It is amazing how much things can change in the garden in only a week. I was out of town last week (sorry for skipping last week’s garden newsletter w/o notice) and there has already been so much change!

SWEET POTATOES

News is that Eric will be getting sweet potato plants tomorrow so that we can get them in the ground this week. I am looking forward to planting, and if anyone can offer some time to help Thursday/Friday, just let me (or Erin) know.

I really like sweet potatoes – and I hear that they’re pretty healthy. But…probably not as healthy with brown sugar and butter, which is just how I like them ; ) If anyone’s got a favorite way of preparing sweet potatoes, let me know! I’d love to share some recipes.

TODAY’S HARVEST

I stopped in the garden just before lunch to get my bearings since I’ve been out of town and decided to grab some greens to share while I was out there. I got a big pile of Swiss Chard and two different kinds of Kale. I also harvested the last of the broccoli. Make sure that you take some home today!

POTATOES

We will be working in the garden the next couple of days to harvest the potatoes. So, I hope you’re ready for them! They will definitely be out before Friday!

And did you know…

“Potatoes are nutrient-dense, meaning you receive many nutrients for the amount of calories they have. The fiber is half soluble, half insoluble, so it helps to keep you regular and helps to lower cholesterol. And slowing down digestion helps to keep you full longer. Phytochemicals in potatoes include flavanoids and a recently identified compound called kukoamine that appears to help lower blood pressure.” — From: http://home.howstuffworks.com/potatoes3.htm

Darlene found a GREAT recipe that uses both Potatoes and Swiss Chard:

Italian Potato Salad with Swiss Chard

4 Large Potatoes
1 Small Bunch Swiss Chard
1/2 cup roughly chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/3 cup light olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon coarse salt

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil
2. Cut potatoes (skin on) into chunks. Add to boiling water and cook until tender, but still firm. Drain well.
3. Tear Swiss Chard (including stems) into large pieces. Place in boiling water 3 to 4 minutes. Drain well.
4. Combine potatoes, Swiss Chard and onion in a large bowl.
5. Combine garlic, vinegar, oil and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Whisk well. Pour over potato mixture and gently toss. Add salt and toss again. Refrigerate until chilled. Serve.

Recipe by Patricia Conte

Stay tuned for information on Herbs and Onions…

TS Designs is a wholesale custom t-shirt printing operation that operates on a sustainable triple bottom line.  We pride ourselves in offering a variety of environmentally friendly, socially responsible apparel options, including our flagship line Cotton of the Carolinas – a product made entirely, dirt-to-shirt, in North Carolina.

Who We’re Looking For

We’re looking for an experienced, flexible individual to work 15-25 hours per week maintaining our accounting department.  A qualified candidate should:

• Be a good self-manager – you will have a good deal of freedom to make your own schedule as long as work is completed on time.

• Be extremely organized.

• Know the ins and outs of basic bookkeeping – balancing accounts, recording and processing payments and receipts, filing, GL adjustments, etc.  We’ll train you on how these basic concepts are handled in our particular system, but basic understanding of the concepts is a must.

• Have working knowledge of general accounting software – experience with Quickbooks is preferred.

We will give preference to candidates with additional skills in Microsoft Excel who demonstrate an ability to perform more complex financial analysis.

Job Activities

The job activities will include:

• totalling employee hours and reporting to our payroll processor

• reconciling bills and purchase orders

• entering, filing, and paying bills (as directed by owners)

• creating and filing invoices and processing receipts

• generating reports out of our accounting software

• entering month-end GL adjustments and generating month-end financials

• balancing cash accounts

• some HR duties like processing new hires and working with our insurance providers when necessary

• occasionally assisting customers with invoice questions

More About Hours and Compensation

You will be paid hourly, and should expect to work between 15-25 hours per week.  If you show aptitude for more complex tasks like in-depth data or financial analysis beyond the basic reports from the accounting system, those hours may expand.

Why You Should Work Here

So why should you want to work for TS Designs?  We offer a variety of benefits, including:

• 401k retirement account

• Paid time off

• An organic garden and chickens that produce fresh produce and eggs for employees

• A relaxed dress code and friendly atmosphere

• All the t-shirts you can wear!

If you feel you meet these qualifications, and the culture suits you, please submit a resume and cover letter to employment@tsdesigns.com.

There’s a pile of freshly harvested greens in the break room. Make sure that you take a minute to grab some before you leave today!

