This month we warmly welcomed Meghan Williams, who just moved back to the Houston area to continue her farming journey at Sunset Farm. Meghan has a natural gift for stewarding the land and understanding agriculture, though she claims farming found her through a lifetime search for an unconventional career. Even more than her love for the outdoors, she is driven by serving others and believes in making an impact on lives through environmental education. Be sure to stop by the Farm Stand on Saturday to say hello to Farmer Meghan, and meet the heart behind our veggies grown with love!

Although our first fruits of Spring have just begun to produce, preparations for summer vegetables are already underway! This week we planted our first round of okra and direct seeded long beans. These crops thrive in the heat of summer and will be harvested from May to September! In the meantime, we are enjoying our first ripe Sungold cherry tomatoes! This vegetable is Farmer Meghan's absolute favorite and she claims the best way to eat it is right off the vine once it has been warmed by the midday sun.

In advance of summer, we also seeded a round of Buckwheat cover crop! This will allow the growing space to rest and replenish nutrients back into the soil after supporting healthy plants and harvesting rounds of nutrient-dense vegetables. Buckwheat is a quick-growing plant that produces beautiful white flowers to attract a variety of pollinators. Feel free to take a walk through the farm to check out our new plantings and the beautiful Spring landscape!

In Season : Yellow Squash, Chard, Collards, Kale, Kohlrabi, Lettuce, Cilantro, Parsley, Green Onion, Fennel, Carrots (limited), and Celery (limited)

Are sunny Spring days and wildflowers in bloom beckoning you outdoors? Consider volunteering at your neighborhood Sunset Farm to experience nature in a new light! Volunteers will have an opportunity to take part in daily farm activities like harvesting vegetables, planting new crops, and tending to our fruit trees and flower patch. While working alongside our experienced farmers, you can gain gardening knowledge and cultivate goodness in your local community! Email jordanranch@agmenity.com to join our volunteer program!

After planting our field tomatoes this week, we have officially wrapped up tomato planting for the season and are now looking ahead to harvest days! In the meantime, for all of the home gardeners we will be selling our farm grown tomato plants at the Farm Stand on Saturday morning from 9am - 12pm, until supplies last! If you are planning a Spring garden, these tried and true tomato varieties would be a great addition. Farmer Sarah is also available to answer any questions about tomato care!

Springtime is nature’s invitation to get outside and relish in the beauty and bounty this season has to offer. In the coming weeks we plan to have more new crops ready for field planting like eggplant, peppers, flowers, and more cucumbers! If you are unable to make it out to volunteer or stop by the Saturday Farm Stand, our Grab-n-Go coolers are a great alternative to remain rooted in your local farm and enjoy fresh vegetables year round!

In Season: Carrots, Celery, Fennel, Green Onions, Parsley, Collard Greens, Curly Kale, Cilantro, and Dill

The warmth of a promising start to Spring has hastened the growth of our greenhouse seedlings, allowing us to plant our first Spring crop of summer squash in the field! We are hopeful for an earlier harvest of these fruits this season, which will be closely followed by cherry tomatoes. In the coming weeks, we will be making room in the field and high tunnel to plant our peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, and flowers! We are especially pleased with high germination yields of our flowers, as many varieties need very specific growing conditions like light exposure to the seed and precise soil temperature.

With the changing of seasons, our new seedlings aren’t the only thing eager to experience new life. Both cool and warm-season weeds are breaking through the ground in response to plentiful rain and sunshine. Our goal is to keep these weeds at bay before we settle into our true Spring and Summer season when weeds are even more keen to consume beautifully prepared bare soil. Though weeding can seem like a chore, it is a necessary part of growing food when the farmer chooses to work alongside nature rather than against it.

If you too are looking to enjoy the outdoors this weekend, please stop by our Farm Stand from 9am - 12pm. There will be an array of freshly harvested veggies, versatile enough to prepare a refreshing salad or a warm and hearty soup! Farmer Sarah will be there to answer any questions you may have about starting a Spring garden of your own too!

In Season: Carrots, Celery, Fennel, Green Onions, Green Cabbage, Parsley, Collard Greens, Curly Kale, Cilantro, and Dill

This week at Sunset Farm we were able to uncover many happy surprises! After assessing the field after the hard freeze, we were pleasantly surprised that many of our crops covered by frost cloth still seemed to be full of life. Our plants in the high tunnel and seedlings in the greenhouse were also unphased! Not as a surprise, crops left uncovered are showing signs of wilting and frost burn. However, with such a drastic drop in temperature compared to a relatively warm winter season this year, we can’t help but be filled with a sense of gratitude for the resiliency of nature!

