2023 CSA Season Week Eight

July 25, 2023

Welcome to the last week of July! The summer will be over before you know it, so we hope you’re all out there soaking it up! We have another great box for you this week, and we can’t wait for you to enjoy it.

Special Announcements:

With August sneaking up on us, I’d like to take a moment to go over the changes during the two weeks that I’ll be in South Africa. Deliveries will, of course, continue as normal, but some of the normal procedures will be modified or put on hold all together.

  • All vacation requests for August 8 through September 4 are due no later than August 1st. I have to get all the lists prepared and ready for the harvest crew in advance, so any requests received after August 1st for that time frame will not be processed.
  • Estimate emails will not be going out from August 11th to August 27th. We will do our best to get the blog out on Tuesdays, but as the majority of it will be written before I leave, it will be a truncated version.
  • Emails and phone messages will be checked sporadically. If you have something time-sensitive (that does not pertain to holding a share, missing a box, or changing the schedule in any way), give the office a call and leave a voicemail. Chris and Shannon will be checking those while I’m gone, but since most of their time is spent out on the farm, they won’t be handling anything with the schedule, and may not be able to give you a call back that day. You can find the majority of the answers to questions about delivery sites or the CSA in general on our website. For anything else, send an email, and I will answer when I’m back in the country.

Let me know if you’re going on vacation!

We understand things come up and people have vacations, especially in summer, so we’re more than willing to accommodate your schedule if we can. If you’re going on vacation or unable to pickup, we can send the box to a different location, donate the share to Food for Lane County, or issue a credit toward next season’s share. Please make sure to let me know at least 7 days before your regularly scheduled share. (If you pick up on Tuesday, but you’re changing to Friday that week, please tell me no later than the previous TUESDAY.) We plan for harvest and pull the lists well in advance, so to keep things going smooth, we’re unable to process requests made after that 7-day deadline.

        I will be in South Africa the last half of August, so please get your vacation days for Weeks 10 through 13 (August 8 through September 4) to me by August 1st so I can get them entered. If vacation requests for that time frame are submitted after August 1st, they will unfortunately NOT be processed. Thank you for your time and consideration! 

Come see us at the markets!

We would love to see you all in person, and you can get more delicious veggies at the same time! If you’re in Eugene, you can find us at the Eugene Farm Stand, located at the Emmaus Church on Wednesdays, or the Lane County Farmers’ Market on Saturdays. If you’re in Portland, we’re at the King Market on Sundays. Let us know you’re a CSA member, and get 10% off your purchase!

Have you settled your account yet?

The mailings, complete with August balance dues, will finish going out this week, so keep an eye on your mailbox in the next week or two! The mailing will include the original Welcome letter you received via email, along with your share schedules and site info. If you haven’t settled your account yet, your statement will be included as well.

As always, you’re more than welcome to pay by check to avoid the transaction fee, or you login to your account on our website and pay your invoice by credit card. If you’re wanting to pay before you receive the statement in the mail, you can find your balance online. If you’ve already paid and your online account says “processing,” don’t worry, I got the payment. Online payments have to be updated manually, so sometimes I’m a little behind. If you receive a balance due, but you paid online or sent in a check, wait a few days to make sure it clears your bank account before checking with me. Sometimes, we cross paths in the mail.

What’s in your box this week:

  • Strawberries
  • Onions
  • Carrots
  • Cauliflower
  • Zucchini
  • Lettuce

While we don’t have raspberries or blueberries in your box this week, we’ve loaded the boxes with strawberries! We hope you all find delicious ways to bake them!

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:

  • On those hot days, ice cream sounds wonderful, but it’s a lot of sugar. BUT this Strawberry Nice Cream is a healthy alternative!
  • If you’re looking for a delicious casserole that still gets your veggies in, give this Loaded Cauliflower Bake a go!

With the cooler weather this week, it feels a little like the calm before the storm, and we’re hoping the veggies feel that as well! Sometimes, the cooler weather and a little rain is all they need to grow in abundance, and we can’t wait to share!

Many blessings,

Chelsea and your Winter Green farmers