Category Archives: Southlake

Fall Has Come To Urban Acres

October 17th, 2012
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Hope your October is going well!  Fall has officially arrived at Urban Acres.  In fact, our team traveled all over Texas yesterday visiting several of our local farmers and picking up some wonderful local Texas produce for you!  Stay tuned for video and photos, but here’s a list of the local produce* we’ve got for this weekend’s co-op style produce shares…

* This is just a list of the local items, there will be other organic seasonal items in the shares.

Get lots of recipe ideas on our Pinterest page!

* * *

At the Urban Acres store, we have some new fall products such as…

  • New fall-inspired Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream flavors:

  • Honeycrisp & MacIntosh apples

  • Organic apple cider from a family farm in Colorado
  • Pie pumpkins and edible squash galore (check out our pumpkin and squash Pinterest boards for recipe inspiration!)

We also have fall decorative items like carving pumpkins and Indian corn…

Come by and see us this weekend!

Important and Helpful Changes For Members: Introducing Farmigo!

September 7th, 2012
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We have some very exciting news for our Urban Acres members today!

Introducing Farmigo

Effective Monday, September 10th, we will begin using Farmigo to manage all of our members’ produce share accounts.  Farmigo is an amazing online tool built specifically to connect people like you with fresh food directly from companies like Urban Acres and local farms.  All members who are actively receiving produce will get an email next week with their Farmigo account information.

Here are a few of the benefits members will experience when using Farmigo:

1. Manage your online Urban Acres produce account profile.  You’ll have the ability to place your account temporarily on hold, change your pickup site or share, update your personal information, change your email address, and much more!  This means you don’t have to email us every time – yay!

Sample of summary page in Farmigo account

2. Choose one of Farmigo’s convenient payment options.  You can pay for 1, 2, or 6 shares at a time.

Sample of payment options in Farmigo account

3. Add a recurring egg order to your produce share.  Add it once, and you’re done!  You won’t have to place a new order each week, and you can change/delete your egg order whenever you like.

COMING SOON!  Purchase more items from us through the Urban Acres webstore.

In short, the new system through Farmigo is going to be pretty awesome for everyone involved!

SO, NOW WHAT?

Just look for an email from us next week with your login info for the Farmigo website.  You will log into the Farmigo website and set up your payment plan for your produce.  All active members will need to set up new billing information on the Farmigo website, but it will only take a minute or two!

FAQs

Will my info be secure with Farmigo?
Farmigo uses trusted encryption software to protect their site. They work with industry-leaders like Paypal to process transactions and have implemented Transport Layer Security (TLS) to provide communications confidentiality over the Internet.

What if I don’t understand how to use my account on Farmigo?
Farmigo has made the system very user-friendly, and we know you’ll love it.  If you need help, just ask us.

What if I’m currently paying by check?
If you are paying by check, you may continue to do so, but we think you’ll like the Farmigo system for easy online payments.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?  We’re here to help!  Don’t hesitate to contact us.

Thanks so much for your support, and please stay tuned for more info…

What’s Being Planted? Upcoming Fall Produce!

August 29th, 2012
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Well the weather has yet to show it here in Dallas, but fall is coming!  We thought we’d give you something to look forward to.  Here are some of the items our local farmers are planning* for the fall co-op style produce shares…

  • Aquaponic lettuces
  • Butternut squash
  • Beets
  • Red potatoes
  • Red Russian kale
  • Sorrel
  • Broccoli
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Cabbages

Other seasonal items to look forward to:

  • Apples
  • Pears
  • Grapefruit
  • Cauliflower

Come fall, come!

When working with fresh produce, availability can sometimes change last-minute.  We do our best to let you know what’s coming ahead of time, but sometimes things do change, especially when working with local farmers.  Thanks for your understanding!

What On Earth Is A Pluot?

August 10th, 2012
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Pluots, also called “Dinosaur eggs”

This weekend’s co-op style produce shares will include a uniquely wonderful fruit called a Pluot.  What on earth is that?

A Pluot is a plum + apricot hybrid that’s available throughout the summer.   You should leave them on the countertop to ripen, and then once they’re ripe, eat them or store them in the fridge.