GREENS NEAR THE EGGS

As promised, Erin and I tried to clean up a little bit so that there would be some more space near the eggs to place harvested goods. I hope this is working out alright.

FRIDGE SPACE

We were going to make space in the fridge so that we can chill harvested items to keep them from spoiling too quickly. And we realized as we started that it may be best to clean out the fridge in general. So we need your help on this one…

If you have stuff in the fridge that’s ages old – toss it. If you have stuff in the fridge that you want to keep and use, could you please label it? Or if you’ve been meaning to take it home, could you make sure to do that this week?

When we get to cleaning it properly, It’s safe to assume that lunch boxes are going to be left alone…but that jar of stuff that has tri-colored mold. Yep. We’ll probably toss that!

HERBS

I mentioned the square garden areas last week, and Tom mentioned that he’s using one to house some of the volunteer plants he found in the garden this season.

We were thinking about using some of the square garden plants for herbs. Basil is a definite addition to the list. And Erin mentioned mint.

But I was wondering, do you have any favorite herbs that you’d like to see planted in the garden?

Let me know!

Where: TS Designs – 2053 Willow Spring Lane, Burlington

More information about TEVA: The Triad Electric Vehicle Association is a non-profit educational organization for the promotion of clean, quiet Electric Vehicles (EVs) for transportation. We are a chapter of the Electric Auto Association.

Today’s expanding club encourages EV construction and conversions. We promote clean, quiet, economical electric transportation through public exhibition and education.

As a group we are dedicated to promoting the use of electric vehicles as a viable transportation alternative that is ecological, economical, practical, and available now.

Join us at this Saturday’s meeting at TS Designs!

Greens, greens and more greens.
Broccoli, lettuce and more Swiss Chard.

GRAB YOUR GREENS TO GO

There’s a lot to harvest right now – and this morning we’ve been thinking about the easiest way to make sure that you can enjoy the garden goods.

Erin and I will be cleaning up the area around the egg table and also cleaning out some space in the fridge to make room for harvested items. That way there’s a designated sharing area for things people pick. (This sounds like what you guys have done in the past.)

And that way, you can just grab some items on your way home. Easy-peasy.

ADOPT A SQUARE

Are you curious about organic gardening and want to try some things out on your own? Why not sign up for one of the square beds?

That’s right! You can Adopt-a-Square and try your hand at planting some of your favorite fruits/veggies! Email me for more information!

EGG and GARDEN MEETING

Things have been so busy that we haven’t really connected as a group regarding updates and new-season details when it comes to the chickens and the garden. Sometimes, emails and updates on white boards just aren’t enough.

So we’re going to find a time very soon to connect and think about ways we can provide a stronger, more consistent effort for our collective Company sponsored sustainable initiatives. Be on the lookout for an email from Eric about a meeting time.

Ah…what are we going to do with all the greens available?!

Last week, I posted some ideas highlighting sautéed Swiss Chard. This week…let’s look at keeping it raw.

UM….RAW?!

It’s actually really (REALLY) healthy to eat more raw foods. Why?

• Heating food over 118 degrees Fahrenheit destroys much of the nutrients in your food.
• Cooking food destroys much of the natural enzymes (your body can also create enzymes, but can only do so much) in your food that are needed to break down nutrients
• Eating raw gives you an amazing boost in energy
• Less packaging, which means less clean up (also less trash)
• More regularity…um, you know what I mean, your body just works better

Learn more at Zen Habits

JUICING YOUR GREENS

Darlene mentioned that she’s got a juicer and has been coming up with some really great juices using the greens that come from the TS Designs garden.

Do you have a juicer at home? Maybe you have one tucked away in a closet collecting dust (like my parents)…

Try this recipe for a Mean Green Juice and thank Darlene for sharing it!

In a juicing machine juice…

2 Granny Smith Apples
A small knuckle of ginger
1 large orange
10 large leaves of swiss chard
12 large leaves of spinach
1 large cucumber
2 medium tomatoes
2 handfuls of fresh green beans
1 red bell pepper

– Makes about 4, 16 oz. glasses of juice

GOT A BLENDER?

There may be a few more of us that have blenders (than juicers) in the house – and since it’s getting a little warmer, it’s a perfect time to make smoothies. Whether you’re just tossing in some fruit chunks with juice for a snack or really hard core about meal-replacement smoothies packed with protein powder, you can use greens to change up your normal smoothie routine.