As we are still expecting freezing weather this weekend, our crops will remain covered until we are in the clear. Until then, we also find ourselves keeping warm in the greenhouse as we continue to prepare for the dawning of Spring! This week we are seeding our first rounds of squash, zucchini, eggplant, and flowers. Many of these crops will make their home in our high tunnel as we slowly phase out winter vegetables. Farmer Sarah is particularly excited to bring back the flower patch and all of the bees and butterflies that drop in for a sweet, sappy snack!

Although plants can show signs of stress later in their life after prolonged exposure to freezing temperatures, we are optimistic that our crops will continue producing beautiful produce. In anticipation of another cold spell, Farmer Sarah will not be hosting the Farm Stand this Saturday. However, she plans to stock the Grab-n-Go coolers so you can come at your convenience. Stay tuned next week to get updates on Spring preparation and seedlings we will be planting post-freeze!

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

We harvested the first kale and bok choy of the season this week! Both of these crops are members of the vast Brassica family along with other cool season favorites like broccoli and cabbage. Kale (above) is incredibly versatile and can be enjoyed raw in salads, smoothies, and juices but it’s also just as delicious in soups, stir-fries, and pasta dishes. Boy choy (below) has tender leaves and crunchy stems that are perfect for stir-fries, soups, and grilling. You can find both of these leafy greens in the Grab-and-Go coolers! 

It’s an exciting time on the farm as we’re harvesting something new nearly every week. In the next week or two, we’ll be harvesting the first heads of Chinese (Napa) cabbage! As you can see below, our plants are huge and have already started to form heads. Once the heads size up to harvesting size over the next couple of weeks, you’ll start to see them trickle into the Farm Stand. We can’t wait to share them with you! 

With the arrival of cooler weather, our remaining summer crops will start to slow down and eventually be completely phased out. While okra can grow until the first frost, our peppers are more sensitive to cold weather along with basil and a lot of our flowers. We highly recommend taking advantage of our Italian basil and flower bouquets because they won’t be around much longer! Make sure to snag a bouquet this weekend to add a little seasonal farm beauty to your home. 

In Season at the Farm Stand: Kale (limited), Bok Choy, Lettuce Heads (limited), Swiss Chard, Arugula, Hakurei Turnips, Amara Mustard Greens, Wasabina Mustard Greens, Radishes, Scallions, Okra, Lunchbox Peppers, Bell Peppers, Shishito Peppers, Basil, and Flower Bouquets

Scallions are back in season for you at the Farm Stand! Farmer Chandler loves scallions because they’re a workhouse crop that is heat tolerant and a great way to start adding diversity back to harvests in late summer/early fall. These members of the allium family can be used in a multitude of ways both raw and cooked. Farmer Sarah’s favorite way to use them is as a garnish on rice and noodle dishes. Farmer Chandler loves charring scallions on the grill alongside beef. Make sure to stop by the Grab-and-Go coolers soon to pick some up! 

We sowed seeds for fall crops in a few of our beds recently and they are just starting to germinate! Some crops do well with being sown directly in place rather than being started in transplant trays in the greenhouse. We do this with certain root crops and leafy greens that are planted densely in order to be harvested in their less mature baby phase. So far we’ve planted radishes, lettuce, and turnips and will be tackling arugula and carrots next. Radishes are quick growers so you can expect the first harvest in about a month! 

We are experimenting with a fall round of flowers this year in the hopes of extending their season. We planted them in the greenhouse last week and most of them have already germinated which is promising! As with all experiments, there is always a chance it won’t work out, but we’re hopeful and looking forward to seeing how things progress. Here’s what we planted: gomphrena, alyssum, stock, sweet pea, zinnia, viola, and cosmos. 

In Season at the Farm Stand: Scallions, Summer Squash, Okra, Eggplant, Zucchini, Cucumbers, Lunchbox Peppers, Jalapenos, Bell Peppers, Shishito Peppers, Poblano Peppers, Basil (Italian, Lemon, Thai, and Tulsi), Baby Butternuts, and Flower Bouquets and Stems

We are honored to introduce you to one of our hardworking volunteers, Dafne! She plays a large part in harvesting and making the bouquets you see at the Farm Stand. After setting a goal at the beginning of the year to be outside more and slow down, Dafne discovered that we were part of her local community and started volunteering with us. During her time with us, she has gained a lot of flower growing knowledge that she has been able to apply in her own garden. Dafne believes flowers bring a lot of joy so she loves seeing customers get excited about them at the Farm Stand. If you’re interested in volunteering with us, we encourage you to send us an email at JordanRanch@Agmenity.com!

