Carrot & Beet Salad

1 lb carrots
1 lb beets
2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp Dijion mustard
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped fine
Grate beets and carrots; set aside. Whisk all other ingredients together and pour over beets and carrots. Let stand for 1 hour before serving.

Try mixing it up by adding toasted sesame seeds instead of pecans, garnishing with a squeeze of lemon juice or topping with goat cheese or grated parmesan. Great as a stand-alone side dish or as a hearty topper for salad greens.

Root Vegetables with Apple Cider Glaze

4 carrots cut into 1/2" cubes

2 turnips, cut into 1/2" cubes

4 medium beets, but into 1/2" cubes

2 medium onions, cut into quarters

3 celery stalks, cut into chunks

2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup each of apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup vegetable broth

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp maple syrup or honey

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss veggies with olive oil and salt and pepper. Spread into even layers on two baking sheets. Cook for about an hour; stir partway through. Bring cider, broth, butter and honey to boil on stovetop and let reduce for about 10 minutes. Toss veggies with sauce.

Field of Greens Festival Raw Kale Salad

8 oz kale, chopped into thin strips
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp sesame seeds
2 tsp honey
1 tsp dry sherry
1/2 tsp grated ginger

Mix all ingredient except kale together. Pour over kale and let sit for 15 minutes until it wilts.

Seeking: Future Farmer

Local farm seeking an intern for the fall/spring.

Native Sun Farm is a Certified Naturally Grown vegetable farm located 15 minutes from UGA in Bogart, Georgia.

YOU: Willing to accept unpredictable weather, able to perform a variety of tasks, some of which are repetitive. Hard working and enthusiastic. Previous experience with vegetables is preferred.

US: Graduates of UGA in horticulture and landscape architecture. Serious about sustainable agriculture and excited to share our knowledge and experience with the next generation of farmers.

Internship would qualify for requirements for a number of undergraduate degrees. Minimum of 10 hours a week. Weekly produce box provided and definite potential for future employment with our growing operation.

Contact Native Sun via email at nativesunfarm@gmail.com. Please include a resume and a cover letter explaining your interest in sustainable farming.

New Beginnings

There is still a part of me that feels the tug of new beginnings around this time of year. I've never been one for New Year's Resolutions, but I always feel like setting a few goals come this time in August. I guess having spent so many years as a student makes one feel like a world of possibilities opens up at the end of summer.

We're feeling pretty excited about this fall. The dog days of summer are almost behind us and fall crops will bring a welcome change of pace. We are taking some much needed time off from the hectic pace of two-a-week markets and all the harvesting and transporting that's involved. We're getting well rested and ready to get out there again. We've been taking stock of all the wonderful opportunities that are available to a farm like ours; customers literally next-door, a network of friends and family that support and encourage us and a location close to a thriving town full of academics and advocates. We know that we have a pretty fortunate set-up and we're ready to start taking advantage of the wonderful resources we have in our backyard. We plan to offer an internship through UGA this fall and begin structuring a position to hire a part-time farm apprentice later this year. We've been looking at purchasing another hoophouse, opening the farmstand more days during the week, hosting special events and participating in more markets.

When we started, we set the goal of being a four-season farm and we're still on track. But we also know how important it is to step back, regroup and rejuvenate. We'll be back in full swing in a few weeks; in the mean time, we're dreaming of the next big move.

Let's eat!

You definitely don't have to be a chef to be a farmer. But it doesn't hurt to love food, and to love to cook good food. Our last blog post highlighted the important nutritional relationship we have with food. While nutrition is obviously super important, it's hard to get your taste buds very excited about "health food". The only diet that Farmer Brent and I seem to be able to stick to is one that involves food with flavor. When someone complains to me about eating vegetables, I get it. If your only experience with vegetables involves mealy tomatoes and iceberg lettuce, it's no wonder you associate "eh" with the v-word. When we sit down with the seed catalogs in January, we look for the crops that claim the best flavor. We don't grow food for any other reason than that it will taste great. Part of great flavor is freshness. You can get away with simple cooking techniques when you're working with really fresh flavorful ingredients. Think about sauteed kale, roasted potatoes, sliced tomatoes, boiled beans, crisp salads, steamed squash, figs with drizzled honey. The bottom line is that it's not hard to eat healthy when the food is good to start with. Local, fresh produce doesn't need to be adulterated with a bunch of added salt and fat. Steam it, bake it, saute it or eat it raw. Using great food to cook with can make any average cook feel pretty darn gourmet.

Toast a glass of veggies to your health!

Pictured to the left is our new juicer! We were inspired to make this purchase after spending Saturday afternoon watching the documentary Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. Despite its terrible name, the film is very encouraging and it really highlights some of the health problems we face as Americans due to our diet. Although Farmer Brent and I consume our fair share of veggies already, we can always find room for improvement. Our first juicing attempt consisted of the fruits and veggies that we had on hand in the fridge. This explains how we ended up with cucumber/tomato/bell pepper/watermelon juice. It isn't a flavor combination that we would highly recommend, but it was interesting and fun to make. The gentleman in the documentary goes on a 60 day juice fast to lose weight and relieve the symptoms of a chronic auto-immune disease. Brent and I are not that ambitious; we just want to supplement our diet with fresh and flavorful fruits and veggies in an easy to carry format. If there are any experienced juicers out there, let your voice be heard! We'd love to hear some successful juicing stories and share recipes.

