2022 CSA Season Week Fifteen

September 13, 2022

We’ve made it to Week Fifteen of the 2022 CSA Season! We are so excited to be able to share the bounty of the farm with you this year. We hope everyone’s been staying safe with the fires and the smoke this past week. Our thoughts go out to any effected by this year’s fire season.

We’re filling up your box this week!

This has been a bit of a strange season, weather wise. The late spring and colder days put us a few weeks behind with the harvest. Add regular issues from animals and heat, and there have been some veggies we haven’t been able to get to you the same time we did last year, and because of that, there have been a few lighter boxes this season. But that’s all changing! Those crops we planted later than normal are now popping up to say “hello,” and we’re loving how much we get to put in your box this week!

Please remember that the estimate emails we send out on Mondays and Thursdays are an estimate of what we think will be in your box for that week’s delivery. I check in with the harvest crew in the morning to make sure I get you the info as soon as I can. However, sometimes the plan has to change throughout the day. For example, last Thursday, we thought we would have green beans for the Friday boxes. Unfortunately, the green bean crop didn’t agree, and they just weren’t quite ready for Friday, so they didn’t make it into those boxes. Thank you so much for your understanding and patience as we estimate your crops each week!

Let us know if you’re going on vacation!

We’re coming up on the end of the Standard Season, but that doesn’t mean people aren’t going on trips! If you have any days you won’t be available to pick up your share or when you need to change your delivery site, please let me know at least seven days in advance so we can make the changes! Fill out a vacation request and let us know if you would like a credit for that week’s share or if you would like to give your share to Food for Lane County as a tax-deductible donation! When you do pick up your box, don’t forget to check your name off the list so we know you got your share!

We have so many tomatoes!

We have tomatoes by the box! Winter Green Farm has an abundance of tomatoes, so we wanted to provide our CSA members with 20-pound bulk boxes of tomatoes this year! The varieties will both be slicer tomatoes (Big Beef and Early Girls). We will have a limited number of boxes available on select dates, so order fast! Tomatoes are sold on a first-come, first-serve basis and delivered to your regular CSA site on your regular day. There is a limit of 10 flats per packing day, so if there aren’t any available when you go to order, keep trying! I’ll open them back up for the following week as soon as the orders are processed. Confirmation emails will be sent from me directly letting you know what date you can expect your tomato flat.

Just to clarify: If you’re in Portland or pick up at one of our markets, you can still get tomatoes! Tuesdays and Fridays are the days we pack the boxes for delivery, so if you’re a Wednesday delivery normally, choose Tuesday, and if you’re a weekend market delivery, choose Friday. You will still pick up on your regular day.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call the farm at 541-935-1920 or email us at [email protected].

The Extended Season is right around the corner!

For those of you on the Extended Season program (either 24 weeks or 12 weeks), keep an eye on your emails in the next week or so. The Standard Season ends the week of October 11, and the following week, the Extended Season begins! All Portland shares will shift to Sundays at the King Market, and Eugene shares will shift to a Friday residential site or Saturdays at the Lane County Farmers’ Market. I will be sending out emails with updated delivery schedules and pickup info, and at that time, we’ll touch base about where you would like to pickup your share for the last five weeks of the Extended Season. We hope you’re as excited as we are for the rest of the season!

For everybody, we’re sending out account statements for some of our members that are overdue, and October statements for monthly payment plans will go out this week as well. If you have an issue with making a payment that we should know about, shoot me an email! We want to make this season as enjoyable as possible for everyone, and we do still have some Financial Assistance available for those in need. We’re also happy to set you up on a payment plan if you need it. You can reach me by email at [email protected] or by phone at 541-935-1920 during business hours.

Are you interested in joining us for the 2023 CSA Season?

With the Standard Season coming to a close and the Extended Season just a quick few weeks after, we’re already looking ahead to the 2023 CSA Season! If you’re interested in reserving a share let us know and I’ll get you on a list! We love to give our members first shot at the program to make sure we keep getting you the yummy veggies you crave, so don’t miss out! We’re so excited to have you with us again next year.

At this time, I’m making a list, so an email is just fine to reserve your share. Please make sure you let me know of any changes that need to be made, such as share type or delivery site, otherwise I’ll mark you down for the same share you have this year. Our share reservations are first-come, first-serve, and the Extended Season fills up fast, so let me know if you’re interested!

We’re having a Harvest Festival!

Mark us down on your calendars, folks, because we’re having a Harvest Festival this year! Come see us out here at the farm on October 22nd for a potluck, hayride tours, a scavenger hunt for the kiddos, and more! We can’t wait to bring in the Autumn season with you and see you all in person! It’s also a great time to bring your favorite dish and find so much good food, you won’t even know what to do with it! We’ll get you more information as the date gets closer, so keep an eye out for information in your email!

What’s in your box this week:

  • Broccoli
  • Corn
  • Onion
  • Carrots
  • Sweet Peppers
  • Tomatoes
  • Cherry Tomatoes
  • Lettuce

Some sites only:

  • Cauliflower

We aren’t always able to harvest our veggies in equal share, but don’t worry! We’re keeping excellent notes. If we don’t get you something this week, we’ll do our best to get it to you the next time it comes available.

We apologize for teasing with green beans on the estimate again. We thought there would be time to harvest them on Monday, but after a 10-hour work day, there just wasn’t. Thank you for your understanding and support as our harvest crew works hard to get you as much fresh food as we can!

Handy Tips:

  • Cauliflower: Cauliflower is best eaten soon after it’s harvested, but it will keep for one to two weeks in the refrigerator if you wrap it loosely in plastic. Remove the outer leaves, rinse, and trim off any blemishes or brown spots. To cook florets, steam for 15 to 20 minutes. Overcooking will result in a strong odor and flavor. Stir-fry the florets with other veggies, add to Indian or Asian curries, top steamed heads with lemon and butter or parmesan cheese, or serve raw with dip.

What we’re making this week:

  • There is nothing like cheese and broccoli, and this delicious Broccoli Gratin hits the mark!

Fall is almost here and the energy at the farm is buzzing as the days begin to cool. We are so grateful you’ve allowed us to tag along on your food journey this season! We hope you’re all enjoying this time of year as much as we are.

Many blessings,

Chelsea and your Winter Green farmers