Bluebird Greenhouse Local Foods Lunch & Learn
Locally Baked Strawberry Cake sourcing Certified Organic Strawberries from Farmer Dave at D & A Farm.
Strawberry Chicken Salad catered by The Strawberry Patch with Georgia Pecans, local chives and berries.
Concord Street Sweet Cheesecake with berries from The Strawberry Patch. Thank you Georgia Grown for Georgia peanuts.
Bluebird’s Local Foods Lunch & Learn.
Callaway Blue Spring Water.
Bluebird Greenhouse Wheat Share Harvest
Bluebird CSA wheat shares. Locally Grown, Pike Co. Georgia wheat.
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Bluebird Greenhouse – Community Supported Agriculture {CSA} Giving Baskets
Want a Giving Basket of CSA Veggies? Half Shares $30
Order online: www.bluebirdcsa.com
Welcome to Bluebird Greenhouse!
Welcome to Bluebird Greenhouse where Community Supported Agriculture members, farmers and Georgia producers are growing together!
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Bluebird Greenhouse is a Drop Off for Fresh Georgia Grown Produce
Bluebird Greenhouse is a drop-off for fresh produce grown in Georgia.
Bluebird CSA invites local Georgia farmers and producers to offer their products to CSA members. Bluebird CSA is a Multiple Farm CSA serving Metro Atlanta and Middle Georgia.
Conveniently drop off your harvest at Bluebird Greenhouse on Thursdays from 2 pm until 4 pm when we connect with local growers for CSA distribution.
Be sure to contact us before you arrive with your veggies!
Contact: bluebirdmarket@gmail.com
Bluebird Greenhouse is located at 931 Hamilton Boulevard, Griffin, GA
Click Image for Google Map Directions.
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Bluebird Greenhouse Development Phases
Bluebird Greenhouse Development
Building One: Growing
Building Two: Packing and Transplanting
Phase I Recap Feb-April: Starting Spring Seeds for Garden Plants
Goals:
- To develop Community Supported Agriculture programs in the Griffin area
- To revitalize a closed greenhouse facility with edible vegetables
- To encourage Farm to School learning experiences
- To provide garden plants for affordable fresh foods to the community
- To offer internships for those interested in a Local Foods Certificate
On February 22, Farmer Bob and Bluebird began starting tomato, lettuce, herb and various heirloom vegetable plant seeds using organic practices.
3 Spring Plant Sales offering Affordable Veggie Plants to Community
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The first Veggie Plant Sale open to the public was Spring Fling on April 8th.
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The second week of Plant Sale open to public was on April 16th.
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The 3rd week event was Earth Day Farm-to-School and Plant Sale held on Good Friday, April 22, 2011–Easter Weekend Holiday. Good Friday (2011 also Earth Day) is planting day for many local growers and farmers.
After these 3 successful planting events providing affordable garden plants to the community, the remaining vegetable and tomato plants will be transferred to local farms and the Bluebird Greenhouse gardens to produce fruits outdoors during the summer season. Click to enlarge thumbnail images.
Phase II Begins May-July: Edibles in Container Gardens
“Container gardening allows so many more people the chance to get involved with gardening. Vegetables can pretty much be grown anywhere; there is nothing that the plant needs that cannot be offered to the plant in a container,” states Greenhouse Gardening.
Bluebird Greenhouse Summer Season
Greenhouse Development Phase II: Edibles in Container Gardening May-July
Tune in Alert: Bluebird CSA as Radio Show Guest for UGA Broadcast
Tune In Alert for Tuesday, February 21 to UGA Griffin Campus Radio Show, broadcasting from WKEU each Tuesday morning from 9:00 – 10:15 a.m.
Bluebird CSA Program Director, Patti Robinson, will be a radio show guest with Dr. Jeff Jordan, Director of Southern Region SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education) and Dr. Jerry Arkin, Assistant Dean for the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
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Bluebird Greenhouse ‘Food Preservation Course’ Resource Links
Learning Videos with instructions for proper Food Preservation methods
http://nchfp.uga.edu/ Canning
Freezing
Preventing browning of cut fruits
Syrup pack for freezing fruits
Sugar pack for freezing fruits
Dry or Tray Pack for freezing fruits
Dehydrating
Determining Doneness of dried fruit
How do I can?