The Geometry of Farming

For anyone who has experienced the great outdoors for an extended period of time, the phenomenon of "obsession" is easily understood. It seems that when humans are removed from their creature comforts, their brains dial into some vein of thought or another and ponder it incessantly. Brent and I experienced this while thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2008. It took the form of endlessly discussing every item in our packs- how much they weighed and how much they were worth to our journey. As we trudged along, we would constantly contemplate how we could re-distribute each tiny item to lessen our burdens. These thoughts consumed our every waking moment and dominated most of our conversations. We were obsessed.

Farmer Brent is experiencing this obsession all over again as he toils in the 90+ degree heat day after day, but this time it's not about the items on his back. This time it's about how to maximize every morsel of soil contained within the deer fence at the farm on Jimmy Daniel. His thoughts wander to it while he's mindlessly pulling weeds or slogging through the tedious task of harvesting okra. He formulates new brilliant arrangements of rows and paths, only to scrap those plans and start all over again in his head. The various permutations float about in his brain all day and then he floats his schemes past me in the evenings. He's even awakened in the middle of the night to flip on his bedside lamp and scrawl out a new brilliant idea on a scrap of paper. This obsession is different this time around though, because I don't spend all day in the thick of the outdoors with him, facing the same problems and frustrations as we did on the trail. I can't provide the same level of insight and empathy that I could back then. It seems his obsession with the geometry of our fields is coming to a close though, and he has settled on a set-up that will make the best use of our space and our tools, and most importantly, his time. This new arrangement will allow him to plant cover crops that will improve the soil so next year's harvest will be even more robust and consistent. It means pulling up some crops before we would like to, but in the end, it's what is best for the future of the farm.

And we like to think that what is best for the farm is best for the people with feed, which becomes more important to us every week as we get to know the folks who enjoy the fruits of our labor.

Meet the Cucurbits

We are currently growing four different varieties of squash and zucchini and three types of cucumbers. Squash, zucchini and cucumbers are all members of the Cucurbit family, along with pumpkins, melons and gourds. Over the last couple of weeks, Brent and I have been steaming, grilling, sauteeing, roasting and pickling to determine how to best describe our current cucurbit offering to you. Here's our take.


Tromboncino Squash: This crazy long squash is tender inside and out. It has creamy flesh and a slight melon flavor. It is great sauteed or steamed, but you can also enjoy it raw!



Pattypan Squash: Medium-sized scalloped edge squash. Firm flesh, medium-thick skin. Not particularly seedy. Holds up well to a pan saute and roasting. I think they are slightly sweeter than yellow straightneck and the scallop edge makes for some fun shapes when sliced.

Yellow Straightneck Squash: This is your summer stand-by squash for good reason. It has very tender flesh and thin skin. It is the best for steaming or quickly sauteeing and adding to almost any dish. Definitely the best choice for squash casserole.


Costata Romanesco Zucchini: Big ol' zucchini! Firm, ribbed flesh and somewhat thick skin. The best zucchini for grilling. Cut it on the diagonal to get the most surface area and baste with olive oil before placing on the grill. An Italian heirloom variety with a fun look and mild flavor.



Eightball Zucchini: Adorable orbs of zucchini delicious-ness. These are definitely the best choice for stuffing. Slice off the tops and scoop out the middles and fill with grains like quinoa or barley, herbs, peppers and sausage. You can also slice in 1/4 inch circles and place it on burgers like you would a tomato.


Marketmore Cucumber: This is your standard slicing cucumber. It has somewhat thick, deep-green skin and consistent flesh and seeds throughout. It's the firmest of all our cucumbers and we prefer it with the skin peeled.


Suyo Long Cucumber: Japanese variety with tender skin, firm flesh and small seeds. Considered to be "burpless". Don't let its odd appearance fool you; this is one sweet cucumber. It is great raw, but also stands up well to a quick pickling. Try mixing with apple cider vinegar, sliced sweet onions, squash and some pickling spices for a crisp summer pickled salad.


Lemon Cucumber: My favorite! Thin skinned and more tender flesh than Marketmore or Suyo Long. Looks great sliced into wedges (like a lemon!) and placed on salads or in cocktails. It is sweet and has a very slight honeydew melon flavor. No need to peel the skin. Kids love these!

Farmstand Hours for the Summer Season

Sorry for any confusion about the farmstand hours! We changed the Wednesday hours to make it more convenient for folks driving home from work and I forgot to update our blog. The farmstand is currently open on Wednesdays from 4 pm - 7 pm. We also sell through the Athens Farmers Market on Saturdays from 8-12. We plan to add more hours, including a Friday evening egg pick-up, starting later in the season. Hope to see y'all out there!

