Austin is so fortunate to have several local farms just East of downtown. This week, I got to visit Rain Lily Farm, on Shady Lane, for one of their recurring Happy Hours. Rain Lily provides much of the produce for the wonderful all local, organic food delivery service, called Farmhouse Delivery, which delivers fresh produce from other organic farms, as well as locally sourced meats, dairy, breads and everything else you need to eat locally and organically. www.farmhousedelivery.com
As guests were arriving, I peeked into the fields to see what they were growing. All of the usual suspects for this time of year, lettuces, onions, cabbages. The crops looked great, given the bad freezes we’ve endured.
Rows of Gorgeous Lettuces
Purple Cabbage
Onions
I love most of the farms that I’ve visited, but this one is especially cool because of all of the design elements here and there.
Iron Work on this structure
And, how often do you get to hang out in a tee pee?
Tee Pee
Or lay in a hammock?
Farm Hammock
The chickens are content in their large enclosure.
Happy Chickens
The was plenty of good food to be had as well. The wildly popular Bola Pizza trailer was on hand with their delicious wood fired oven. It was very well received, and they cranked out about 60 pies. http://www.bolapizza.com
Christian of Bola Pizza
And, there was pie! Colleen, from Pie Fixes Everything was there with her delicious fruit pies.
Pie Fixes Everything
I got to chat with Colleen, the owner of Pie Fixes Everything, whom I’d previously met at the HOPE Farmer’s Market. I had heard of her locally sourced wheat flour pizza crust, and quiches, but this evening she was on hand with fruit pies. Colleen sources as much in-season fruit for her pies as possible, uses organic eggs and unbleached, un-bromided flour. Check out her website 222.piefixeseverything.com.
The event was BYOB, and I took my go-to favorite 1.5 liter bottle of La Vieille Ferme, which I call chicken wine, for the chickens on the label. This French table wine pleases everyone I’ve ever poured it for, and is affordable enough to tote to big events and serve a group, which I did. And, it has a chicken on the label, how apropos!
It was a wonderful and relaxing night on the farm, and I look forward to the next one.
I have to say that I think Rain Lilly Farm is my favorite in town. Was the happy hour open to everyone or just Farmhouse Delivery customers?
The invitation went out on Facebook, so I’m thinking it went to all of those in the Facebook Group. I am not a monthly customer, I’ve just bought a gift certificate, so join the Facebook Group and you’ll get the invites. I think it went to around 300 people, and around 80 attended by my estimation.
I have yet to make it out to Rain Lily Farms and this just gives me even more motivation to get out there! Thanks so much Carla for your always informative blog posts!
Thanks Rachelle, I think the happy hours will go on through the Spring an Summer. It is a lovely and relaxing place and I’m looking forward to the next one!