Cedar Park Farmers Market
From www.austinfarmtotable.com comes news of a new Farmers’ Market to serve the NW Austin/Cedar Park/Leander area!
Set to open March 27th, vendors include some familiar names like Amador Farms (hydroponic lettuces and greens) and Sweetish Hill (breads and baked goods). Rockin B will be selling grassfed beef and goat and she’ll even have yak meat available once each month (yes, yak meat) from a ranch outside of Weatherford. The market is every Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm and will be located in the 1890 Ranch Shopping Center, Cedar Park at 183A and FM 1431.
Update! Tecolote Farm will be at the market beginning April 10th!
Some of the market crew
Still Fighting: Tecolote Farm
The good folks at nearby Tecolote Farm are still struggling with their urban-sprawl-created water situation. We ask that you contact the Travis County Commissioners Court to remind them of how important local farmers are to the community, and to pledge to support Judge Biscoe’s plan to tie the farm into the County’s water supply if other measures fall short.
Tecolote Farm Update
“Well, folks, thanks to your letters, calls, emails, visits, forwarded emails, and general ruckus-raising about the need to share water with farmers, we have news of a successful first step. Were it not for the outpouring of community support, we would never have come this far.
While it is just a baby step right now, it is a start, and for that we are very grateful…”
Yea! Read the rest
Poached Duck Eggs
Poached pastured duck eggs with fried polenta, heirloom spinach, tomatoes, garlic and herbs..
Duck eggs are a little larger than chicken eggs, and tend to have a larger yolk:albumen ratio. The duck eggs are also higher in vitamins (especially A, B6 and B12), and I find them to be a bit richer in flavor.
Bring a pan of water with a tablespoon of plain white vinegar up to about 170°F. We’re poaching, not boiling.
Crack each egg into a small dish or cup and gently slide the egg into the water. Contain the albumen with a slotted spoon if necessary to keep it from spreading out.
Meanwhile, fry thick slices of polenta in butter until golden brown on both sides. Season with parsley and S&P and keep warm.
Sauté rinsed and squeezed spinach, garlic, spring onions and tomatoes. Add fresh oregano and basil and season liberally with S&P.
Nestle fried polenta on the vegetables and top with poached eggs. Add sharp cheese such as asiago, and dress with a dab of concentrated hot pepper paste.
POSTPONED: Tecolote Vote Rescheduled for 4/14
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 4/7/09
POSTPONED for One Week: County Commissioner Vote Regarding Tecolote Farm Water Crisis now on 4/14
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THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR LETTERS, CALLS, AND COURTROOM VISITS IN EARLY MARCH IN SUPPORT OF TECOLOTE FARM. YOUR INPUT CONTINUES TO MAKE A MEANINGFUL IMPRESSION ON THE COMMISSIONERS’ COURT.
THE COURT HAS RESCHEDULED THE PITRES’ DATE ON THE AGENDA TO 4/14, AT WHICH TIME COMMISSIONERS WILL VOTE YES OR NO ON JUDGE BISCOE’S PROPOSED PLAN.
Crisis at Tecolote Farm
***** See 05/19 update here *****
“This is the time. And this is the record of the time.”
MEETING POSTPONED
The Commissioner’s Meeting has been postponed until 1:45pm on Tuesday, April 7th.
Please email/phone your Commissioner this week!
Buy local and raise hell
Please Email or Call Your County Commissioner Now Before they Vote on April 7th
§ 551.071. CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY; CLOSED MEETING.
A governmental body may not conduct a private consultation with its attorney except:
(1) when the governmental body seeks the advice of its attorney about:
(A) pending or contemplated litigation; or
(B) a settlement offer; or
(2) on a matter in which the duty of the attorney to the governmental body under
the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct of the State Bar of Texas
clearly conflicts with this chapter.
Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 268, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.
Katie and David Pitre of Tecolote Farm
Action Alert: Tecolote Still Needs Your Help:
Call or Email County Commissioner Prior to Vote on 4/7
Background:
Tecolote Farm has been providing locally-grown, organic vegetables to the Austin area since 1993. It is a vital part of and gives much value to our community. Recently they have suffered a water crisis. Water levels in Tecolote Farm’s well dropped dramatically, and then went completely dry, soon after Travis County installed nearby high-production wells used to water recreation fields a few miles away. At first, Travis County officials indicated that if they had caused the problem, they would help fix it. Since that time, several highly-qualified hydrogeologists, including ones with extensive experience in studying and working with the local aquifer at issue have confirmed what Tecolote has always known: that the high-volume pumping by the County was at least a significant contributor of what has happened to Tecolote’s water supply. Tecolote Farm is just asking for access to the groundwater that they always had, and they are willing to exchange that access for providing produce to County Jail inmates.
This coming Tuesday, March 31st, the Travis County Commissioners’ Court will be considering Judge Biscoe’s plan to help solve a problem that they (at least in part) created.
Email the Travis County Commissioners
Please send an email very soon – preferably today, Friday, 3/27- but no later than Sunday, 3/29, letting all of the Commissioners, especially Commissioners Eckhardt and Davis, know how important it is to you that the County step up to the plate and help solve preserve this local farm. If you don’t know who your county commissioner is, just send the email to all of them.
List of County Commissioners and their email addresses and telephone numbers:
County Judge – Samuel T. Biscoe – sam.biscoe@co.travis.tx.us – 512-854-9555
Commissioner, Precinct 1 – Ron Davis – ron.davis@co.travis.tx.us – 512-854-9111
Commissioner, Precinct 2 – Sarah Eckhardt – sarah.Eckhardt@co.travis.tx.us – 512-854-9222
Commissioner, Precinct 3 – Karen Huber – Karen.Huber@co.travis.tx.us – 512-854-9111
Commissioner, Precinct 4 – Margaret Gómez – commissioner.gomez@co.travis.tx.us -512- 854-9444
Below is suggested text for such an email. Feel free to add to it by discussing your relationship with Tecolote or how important it is that our local governments support those within our community who produce local, healthy food, and that Travis County not contribute to the demise of Tecolote or ignore this legal opportunity to do the right thing.
Suggested text:
Dear _______
I am a supporter of local, sustainable agricultural in Travis County. It has come to my attention that the Travis County Commissioners Court is ready to vote on whether or not to assist Tecolote Farm solve its water crisis.
I understand that County Judge Sam Biscoe has drawn up a plan that would allow the County to provide Tecolote Farm with access to groundwater in exchange for the Farm providing produce to the County Jail. I also understand that this plan has already been approved by the County’s attorneys and that there are no “legal impediments” to its implementation. Please do the right thing to support sustainable, local agriculture and save this long-standing farm. Small family farms are the county’s heritage, and hopefully you will help to preserve them for the future.
First Option – You can do nothing. You can wash your hands of this matter and seal the fate of Tecolote farm. And the way you can do that is by hiding behind the antiquated but still-in-effect common law doctrine known as the Rule of Capture.
But there is nothing about the Rule of Capture that prevents the County from doing the right thing and helping Tecolote Farm.
Second Option – is that you can decide to not hide behind the Rule of Capture and decide to implement one of the low-cost options that will prevent the loss of Tecolote Farm. In this era of obesity and poor nutrition, please back up your recent adoption of a Sustainable Food Policy Board and keep this local provider of healthy, high quality produce in business.
Sincerely,
____________
Contact Information
Susan Leibrock
Community Relations Director
Sustainable Food Center
512-236-0074 ext. 111