General Canning Information
- How Canning Preserves Foods
- Ensuring Safe Canned Foods
- Equipment and Methods Not Recommended
- Ensuring High-Quality Canned Foods
- Recommended Jars and Lids
- Recommended Canners
- Selecting the Correct Processing Time
- Cooling Jars and Testing Jar Seals
- Storing Home Canned Foods
- Identifying and Handling Spoiled Canned Food
- Canned Foods for Special Diets
- Canning Fruit-based Baby Foods
- Temperatures for Food Preservation
- Temperatures at which Water Boils at Different Altitudes
- Causes and Possible Solutions for Problems with Canned Food
- Causes and Possible Solutions for Problems with Canned Fruit Juices
- Causes and Possible Solutions for Problems with Canned Fruit Juices
- Find Your Altitude
Canning Fruits and Fruit Products
- General: Preparing and Using Syrups for Canning Fruit
- Apple Juice
- Apple Butter
- Apple Butter, Reduced Sugar
- Apples-Sliced
- Applesauce
- Apple Rings-Spiced
- Apricots-Halved or Sliced
- Berries-Whole
- Berry Syrup
- Cherries-Whole
- Cherry (Sweet) Topping
- Crabapples-Spiced
- Crabapples-Spiced II
- Cranberries
- Cranberry Sauce
- Figs
- Fruit Pureés
- Grape Juice
- Grapes Whole
- Grapefruit and Orange Sections
- Lemon Curd, Canned
- Mango Sauce
- Mangoes, Green
- Mayhaw Juice
- Mayhaw Syrup
- Mixed Fruit Cocktail
- Nectarines-Halved or Sliced
- Papaya
- Peaches-Halved or Sliced
- Peach Fruit Topping
- Pears, Asian
- Pears-Halved
- Pie Fillings
- Pineapple
- Plums-Halved or Whole
- Spiced Plums
- Rhubarb-Stewed
- Zucchini-Pineapple
Canning Tomatoes, Spaghetti Sauces and Tomato Products
- Canning Tomatoes, Introduction
- Tomato Juice
- Tomato Paste
- Tomato and Vegetable Juice Blend
- Crushed Tomatoes (with no added liquid)
- Standard Tomato Sauce
- Whole or Halved Tomatoes (packed in water)
- Whole or Halved Tomatoes (packed in tomato juice)
- Whole or Halved Tomatoes (packed raw without added liquid)
- Tomatoes with Okra or Zucchini
- Spaghetti Sauce without Meat
- Spaghetti Sauce with Meat
- Tomato Ketchup
- Country Western Ketchup
- Blender Ketchup
- Easy Hot Sauce
- Barbecue Sauce
Canning Salsa
- Chile Salsa (Hot Tomato-Pepper Sauce)
- Chile Salsa II
- Mango Salsa
- Mexican Tomato Sauce
- Peach Apple Salsa
- Spicy Cranberry Salsa
- Spicy Jicama Relish
- Tomatillo Green Salsa
- Tomato/Tomato Paste Salsa
- Tomato and Green Chile Salsa
- Tomato Salsa with Paste Tomatoes
- Tomato Taco Sauce
How Do I?
…Pickle
Pickling
- General Information on Pickling
- Selection of Fresh Cucumbers
- Low-Temperature Pasteurization Treatment
- Salts Used in Pickling
- Cucumber Pickles
- Other Vegetable Pickles
- Fruit Pickles
- Relishes, Salads
- Chutneys
- Pickled Eggs
- Pickles for Special Diets
- Causes and Possible Solutions for Problems with Pickled Foods
How Do I?
…Jam and Jelly
Making Jams and Jellies
General Information
- Types of Jellied Products
- Jellied Product Ingredients
- Extracting Juice for Jelly
- General Information on Canning Jams, Jellies, and Marmalades
- Making Jelly without added Pectin
- Making Jam without added Pectin
- Making Jams and Jellies with added Pectin
- Processing Jams and Jellies
- Steps in Processing Jams and Jellies
- Testing Jelly without Added Pectin
- Remaking Soft Jellies
- Stiff Jams or Jellies
- Storing Home-Canned Jams and Jellies
- Causes and Possible Solutions for Problems with Jellied Fruit Products
How Do I?