Like Dafne says, flowers do indeed bring a lot of joy but they also provide a source of food for our local pollinators! While some crops like leafy greens and root vegetables don’t require pollination in order to produce, many of our warm season crops do. Varietals like cucumbers and zucchini produce both male and female flowers on the same plant. In order to successfully pollinate the female flowers and yield fruit, we need the help of our pollinators! Our common pollinators include several different types of bees, wasps, and butterflies.

In Season at the Farm Stand: Cantaloupe, Watermelon, Cucumber, Long Beans, Okra, Eggplant, Tomatoes, Zucchini, Jalapenos, Bell Peppers, Shishito Peppers, Poblano Peppers, Cornito Peppers, Lunchbox Peppers, Carrots, Basil, and Flower Bouquets and Stems

One of our big goals this year was to grow a larger variety of flowers than we have in the past. With Farmer Anne at the helm of our flower program, we’ve been able to successfully grow familiar favorites like marigolds and zinnias in addition to brand new varieties like gomphrena, rudbeckia, and sweet pea! Every week we have a limited number of bouquets available in the Grab-and-Go coolers in addition to our Saturday Farm Stand. We also have single stems of certain varieties available like sunflowers. Make sure to take advantage of these beautiful flowers while they’re available! 

Our Grab-and-Go coolers offer convenience as they’re always open but if you prefer to chat with our Farm Team, we highly recommend stopping by our Farm Stand every Saturday from 9am-noon! Since we put everything out on tables, it’s a great way to be able to see what’s in season (like our 6 different pepper varieties!) and ask us any questions you might have about flavor, prep, and cooking tips. It’s also the perfect opportunity to meet our new Farm Manager Chandler! Our Farm Stand takes place every Saturday on the farm porch from 9am-noon so we hope to see you soon!

We hope you’ve been as excited about the arrival of the first round of melons as we have! So far the cantaloupe has been a big hit at the Farm Stand. We’re happy to share that there are more cantaloupes on the way with watermelons coming very soon. In order to make sure you have a later summer melon harvest to enjoy, we’re planting Korean melons this week! These golden melons have a crisp texture with a flavor that has notes of cantaloupe, cucumber, and pear. You can expect to see them at the Farm Stand in August. 

In Season at the Farm Stand: Cantaloupe, Watermelon, Long Beans, Okra, Eggplant, Cherry and Slicing Tomatoes, Zucchini, Jalapenos, Bell Peppers, Shishito Peppers, Poblano Peppers, Cornito Peppers, Lunchbox Peppers, Baby Butternuts, Carrots, Basil, and Flower Bouquets and Stems

If you’re in search of something special for the mothers in your life, look no further than our Farm Stand on Saturday! Farmer Anne will be offering a build-your-own bouquet station so you can create a vibrant bouquet with flowers grown and harvested right here on the farm. We have a colorful mix of zinnias, sunflowers, sweet peas, marigolds, celosia, and many more to choose from. The build-your-own bouquet option will only be available this Saturday, May 10th, during our Farm Stand hours from 9am-noon. If you’re not able to make it during those hours, we will have a limited supply of pre-made bouquets available for you in the Grab-and-Go coolers.

Cucumbers are officially back in season! We’re currently harvesting a pickling variety with slicers coming very soon. These smaller pickling cucumbers are the ideal size for jars of homemade pickles. Here is a recipe for quick pickles if you’d like to make some at home. Don’t like pickles? Try juicing these cucumbers or pairing them with your favorite dip for a quick and easy snack. Make sure to stop by the Grab-and-Go coolers this weekend to stock up!

Another warm weather favorite just made it back into season: eggplant! We’re currently harvesting the variety “Aretussa” which has white skin and a more oblong shape. This thinner-skinned variety has a mild sweetness that is perfect for roasting, grilling, and stir-frying. Eggplants pair well with both tomatoes and zucchini which are both currently in season. We recommend combining this trio for this ratatouille recipe baked in a cast iron skillet.

In Season at the Farm Stand: Cherry Tomatoes, Slicing Tomatoes, Pickling Cucumbers, Zucchini, Eggplant, Jalapenos, Bell Peppers, Red and Golden Beets, Carrots, and Flowers. 

