2023 CSA Season: Week One

June 6, 2023

Welcome to the 2023 CSA Season! We have officially kicked off the season, and everything’s coming up Winter Green. The sun is shining, the energy buzzing, and this week’s veggies look amazing! We hope you’re as excited for this season as we are!

A few things of note to remember for this season:

  • Please only take a box if your name is on the list! If you think it should be there and it’s not, email me at [email protected]. I will respond by the next business day and sort it out.

  • Please only touch YOUR veggies! Help us keep everyone safe from Covid and other illnesses by only touching your own box.

  • Check your name off the list, so we know you got your share! This helps us keep track of deliveries.

  • Please only take extras if YOUR NAME is on them! Extras, like strawberries or blueberries, are paid for in advance. Taking someone else’s purchase is stealing. Please don’t do this.

  • Please leave CSA bins at the delivery site! We do provide extra bags, but we ask that if you take one, you bring another to replace it at your next delivery, and leave the actual bins at the site.

  • Make sure you make the delivery window! We love to offer you shares at convenient locations, but our amazing site hosts are volunteers, and we only ask they make their property available to our members during the designated pickup window. Those times are listed on the website and your site info sheets. Please note that all residential pickup sites have a deadline of 7pm! If you can’t make that deadline, please call your site host the day of (the farm will not be available) to see if you can make arrangements. Shares left after that 7pm deadline become forfeit and go to the site hosts.

Are you going on vacation this season? Let me know!

We know the season is during the summer and we all like to go on vacation. We’re happy to accommodate you by either rescheduling your share, issuing a credit for the 2024 season, or donating your share to Food for Lane County. Please note: we are only able to make these changes with at least 7 days notice. If you’re unable to pick up your share the day of delivery, you will contact your site host to see if they are able to hold it for you. Your site hosts are under no obligation to hold your shares! The pickup deadline for residential deliveries is 7:00pm. After that delivery window passes, the leftover shares will become forfeit. Please make sure you contact your site host if you’re unable to pick up your share. Our office is usually closed or we’re out on the farm during those pickup windows, so we will not be able to help with missed pickups the day of delivery. 

        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! 

We do still have shares available!

Do you know someone interested in a CSA share? Are you still on the fence about joining us this year? Let us know! Send friends to our website (wintergreenfarm.com) and share our posts on social media! You can find us on Facebook (Winter Green Farm) or on Instagram (@wintergreenfarm). Our membership is a little low this year, and it’s amazing members like you who keep the CSA going, so any help and referrals is greatly appreciated!

Last year was hard for everyone. The weather was wet and cold well into June, so getting food in the ground on time was difficult, if not impossible for some veggies. Then, we had some more setbacks when the quality didn’t turn out the way we hoped. Weather, ground squirrels, bugs–all added to working short-staffed–last year was tough, and we know the quality of some of the veggies wasn’t up to our usual standards. While this is all part of being in the CSA and can be an unfortunate risk, we do understand the concern and frustration, and hope we can make it up to you and keep your loyalty with the farm. We’d miss you if you go!

But this year is looking so much better! The weather did play games a little bit, but we were able to seed a bunch of veggies in our greenhouse. Now it’s overflowing! It’s bright, it’s warm, and we’re working as hard as we can to get as many delicious veggies ready for the first delivery in a few weeks! Fingers crossed this year the quality will be back to our usual standards!

Are you interested in Winter Green Beef?

Our next beef offering will be on July 20th. We will have Organic mixed cuts shares, Non-organic mixed cuts shares, and Ground beef only shares available. 

If you prefer to wait until later in the season, we will have offerings from late September through early November. We offer Portland and Coast deliveries as well.

We’re excited to accept SNAP benefits for beef payment this year!

If you would like more info about our beef, please visit our website, email us at beef@wintergreenfarm, or call 541-833-0274.

We look forward to sharing our beef with you this season!

We’re back at the Eugene Farm Stand this week!