…Freeze
Freezing
- General Information
- Blanching Vegetables
- Animal Products
- Apples
- Apricots
- Artichokes
- Asparagus
- Avocados
- Bacon
- Bananas
- Beans: Green, Snap, or Wax
- Beans: Lima, Butter, or Pinto
- Beets
- Blackberries or Dewberries
- Blueberries or Huckleberries
- Broccoli
- Brussels Sprouts
- Butter
- Cabbage or Chinese Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Cheese
- Cherries: Sour
- Cherries: Sweet
- Citrus Fruits
- Clams
- Crab
- Fresh Coconut
- Corn
- Cranberries
- Currants
- Dates
- Eggplant
- Eggs
- Figs
- Fish
- Gooseberries
- Grapes
- Grapes: Muscadine
- Greens (including Spinach)
- Garlic-in-Oil
- Guavas
- Fresh Herbs
- Ice Cream
- Kohlrabi
- Lemon Curd, Freezer
- Lobster
- Loquats
- Mayhaw Juice
- Meats
- Mangos
- Melons
- Mushrooms
- Okra
- Onions
- Oysters
- Edible Pea Pods
- Blackeye or Field Peas
- Green Peas
- Peaches or Nectarines
- Pears
- Bell or Sweet Peppers
- Hot Peppers
- Persimmons
- Pesto
- Pimentos
- Pineapples
- Poultry and Game Birds
- Plums
- Pomegranates
- Prepared Foods
- New Irish Potatoes
- Sweet Potatoes
- Pumpkin
- Raspberries
- Rhubarb
- Rutabagas
- Scallops
- Shrimp
- Sour Cream
- Spinach
- Chayote Squash
- Summer Squash
- Winter Squash
- Strawberries
- Tomatoes
- Green Tomatoes
- Turnips or Parsnips
- Whipped Cream
- Zucchini
How Do I?
…Dry
Drying
- Food Dehydrators
- Fruit Leathers
- Fruits(Colorado State University) pdf
- Fruits and Vegetables(University of Georgia) pdf
- Herbs
- Jerky
- Leathers and Jerkies(Colorado State University) pdf
- Mango Leather
- Packaging and Storing Dry Foods
- Peanuts
- Popcorn
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Sun Drying
- Sunflower Seeds
- Vegetable Leathers
- Vegetables(Colorado State University) pdf
- Vine Drying
How Do I?
…Store
Storing
- Storing Home Canned Foods
- Packaging and Storing Dry Foods
- Food Storage for Safety and Quality(Colorado State University) pdf
- Cupboard Approximate Storage Times (Kansas State University) pdf
- Refrigerator/Freezer Approximate Storage Times(Kansas State University) pdf
- Proper Care and Handling of Fruits and Vegetables From Purchase to Preparation(Penn State University) pdf
- Storing Vegetables at Home(University of Wisconsin) pdf
- Safe Home Food Storage (Texas A&M University) pdf
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Bluebird Greenhouse Local Foods Lunch and Learn
Map Link to Bluebird Lunch & Learn, UGA Research Garden, 121 Ellis Road, Griffin, GA,
Time & Date: May 9, 2012, 11:30-12:30, phone 478-283-4332,
Registration: bluebirdmarket@gmail.com .
UGA Canning Expert, Susan Howington
National Center for Food Preservation at UGA – Resources.
Facebook Event: Local Foods Lunch & Learn
Want to learn how to preserve the summer harvest of farm-fresh green beans, peaches, strawberries, tomatoes, cucumbers and more?
Join us at Bluebird’s Local Foods Lunch & Learn – taught by Susan Howington, Canning Expert. May 9, 2012, UGA Research Garden, Griffin, GA 11:30-12:30.
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Register on http://www.bluebirdcsa.com/ order page for the FREE community class or email: bluebirdmarket@gmail.com .
- Lunch is catered by The Strawberry Patch with a cost of $15 each and can be reserved at http://www.bluebirdcsa.com or by emailing bluebirdmarket@gmail.com
- Thrive Coffee will serve iced coffees and Kick-Off their Farm to Cup medium and dark roast coffees.
- Join the fun day at UGA Research Garden, 121 Ellis Road, Griffin, GA, Wed. May 9th, 2012, 11:30-12:30.
- FREE Community Course ($15 cost for catered lunch) and FREE Garden Admission.
- If you are a local foods enthusiast and interested in learning about food preservation, you will want to be a part of this event. Guest farmers, Local Foods Catered Lunch, Tasting Table, Thrive Coffee Kick-Off, Arts Silent Auction, Plant Sale, Door Prizes [including CSA share boxes] and more Local Foods fun!!
- Learn about common sense canning with Canning Expert, Susan Howington. Susan teaches many communities how to can and we are thrilled she is able to make time in her busy schedule for Bluebird CSA members.
