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Water Conservation with Ollas

Even with the recent rains, Central Texas is still in the middle of a serious drought. Climatologists who have studied both the history and the computer models on Texas rainfall have concluded that the state is headed for a very long period possibly marked in hundreds of years wherein rainfall will continue to decrease and more of the state will become desert-like, a process known as desertification...

In the SFC Teaching Garden, we try to save water as much as possible. We built rain gardens to capture water that slides off of our pavilions, we have gutters on our tool shed to capture water in rain barrels, we have drip irrigation throughout the majority of the garden to maximize watering efficiency, and in several areas we utilize olla pots...

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Farmers' Market Nutrition Program Starts May 2nd

The Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program starts Saturday, May 2nd. The program benefits low income families in Travis County that receive Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits by providing them with $30 in vouchers that can be redeemed at nine farmers’ markets in the Austin area. The vouchers will be used to purchase locally sourced fresh fruits and vegetables. Families can double the value of their vouchers at all 4 SFC Farmers' Markets through our Double Dollar Incentive Program. If you receive WIC benefits, please bring your WIC shopping list to...

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PREPARE

What Are Our Current Fruit & Vegetable Eating Trends?

Earlier this month, SFC’s The Happy Kitchen staff had a chance to participate in the webinar, 2015 State of the Plate: An Overview of Fruit & Vegetable Consumption Trends. Given that The Happy Kitchen/La Cocina Alegre® Program is dedicated to helping individuals and families prepare and eat more fruits and vegetables, the team was especially interested in this topic. Here are a few of the highlights...

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SFC HAPPENINGS

 
Anniversary Week at Whole Foods Market!
Stop by the downtown flagship Whole Foods Market on May 5th to support Sustainable Food Center. Whole Foods Market Austin will donate 1% of sales to celebrate SFC’s 40th and Whole Foods Market’s 35th anniversaries! Visit the website »


Pop-Up Dinner with Apis Restaurant
Join us for an intimate pop-up dinner in the gallery with one of Austin's most anticipated new restaurants, Apis Restaurant & Apiary. Enjoy a private viewing of The Buzz Stops Here, and an art exhibition about the science and conservation of bees. A portion of the proceeds from this event benefit SFC's new Teaching Apiary, scheduled to be installed in fall 2015. Learn more »


HEB & EarthShare of Texas In-store Campaign
In recognition of Earth Day, SFC's Farm to Plate sponsor H-E-B has selected EarthShare of Texas (ESTX), and it's member organizations, as the April beneficiary for its in-store coupon promotion. Add an ESTX tear-off coupon to your bill at check-out in any Texas H-E-B or Central Market store and your dollars go directly to SFC and other ESTX member organizations. Learn more »


SFC on Good Day Austin
Check out Farm to Plate Chefs Chris Hurley and Jen Costello from The Bonneville in our weekly segment on FOX 7's Good Day Austin. The chefs join Lauren Petrowski to talk about their lunch menu and show off two of its items, a farm market salad and local farm soup. Tune in next Wednesday for our segment with the chef from Uchi.


Thank You First Connect Insurance
Thank you to our partner and generous Farm to Plate sponsor First Connect Insurance! First Connect is an Austin-based auto insurance provider with a mission to give back to the local communities they serve throughout Texas. They have developed an innovative program that shares a significant portion of their profits with a select group of local non-profits such as ours. With this program, First Connect will donate 10% of their premiums to Sustainable Food Center on behalf of each customer who takes out a policy and is claim free for the policy year. All the customer has to do is designate Sustainable Food Center as their non-profit of choice.

 

COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS

 
Farmgrass Fest
In Neiderwald, Texas, on May 3 at the Simmons Family Farms. Enjoy bluegrass bands including The Gravy Brothers, Whiskey Shivers, The Lost Pines, Fog & Bone and more. Proceeds from Farmgrass Fest 2015 benefit farmers in the Growers Alliance of Central Texas (GroACT) with medical emergency funds. Learn more »


The La Condesa Cinco de Mayo Downtown Block Party
Join our friends and Farm to Plate chef from La Condesa & Univision for the 7th-Annual Cinco de Mayo Downtown Block Party, happening Tuesday, May 5th, 2015 from 5-9pm. The festivities will take place on 2nd Street between Guadalupe & San Antonio. Parking is available in all downtown garages, and entry is free for the whole familia! Learn more »


Fancy Being A Farmer? Join the Tecolote Farm team!
Working at Tecolote Farm provides farm worker interns with the opportunity to observe and actively experience successful small-scale commercial farming. Ideal candidates are self-motivated, physically capable folks who are seriously interested in vegetable production or who want to know about running a successful small agricultural business. Learn More »