Missing Winter Green veggies during the week? Want to add a little extra to your box? Looking to just come say hi? Come check us out at the Eugene Farm Stand this week! We’re located at the Emmaus Church at 18th and Polk, and we’ll be there every Wednesday from 2pm to 6pm from this week to mid-October. Lindsay and I would love to see you!

What’s in your box this week:

  • Strawberries
  • Sugar Snap Peas
  • Radishes
  • Bok Choi
  • Lettuce
  • Kale

Some sites only:

  • Turnips

We do our best to get as many veggies to as many sites as we can, but sometimes we fall a little short. This time, the turnips weren’t quite there yet, so unfortunately, we won’t have enough for every. But don’t worry! We’re keeping excellent notes and we’ll make sure to get you next time!

Handy Tips:

  • Strawberries: Rinse strawberries just before eating to clean off any grit that may still be on the berries from the field. To freeze them, spread them out on a cookie sheet and place them in the freezer. Once frozen, store them in a Ziploc bag or plastic container until ready to use.
  • Snap Peas: Snap peas are best stored in a plastic bag in your fridge. You can eat them as they are, in a stir fry, or salad, or try a fun new recipe!
  • Radishes: Radishes may need a good scrubbing, even after our crew has washed them, but do not need to be peeled. Trim off any damaged areas. Store them in a damp towel or plastic bag in the refrigerator. Store green tops separately, wrapped in a damp towel. Use as soon as possible.
  • Bok Choi: Refrigerate unwashed bok choi in a plastic container or loosely wrapped in a plastic bag. Bok choi keeps for over a week, but is firmest and tastiest if used within a few days. Store bok choi stalks loosely inside a plastic bag in a drawer of your refrigerator. To prepare, slice stalks away from the base and wash, then separate the leaves (the green part) from the stalk (the white part), as they cook better separately. Slice and cook stalks as you would celery. Enjoy them raw, or add them first to stir-fries and soups.
  • Kale: Wash kale leaves well by dipping them in a sink of cool water several times to flush out soil and garden stowaways. Remove the stems from the leaves by folding leaf in half lengthwise, and stripping or slicing away the thick stems. Baby or tender young leaves may be cooked, stem and all. Steam mature kale leave approximately 4-5 minutes, depending on age, size, and amount in steamer. When it’s limp but still retains texture, it’s ready. Wrap kale in a damp towel or in a plastic bag to refrigerate, preferably in a hydrator drawer, for up to one week. For long-term storage, kale can be frozen. Wash, de-stem, and blanch leaves for two minutes. Rinse in cold water, drain, and pack into airtight containers, and freeze.
  • Turnips: Cut turnip greens from their roots and store separately. Keep dry, unwashed greens in a sealed plastic bag in your fridge. Thicker greens will keep up to two weeks. Tender ones should be eaten within a week. To store turnips, place them in a plastic bag, unwashed, in the crisper bin of your fridge. Due to high water content, turnips may deteriorate quickly, but most should keep for a week.

What we’re making:

  • I don’t know about you, but I wait all year for Winter Green strawberries. What better way to celebrate than with a tasty Strawberry Cobbler?
  • Sesame Ginger Snap Peas are the perfect addition to any Asian cuisine meal, or even just a fun side to add a little something to your meal!
  • Radishes are one of those veggies it’s hard to know what to do with, but if you’re a fan, give this tasty Radish Salad a try!
  • When I get lots of veggies, I love to make a stir fry–and this Bok Choi Stir Fry looks amazing!
  • I love getting fresh lettuce in my share each week, and I think the green butter lettuce is my favorite. I can’t wait to try this Butter Lettuce Salad!

This season has started with a gorgeous, green, leafy box! As the season keeps going, we’ll have so many more veggies for you and we’re so excited to share. We hope you enjoy this week and have fun in the sun this weekend! We look forward to a wonderful season ahead.

Many blessings,

Chelsea and your Winter Green farmers