2022 CSA Season Week Nine

August 2, 2022

Welcome to August! We’re so excited to be moving the season along and getting you as many delicious veggies as we can! We hope you’re all finding fun ways to stay cool in this heat, and we’re excited to tag along with you on your food journey this year.

Special Announcements:

The last couple weeks, we’ve sent a lot of extra flats and filled the boxes as full as we could. Unfortunately, we’ve still had reports of veggies going missing from boxes and pints missing from flats. Please, please, please, only take the veggies from your own box! So much of this CSA program is based on the honor system. We’re hoping that everybody will do their best to respect each others’ shares and only take veggies from their own box. Thank you so much for your help and understanding on this important matter.

If you’re unable to pickup your box, please let us know at least 7 days in advance so we can make the changes to your account! You can fill out a vacation request to either take a credit toward next season’s share, or give your box to Food for Lane County as a tax-deductible donation. If you aren’t able to pickup your box during the pickup window the day of, you can let your site host know to see if they can make arrangements for a little bit later pickup, but please make sure to contact them before arriving outside of the allotted time. All our wonderful site hosts are volunteers and have graciously donated their time, porches, and driveways to make deliveries that much more convenient. We so appreciate your cooperation with this!

For those at the SW Alice location, don’t forget the pickup location has changed to next door! Your new site host’s name is Nikki. The updated info will be sent out for your records.

August Payment Reminder

Don’t forget about August payment deadlines! If you’re on the monthly payment program, this month’s payment was due the first of the month. If you sent in post-dated checks, those have been processed and should clear this week. If you’re paying online, I’ll keep an eye out for those payments! For those paying in two installments, the deadline for the full balance is August 15th.

If you have any changes or issues with your August payments, please let me know! We’re open to working with you to make sure this process goes smooth for all of us, and we can’t tell you how much we appreciate you joining us this year!

Come See Us at the Farmers’ Markets!

Getting a weekly box is great, but sometimes we need a little extra for our table! Come see us at our farmers’ markets and get 10% off your purchase as a CSA member! Just let us know at the register and we’ll apply your member discount to your veggie purchase. You can find us in Eugene on Wednesdays at the Eugene Farm Stand on 18th and Polk from 2pm to 6pm or on Saturdays at the Lane County Farmers’ Market. You can also find us in Portland on Sundays at the King Market. We would love to see you!

Meet Your Farmers: Introducing, Nathan!

We have so many wonderful people working on the farm this year, and it’s my pleasure to introduce you to Nathan! Nathan has been with the farm for two seasons, and his favorite Winter Green crop to harvest is cabbage. When he’s not spending time working on the farm, he loves spending his summer days at the beach reading books like The Old Man and the Sea. We’re so glad to get to work with Nathan and he’s excited to be part of the Winter Green Farm family!

What’s in Your Box this Week:

  • Lettuce
  • Beets
  • Onions
  • Broccoli
  • Blueberries
  • Zucchini
  • Cucumber

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

Handy Tips:

  • Cucumber: Cucumbers are best when eaten fresh, but they will keep for up to a week in a drawer of your refrigerator. Cut or peeled cucumbers will stay fresh for only a few days. Wash your cucumbers well before using. Peeling is optional for organic cucumbers. Try peeling the skins in alternating strips for a decorative effect. You can cut them into spears and serve them with dip, put the slices on sandwiches, or marinate the slices for cold cucumber salad.

What We’re Making This Week:

  • Nothing says summer like a delicious, fresh salad, and this Bacon-Tomato Salad looks fantastic!
  • I’m a huge fan of any kind of tasty dip for crackers or veggies when I want a snack. This Beet Tahini Sauce recipe might just hit the spot!
  • I don’t include fried food on this blog too much, but I couldn’t resist showing you this Fried Zucchini!
  • Nothing says fancy like Cucumber Sandwiches, but they may also entice the kiddos to eat healthy as well!

What Are You Making?

This delicious Ensalada Caprese recipe was sent to me by one of our members, and now I want to make some. What a refreshing snack!

sliced heirloom tomato

fresh sliced mozzarella

fresh sweet basil 

fresh green onion

Italian olive oil & balsamic vinegar 

seasoned with salt and pepper

What are you making? Send us a picture or tag us on social media, and you might see it on the blog! You can find us on Instagram (@wintergreenfarm) or on Facebook (Winter Green Farm). We would love to see what you’re up to in the kitchen!

We can’t tell you how excited we are to have you with us this season, especially because the veggies are loving this heat! We hope you’re enjoying this summer as much as we are, and we’re so grateful to tag along on your food journey this year.

Many blessings,

Chelsea and your Winter Green farmers