- Free registration and Free UGA Garden Admission includes the Free ‘Food Preservation Course’ on Wednesday, May 9th from 11:30 until 12:30. You may also register for the Local Foods Catered Lunch at a cost of $15 per plate.
- Your lunch will be catered by The Strawberry Patch with a menu of ‘Strawberry Chicken Salad’ on a bed of baby mesclun greens, with locally grown, farm-fresh strawberries and toasted Georgia-grown pecans. Please email bluebirdmarket@gmail.com if you prefer to substitute gluten-free, vegan ‘Strawberry Quinoa with Toasted Pecans’ for ‘Strawberry Chicken Salad’.
- Tasting Table of assorted organic & Georgia made products like Cheesecake with locally grown Strawberry Toppong, Parisa’s Marinara with artisan focaccia, Flat Creek Lodge cheeses, Hillside Orchards fruit cider, Lauri Jo’s Southern Style Canning , cucumber relish, fig preserves, local strawberry blossom honey along with other seasonal, local foods and canning highlights.
- Local Arts – Opportunity to bid silently on local arts. Works by Artist Anne Jenkins and Folk Artist Sam Granger.
- Fun door prizes including free veggie shares, strawberry shares, kitchen tools, canning supplies and local arts.
- Food Preservation Course Certificate – It should be a fun and informative day and you will receive a ‘Food Preservation Course’ Certificate for your participation in this 1 hour community canning class. (This certificate is for private purposes only)
- Bluebird CSA
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Bluebird CSA Map to Bluebird Lunch & Learn, UGA Garden, 121 Ellis Road, Griffin, GA http://www.caes.uga.edu/campus/griffin/garden/grifmap.cfm
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Bluebird CSA Bluebird Lunch & Learn ‘Food Preservation Course’ Scroll to May 9th on UGA calendar to read more. http://www.caes.uga.edu/campus/griffin/garden/calendar.cfm
Photos of UGA Research Garden, Griffin, GA:
Come early and tour the Research and Education Garden on the University of Georgia Campus, Griffin, Georgia.
Follow the links below to view some of these gardens.
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Bluebird Greenhouse ~ What’s Growing Now Spring 2012?
Culinary Herbs, Mesclun Lettuces, World Record Holders, Heirloom Veggies and Heirloom Tomatoes growing now at Bluebird Greenhouse.
Culinary Herbs Growing Now Spring 2012
- Pineapple Sage
- Honeydew Melon Sage
- Purple Sage
- Chocolate Mint
- Lemon Mint
- Apple Mint
- Mint Mojito variety
- Mint Julep – spearmint variety
- Peppermint
- Spearmint
- Purple Basil
- Sweet Basil
- Green Bouquet Basil
- Thai Basil
- Dwarf Basil
- Genovese Basil (pesto favorite)\
- Lime Basil
- Lemon Basil
- Lemon Thyme
- German Thyme
- Dill Bouquet
- Stevia
- Catnip (kitty culinary)
- Lemongrass
- Lemon Balm
- Bee Balm
- Greek Oregano
- Lavender Vera
- Chamomile
- Chives
Heirloom Tomatoes
- Pineapple Tomatoes
- Green Zebra Tomatoes
- Mr. Stripey Tomatoes
World Record Holders
- World’s Largest Tomato (Delicious)
Veggies
- Icicle Radishes
- Chocolate Bell Peppers
- Lemon Cucumbers
- Cinderella Pumpkins
- Heirloom French Shallots
Mesclun Lettuces
- Bright Lights Swiss Chard
- Spinach
- Oakleaf
- Buttercrunch
- Frisee
Experimental
- Peanuts
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Bluebird Greenhouse Canning Class with Bulk Fruits and Veggies Add-On Options
Want to learn to can? Learn the simple techniques of canning home grown and CSA fruits and veggies. Classes offered in Spalding and Upson Counties.
Email: bluebirdmarket@gmail.com for signup information.
Introducing Bulk Fruit and Veggie Add-Ons this spring and summer for local canners.
For your favorite canning recipes choose Georgia grown with Bluebird CSA:
- Georgia Peaches
- canning and freezing tomatoes (for salsa or soups)
- Roma tomatoes
- Blueberries
- Strawberries,
- Cucumbers, fresh dill,
- Organic corn,
- Butter beans, peas,
- Yellow & zucchini squash
- and Vidalia onions.
Bluebird Greenhouse First Day of Spring 2012
Baby snapdragons growing now at Bluebird Greenhouse will be in share boxes this week to celebrate the first day of spring 2012.
