Building a Blue Zone Vibe in Our Neighborhood
Did you know Blue Zones are the places in the world where people live the longest and feel their best? They focus on eating primarily plant-based foods, moving naturally throughout the day, and staying connected with their community. We’ve been bringing those ideas to life right here in our neighborhood!
From potlucks and plant-based cooking classes to yoga sessions, silent disco walks, farm work, and even invitations for kayaking outings, we’ve been finding fun ways to stay active and eat well. And our movie nights, arts and crafts evenings, and game nights are helping us build a close-knit community that supports everyone’s well-being.Little by little, we’re creating a neighborhood that feels good to live in—for the long haul! Stay tuned for more events coming your way soon and if you want to get involved with helping these efforts, please get in touch with Lisa Apfelberg at lisa.apfelberg@gmail.com.
PRE-LOVED TINY HOMES
Open House Sundays
12:00 – 4:00 pm
Contact Van Lowe
+1 (512) 400-9867
tinyreselling@gmail.com
Green Gate Farms
ENJOY THE BOUNTY! Fields are beginning to transition from early spring crops to summer goodies like tomatoes and potatoes. We’ve got so much food! Come shop at the Saturday farm stand, 9-12. You can also reserve food/flowers for pick up on Wednesdays via www.greengatefarms.net/shop. Call Farmer Skip, 512-949-9830 for more info.
Reserve your flowers for Mother’s Day today! Happy to create arrangements of all sizes. See www.greengatefarms.net/shop.
MONTHLY FLOWER CLASS – Join Farmer Erin Friday, May 9, 6:30-8:00 for a tour of the flowers growing in her no-till beds then enjoy some time designing a bouquet using freshly, harvested blooms, herbs and foliage. All materials provided and you’ll go home with a bouquet $50. Reserve www.greengatefarms.net
FIRST THURSDAY Meeting, May 1, Farmer Skip will give a farm update and tour, then demonstrate how to harvest potatoes!
HOMESTEAD CLUB meets Second Wednesdays, May 14, 5:30-7:00 at the Big Red Bergstrom Barn. Hear updates on Blue Zone, farm and sustainability projects around the Village and elsewhere.
The orchard irrigation system has been repaired. Hopefully, we will no longer have to drag hoses all summer to keep trees watered!
New Farmers in Training: Alice and Noaam are being mentored by Green Gate Farms through a federally funded training grant awarded to Farmshare Austin. Though Noaam has worked at Boggy Creek Farm and Alice ran a farm in Seattle for six years, they are working alongside Erin and Skip to understand what it takes to grow vegetables and flowers at scale in Texas.
Phase 4 coming
ROBERTS COMMUNITIES is moving forward with plans for a 23-home expansion. Phase 4 will bring a lot of activity to the northeast quadrant of the property. As with most things, there are pros and cons.
Bad news
- Construction noise and dust for another year
- Loss of habitat for wildlife
- Likely loss of currently used farmland
Good news
- New friends
- New skills, thinking, etc.
- Green Gate Farms hopes to increase land under production by installing a quarter acre of farm perpendicular to the Community Garden. This slice of farmland will be small, but productive and is part of the original design created by TBG Design and Roberts Communities.
Phase 4 is outlined in blue. Item 4, outlined in red and labeled “Future Amenities” will include an entertainment stage and lawn and community gardens. Green Gate Farms will be cultivating a new field within the red section and along Canoga.
Exciting News: Pottery Classes Planned
Thanks to several generous donations, we’ve purchased a kiln! Farmer Skip and Ceramicist Avery have successfully moved it to the farm.
Next up: some rearranging. We’ll be relocating the shipping container currently in front of the orchard to a spot behind the greenhouse, where it will serve as secure farm storage. That will free up the existing toolshed to become our brand-new pottery shed.
Pottery and glazing classes kick off at the end of September!
We’re aiming to host at least two 2-day classes per month that focus on hand-building, glazing, and more. Stay tuned for details!
Community Gardens
We’re excited to begin building the Village Farm Community Gardens in the coming months!
Garden allotments will be available for rent, with priority access for residents. Once resident sign-ups are complete, we’ll open remaining spaces to the public.
With a summer launch on the horizon, we’re hopeful our neighbors will be harvesting their first crops by fall. Stay tuned for details on how to reserve your plot!
Farmhouse News
A compost tumbler is now available at the farmhouse!
Guests are encouraged to add their food scraps to the tumbler—your contributions help create nutrient-rich compost for the beds near the farmhouse and the Community Garden.
Thank you for helping us grow sustainably!
That process is now underway, and we expect to be ready for community engagement by the end of May.
Calendar of Events
Want to know what’s going on around Village Farm? Check out the calendar of events. Having an event you want to promote? Send an “invite” with all the details to VFresidentsassoc@gmail.com and we’ll get it posted.
Community Guidelines
Scott Roberts has asked the Steering Committee to draft initial guidelines tailored to our community. He has also agreed to collaborate with community members to develop a set of guidelines that better reflect the needs and values of Village Farm.
Having issues with Property Management?
A couple months ago, our Property Managers set up an email address to report issues such as lighting outages, flooding, landscape issues, access, pool concerns, etc.
villagefarm@villagefarmaustin.com
Feel free to copy the VF Resident Association on your emails and/or reach out to us if your not receiving timely answers and results.
Village Farm Residents Association
- Steering Committee: Lisa Apfelberg, Brandy Beverly, Angela Kopit, Van Thompson, Tisa Wheeler
- Communications Committee: Brandy Beverly, Lisa Apfelberg, Mary Connor, Angela Kopit, Wendy Schuelke
- Programming Committee: Lisa Apfelberg, Angela Kopit, Tisa W., Regina K. (seeking volunteers)
- Welcome Committee: Lisa Apfelberg (seeking volunteers)
- First Thursday (monthly meeting, discuss farm news and sustainability topics, 5:30-7:00)
- Homestead Groups (meets monthly, second Wednesdays, 5:30-7:00)
- Garden Club: Carey Hajovsky (all are welcome)
- Bird Club: Dennis Benke (seeking volunteers)
- Community Garden (coming soon…)
- Work/Skills Barter Program (future) Seeking interested lead
- Shared Equipment Program (future) Seeking interested lead
- Food Forest Initiative: Lisa Apfelberg
Village Farm Residents Association 