Kids love ‘em!  Kids sometimes call them “dinosaur eggs” because they’re egg-shaped with a pinkish red mottled appearance. Try serving pluot chunks as an after-school snack, or with yogurt or ice cream.

You can also try these recipes with your pluots…

Let us know how you like them!

Local Produce In Transition // Featured Items This Weekend: Reed Avocados, Shiitake Mushrooms, Sweet Corn

July 27th, 2012
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Jacky Morrison on the tractor at Morrison Organic Farm in Cleburne, TX

Local Farm Update…

Just to keep you in the loop, we’re going through a big transition for the next several weeks.   All our local farmers are tilling under the summer crops right now and planting for the fall harvest.  The great news is we should have some incredible LOCAL FALL PRODUCE!  We might see another wave of Texas peaches but we’ve seen the last of the tomatoes and figs for awhile :( .  We hope you enjoyed them!

Below are some of the featured items we’re planning* for the co-op style produce shares this weekend…

*There are several more items in the shares – this is just a sampling. When working with fresh produce, availability can sometimes change last-minute.  We do our best to let you know what’s coming ahead of time, but sometimes things do change, especially when working with local farmers.  Thanks for your understanding!

Just when you thought an avocado couldn’t get any better, BEHOLD!  The Reed Avocado.

Think of all the things you love about a regular avocado, and take it to the next level…
  • The Reed avocado is the size of a softball, super creamy, smooth, and buttery.
  • Not only are Reed avocados difficult to find because their growing season is very short, but finding them organic is almost impossible.
  • The Reed avocado stays green on the outside, and it’s ripe when it’s soft to the touch, not when it turns dark.
  • The Reed avocado doesn’t brown as quickly as its cousin, the more common Haas avocado.
  • Unlike the Haas avocado, the Reed doesn’t need lime juice and cilantro and all those fancy embellishments.  The reed stands alone.  All you need is a sprinkle of sea salt and a spoon to scoop out its creamy goodness.

If you absolutely must fancy them up, here are a few recipe ideas. But first try them plain – trust us!

Local Shiitake Mushrooms

Shiitake mushroom bruschetta – 100% local ingredients

Oh how we love our trusty shiitakes from Texas Organic Mushrooms in Denison!    And we’ve prepared both slow and quick shiitake mushroom recipes for you, depending on how much time you have.  Get them here.

Bi-Color Sweet Corn

Mmm, great sweetness and flavor to this corn with different color kernels.  The possibilities are really endless with corn – you can go simple and just shuck it, boil it, butter and salt it, and eat it!  (How to boil corn on the cob)  Or try one of these recipes…

We love you guys!  Thank you for all your support and we hope you’re enjoying your summer!

VIDEO: The Urban Poser Feature on Urban Acres // Recipe: Herbed Crispy Flat Bread with Chicken, Arugula & Mango-Strawberry Salsa (Grain-Free)

July 25th, 2012
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The Urban Poser’s grain-free herbed crispy flat bread with chicken, arugula, & mango-strawberry salsa…using Urban Acres produce!

We’re so excited today – Jenni Hulet from The Urban Poser blog has put up a feature about us – a video she filmed of picking up her co-op style produce share at our Southlake location) plus some INCREDIBLE recipes using the produce.  Thanks so much, Jenni!

Jenni Hulet // The Urban Poser

We’ve been a huge fan of The Urban Poser blog since we found out about it – not only is it based in the DFW area, but the site features beautifully photographed and easy-to-make recipes using fresh, gluten-free, grain-free ingredients that are seriously delicious.  We’ve featured several of her recipes that you can make with your Urban Acres produce.  They’re especially great for those of you following gluten-free or Paleo/Primal diets!

Jenni’s goal with The Urban Poser is to bring beauty, flavor, enjoyment, and freedom from the fear and difficulty of living with health restrictions. A few years ago, Jenni was diagnosed as severely Gluten and Casein intolerant and was put on a strict diet and supplement regimen to heal her ravaged body.  Bringing together her love of culture, her culinary skills, and her compassion for the suffering, The Urban Poser was a way for her to meet the adversity in her life with all the creativity and exuberance she had once thought was gone forever. She continues to pioneer and discover new passions through the difficulty and knows that her story has only just begun to unfold.

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/46187199 w=400&h=300]

>> Go to The Urban Poser to read more & get lots of recipes!