting the first of this beautiful red curly kale for you this week! This brilliantly colored kale (pictured below) is similar in flavor and texture to our green curly kale. It can be enjoyed cooked or raw depending on your preference. Farmer Anna loves to add kale to hearty soups or coconut milk curries like this one. You can snag a bunch to try at our farm stand!

In Season at the Farm Stand: Beets, Radishes, Hakurei Turnips, Scallions, Collard Greens, Cabbage, Napa Cabbage, Bok Choy, Hon Tsai Tai, Salad Mix, Kale, Mustard Greens, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cilantro, Dill, Sweet Peppers, and Eggplant.