We are incredibly excited to share that both cherry and slicing tomatoes are back in season at the Farm Stand! Since we’re still harvesting Romaine lettuce and salad mix, we can’t wait to start adding a handful of sweet cherry tomatoes to our salads. As for the larger varieties, we love adding thick slices to burgers, sandwiches, and wraps but they’re also great in salsa. Tomatoes store best outside of the chill of the fridge so you can find them on the shelves to the left of the Grab-and-Go coolers underneath the burlap.

Just in time for Mother’s Day we have small bouquets and sunflowers by the stem at the Farm Stand! These are the first flowers from our flower patch so Farmer Anne is especially excited. Since we are just beginning to harvest from the flower patch, the availability of bouquets will be limited this weekend. If you want to snag one, we highly recommend stopping by the Grab-and-Go coolers sooner rather than later! As we move further into the season and are able to harvest a larger variety of flowers, our bouquets will be larger in size.

The long beans that we sowed in the field last week are looking great! We have two varieties growing: Green Python and Red Noodle. Sometimes referred to as snake or asparagus beans, long beans have a similar texture and taste to traditional green beans but are typically 10-12 inches long. Unlike green beans, they have a vining growth habit rather than a bushy one so we’ll be installing a trellis for them to climb very soon. 

In Season at the Farm Stand: Cherry Tomatoes, Slicing Tomatoes, Pickling Cucumbers, Zucchini, Eggplant, Jalapenos, Red and Golden Beets, Carrots, Fennel, Scallions, Salad Mix, Romaine, Kale, and Sunflowers

We are just beginning to see the first blooms in our flower patch! So far a couple of our sweet peas have bloomed (below) and they are both lovely and incredibly fragrant. We also spotted the first zinnia flower (above) and both our zinnias and sunflowers are covered in buds. If you’re a Jordan Ranch resident and would love to see these first blooms in person, we highly recommend signing up for the Farm Tour this Saturday, April 26th, from 5:30-7:30pm. Bella Burger will be in attendance serving delicious food and there will be yard games in addition to plenty of seating. Make sure to sign up here! 

The tomatoes are getting so incredibly close to the first harvest! We’re seeing blushes of color on both our cherry and slicing varieties. Once tomatoes start to gain some color, they’re typically ready for harvesting in about 1-2 weeks assuming the weather remains favorable. Due to their smaller size, cherry tomatoes will mature much faster than larger slicing varieties which means you’ll most likely see those hit the Farm Stand first. We’re hoping to have them for you at the Farm Stand next week but we’ll make sure to let you know as soon as they’re available!

We planted another round of summer crops recently that will thrive as the temperatures grow warmer. Two different varieties of okra were transplanted that have proven to yield reliable and delicious harvests in the past: Clemson Spineless and Carmine Splendor. We also planted a round of Crimson Sweet watermelon that will be a refreshing treat on super hot summer days. And, we direct-seeded the first round of long beans that are already showing great signs of germination. While we’re very much still enjoying springtime, we’re always planning (and planting!) ahead.

In Season at the Farm Stand: Romaine, Red Romaine, Zucchini, Fennel, Beets, Carrots, Curly Kale, Dino Kale, Scallions, and Salad Mix.

Coming Soon: Tomatoes, Cucumbers, and Peppers

We are excited to share that the high tunnel is fully planted with warm season crops! We have three beds planted with tomatoes in addition to two beds each of peppers and cucumbers. Since the high tunnel gives us a little more control over temperature while offering protection from the elements, we were able to plant successions of these crops a little earlier than in the field. This means you’ll see these veggies make their way to your plate a little sooner! While the peppers and cucumbers are still fairly young, our tomatoes are already about three feet tall and flowering! We can’t wait to harvest and share these with you. 

Remember all of the flower varieties that we started in the greenhouse back in February? We were able to transplant them in the field this week! Farmer Anne is incredibly excited for this year’s flower patch and can’t wait to start harvesting and offering cut flower bouquets at the Farm Stand. This year our goal is to grow more variety than we have in the past to add more visual interest to bouquets while also experimenting with new flowers. You’ll see some favorites like zinnias and marigolds mixed with newer ones like celosia, sweet pea, and agrostemma. We’ll make sure to keep you updated on their growth! 

While we have leaner offerings again this week we are excited to share that zucchini will be making its way to the Farm Stand very soon! Our zucchini is producing both male and female blossoms which means it's only a matter of time before the fruit matures to harvesting size. Zucchini is a fairly quick grower so we expect to be able to have the first sizable harvest for you within the next 1-2 weeks. Make sure to keep an eye out! 

In Season at the Farm Stand: Salad Mix, Carrots, Scallions, Dino Kale, Curly Kale, and Collard Greens.