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

We are up to Issue 8 of our Native Sun Farm weekly newsletter! It's a great way to keep up with our happenings - where we are selling that week, what we have for sale and possibly a recipe or a haiku! We also got some REAL press this week from an article in our local paper, the Oconee Leader! Thanks to reporter Mary Anne Carroll for coming out to visit our farm. If you live in Oconee County, then you will get your Leader in the mail today.

Also, you can follow us on Facebook or Twitter!

ELF Market Farm to Garden Sale

Join us on Saturday, March 26th at the East Lake Farmer's Market in East Lake, Georgia for the Market Farm to Garden sale. We will have kale, collards, chard and leaf lettuces to sell, as well as potted herbs and worm castings! We will begin our regular season of Saturday markets starting April 9th in Athens.

Who we are: Native Sun Farm - A Certified Naturally Grown farm outside Athens, GA

Where we are: 1560 Jimmy Daniel Rd, Bogart GA 30622 (1 mile south of Sam’s Club)

Where we sell: Wednesdays @ our farmstand on Jimmy Daniel Road from 4 pm - 7 pm

Friday evening egg pick-up @ our farmstand from 6 pm - 7 pm (starting mid-July)

Saturdays @ the Athens Farmer’s Market

What we sell: Certified Naturally Grown fruits and vegetables and farm fresh eggs

Want to join our mailing list?

You can pre-order for the week and pick up at the farmer’s market or make an egg order for Friday evening pick-up. We promise not to bombard your inbox! We send out an email once a week letting you know what we have in the field that you can pre-order. Pre-order season begins the first full week in April.

Spring Season is approaching!

Who we are:

Native Sun Farm - A Certified Naturally Grown farm outside Athens, GA

Where we are:

1560 Jimmy Daniel Rd, Bogart GA 30622 (1 mile south of Sam’s Club)

Where we sell:

Wednesdays @ our farmstand on Jimmy Daniel Road from 4 pm -7 pm

Friday evening egg pick-up @ our farmstand from 6 pm - 7 pm (starts mid-July)

Saturdays @ the Athens Farmer’s Market

What we sell:

Certified Naturally Grown fruits and vegetables and farm fresh eggs

Want to join our mailing list?

You can pre-order for the week and pick up at the farmer’s market or make an egg order for Friday evening pick-up. We promise not to bombard your inbox! We send out an email once a week letting you know what we have in the field that you can pre-order. Pre-order season begins the first full week in April. To register, send an email to nativesunfarm@gmail.com and put "Mailing List" in the subject line.

In the mean time, you can still find our produce for sale at Athens Locally Grown.

Make your orders by Tuesday for Thursday evening pick-up at Ben's Bikes.

It's salad time!

Our hoophouse is hopping with salad greens! We've had number of lettuces that have been solid producers throughout the winter and we've been able to sell them through the local online farmer's market. Recently, I had a random Thursday off of work and thought I'd help out Farmer Brent in the fields for a full-on "harvest" day. Thursdays are the day that customers pick up their produce orders from the weekly online sales. Depending on the number of orders, it can be a very EARLY morning to get everything harvested and packaged for delivery. This particular Thursday was a big day for Native Sun and it took both Farmer Brent and I four hours to harvest, wash and package two coolers full of lettuces, kale and herbs. I had a whole new appreciation for what he does every week. I couldn't believe how much work it was to wash and dry all that lettuce! It involved a number of soaks and then placing the lettuce in a mesh bag and literally swinging it around until you wring the water out. Later that evening, after a little bit of whining from me, we hopped on the internet and found a Youtube video showing us how to convert a washing machine into a giant salad spinner. Farmer Brent wasted no time in snatching up a washing machine from the Habitat ReSource store and after removing the agitator and giving it a thorough cleaning, we were up and running. Now we can dry ten pounds of lettuce in less time than it took to do a pound!

We are so excited because spring is just around the corner and we have trays and trays of seeds getting started right now. We plan to re-open the farmstand in April and we will have a bounty of delicious veggies, fruits and farm-fresh eggs! We'll keep you posted on opening dates, but for now, check out our weekly offerings from www.athenslocallygrown.net.

No Rest for the Weary

What do farmers do in the winter? Well, our fearless Farmer Brent keeps on going! Native Sun has been growing through the winter in the recently expanded hoophouse. When we're not tending to delicious lettuces and greens, we're scheming up next year's crop and building fun farm implements like the one in the picture. That is a wheel-hoe constructed from our nephew's "big boy" bike. Fortunately, he didn't mind us using some parts to create this fabulous little weeding device. The next project is a bed shaper that will attach to the tractor and do just what it sounds like - shape the planting beds!

Native Sun has also recently become officially Certified Naturally Grown! We will be applying to have a booth at the Athens Farmer's Market in the spring. If the promise of delicious locally grown foods isn't enough to convince you to come by and visit our booth, then at least stop by and meet our new farmhand. Baby Boy Lopp is due right around the time that the radishes are ready to harvest.