Here’s what I did last week:

1 Banana – medium to large
Sliced Peaches – about 1/3 of a can
1 cup Juice – any kind will do, but just so you know, I used Orange
1/2 cup Yogurt – I used Greek Yogurt because it’s a little thicker
*Handful of Greens – some Spinach or a couple leaves of Kale

The smoothie will come out bright green…there’s no helping that; but it tastes sweet and delicious because there’s enough fruit to hide “green” taste.

DO YOU HAVE A RECIPE?

I’d love it if you wanted to pass it along so that I can share it with the rest of the group. I’ve got two really great ones that I’m already planning to share next week. Send me more!!

True Black is now available! Order today!

We’re so happy to announce that True Black is now available!

Wait. What does that mean?

It means that until now, we’ve only offered Soft Black as a color option for our t-shirt orders.

Why was that?

Because our printing technology was still being tweaked. We love our REHANCE printing method. It means that we’re able to print colors on dark t-shirt colors without using harsh chemicals. It’s a feat that most printers can’t pull off and still claim to be earth-friendly.

So, what’s difference?

Here’s the deal: we’re never satisfied with the status quo. We love moving forward and out doing ourselves. We love making our process better, faster and more efficient. And we recently tweaked our formula so that we can include True Black (a really, really dark color) in our list of available t-shirt colors.

Why the big announcement?

People love our Soft Black and it has been a really popular option, but we can’t tell you how many customers ask if we offer a True Black. Now we do.

What does it look like?

Well, just take a look for yourself. We’ve got a recent order for Weaver Street Market pictured as an example. The top print is on True Black. The bottom print is on Navy.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to let us know! You can Request a Quote through our options page or you can email us directly!

We’ve got a ton of greens coming out of the garden at the moment!
Isn’t nice to have such healthy goodness right outside the building?!

But, um, if you’re like me…I don’t actually buy Swiss Chard at the store – so I have no idea what to do with it, even if it is at my fingertips.

Thank goodness for online recipes!

MAKE YUMMY-GOODNESS with SWISS CHARD

Simple recipe. This one is quick and easy.

Like cheese? Check this one out! Get your cheesy-fix!

Are you a fan of hot n’ spicy stuff? This one is for you!

CHANGE UP YOUR SALAD

There’s only so much salad you can eat…well – there’s only so much salad I can eat. I have to admit, it gets tiring after a while. But this recipe sounded really good and we have plenty of red lettuce coming in!

WE HAVE 3 DIFFERENT KINDS OF KALE

Erin told me about a great recipe for Kale and it’s super simple! Add some oil to a pan and add some coriander seeds. Cook the seeds until they start to pop…

(The heat should be medium to medium-high. You don’t want all-out high, because you may burn the seeds and then it won’t be so tasty anymore.)

When the seeds are popping, add a bunch of kale (that you’ve already prepped: washed, dried, chopped to your liking), and put the lid on the pan and turn off the heat. In about 3 mins, give the kale a stir and you’re going to be ready to add it to your plate – and ultimately, your belly!

SEE SOMETHING ODD?

If something is off in the garden, let me know.

• Is it looking a little dry?
• Do we need to spend a little extra time harvesting? Or pulling weeds?
• Does it look like some critter is getting in and feasting on our goodies?

You may be out in the garden for just a few mins to pick some greens for dinner, but if you see something that might take a little extra time to handle…just let me know so that we can nip it in the bud…(no pun intended, or maybe it was).

Our next Open House is scheduled for Friday, May 10th. As always, it will be from 2pm to 5pm. Wear comfortable shoes that are appropriate for the outdoors.

Not only will you be walking around our Production Area (where we print the t-shirts), but we’re also going to take you out to the garden.

**Remember that it’s still a little soggy from all the recent rain. So, good sturdy shoes that aren’t afraid of a little mud are the best bet for footwear. **

And don’t forget to bring $5 in case you want to grab a tee from our Extras Bins.

Email jen@tsdesigns.com to confirm your attendance.

We can’t wait to see you!

Comments on online articles are often a lively place. It’s a great place for continued discussion and debates to develop, or…as in the case with this article written by Kim Bhason: name calling, mud slinging and much-to-much use of symbols like !!!! and $$$$. Kidding aside, it’s really interesting to see such a wide range of feedback from readers.

These are just two comments that were grabbed early after the article was posted. At the time of this blog post, there were 490+ comments. Just taking a few minutes to read through them gives us the confirmation that there’s still a lot of education that needs to happen, so that consumers can understand the real cost of apparel and how important it is to support sustainable initiatives within the industry.

And that’s what we’ll keep doing, because we feel that it is an important message.