Last Sunday, I participated in the East Austin Urban Farm Tour, benefiting the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance. I met Kristi at Hausbar Farms, but arrived a bit early to hang out with my friends from Bola Pizza and take some pictures of the farm. Hausbar is a relatively new farm, one of three properties owned by the owners Eastside Cafe. The two properties and the land surrounding the restaurant, grow approximately 85% of the produce used at Eastside. The farm had grown since I last saw it.
Hausbar crops
As always, if there are animals around, I tend to gravitate toward them – in this case Julian the donkey.
Julian
Julian was difficult to get a good photo of, because he followed me around like a puppy, and I couldn’t get any distance. He went on the farm tours provided by Dorsey. He ate the button off my pants.
Eastside was serving tamales and chili, although I was too warm for such fare. Bola Pizza was dishing up their amazing pie.
Bola Pizza
This chicken wanted nothing to do with all of the hooplah, and stayed perched above the fray.
Above it all
Next, we hoofed it over to Springdale Farm, on Springdale Lane. The Farm, owned by Paula and Glenn Foore, was in full glorious bloom. There were snapdragons aplenty, and they provided a wonderfully colorful accent to the crops.
Springdale Farm
More Spring Color
I tried a delicious lamb slider from The Driskill Grill.
Lamb Slider
From Springdale, we hoofed it over to Rain Lily Farm, on Shady Lane. Also in full Springtime glory, the farm was fully planted and looked productive.
Rain Lily Farm
There was a salad with farm fresh lettuce, pork belly, and strawberries, and Colleen from Pie Fixes Everything was also on hand with her delicious treats.
Pie Fixes Everything
Next up, we headed over to Boggy Creek Farm, which has for years been one of my happy places. For some reason, everytime I visit Boggy Creek with a camera, I feel compelled to snap a photo of the work gloves, hung up to dry each day, on the back porch of the farmhouse.
Gloves
To me, these are a reminder that farming takes hard work. In the distance, there are folks getting a tour of the farm.
The flowers were stunning at Boggy Creek as well.
Gorgeous flowers
After Boggy Creek, we walked back to Hausbar, where we started.
Christian and the Bola Pizza Oven
The pizzas were still flying out of the oven, so I snagged a piece and went off to re-visit the button stealing donkey. After the tour officially ended, a few of us went back to Springdale Farm, for a lovely evening under the big oak tree, with more food, some wine, and lots more fun.
I love our East Austin Urban Farms, and the farmers are some of the most special people I’ve ever met. We are so lucky to have access to them. Boggy Creek and Springdale both have farmstands on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9-1:00, where you can purchase their fabulous produce. You can help support Rain Lily Farm, by joining Farmhouse Delivery, a local food delivery service. You can taste the wonderful bounty growing at Hausbar, by patronizing Eastside Cafe.
