2023 CSA Season Week Twenty-Four

November 17, 2023

Can you believe we’ve made it to the last week of the season? This year has gone by in a blur, but we hope you’ve all enjoyed it as much as we have! It’s been a pleasure working with all of you this season, and we hope to provide you all with veggies for many more years to come!

A Huge “Thank You” to Our Wonderful Site Hosts!

Throughout the season, we have multiple sites for pickup for your convenience, and the majority of these are at residential sites. This would not be possible without all the wonderful people who volunteered their time, their properties, and their driveways. They’ve helped keep things going, keep things tidy, and we could not have pulled this season off without them! Thank you so much to all our site hosts who came back this season and offered their homes, and thank you so much to all the new site hosts that stepped up when others had to move on. It’s been a pleasure to work with all of you this year!

A Note for our site hosts:

We’ve truly appreciated all your hard work this year, but we do understand it’s a volunteer position, and sometimes life takes you in a different direction. If you are unable to continue as a site host next year, please reach out and let us know as soon as possible, so we can find another volunteer. We are so grateful for all of you!

And a giant “Thank You” to our crew!

We are incredibly blessed here at the farm to have such an amazing crew, full of fun, laughter, and a lot of hard work! They’ve worked tirelessly this season to make sure we got you as many veggies as we possibly could, and they were always out there, rain or shine. So thank you to our harvest crew, our delivery drivers, our market vendors, and of course, our fearless leaders, Chris and Shannon! And thank you to all of our members for another successful CSA season.

Would you like to join us for the 2024 CSA Season?

We’re already looking ahead to the 2024 CSA Season! If you’d like to join us, this section is for you! It’s the truth of the economy that prices will probably go up a little next season to cover rising costs of inflation (trust me, we don’t like it any more than you do), and while we haven’t settled on what those prices will be, we’d like to give you all a chance to join us next season for this season’s prices!

Until December 31, 2023, we’re offering a chance to get in for just a little less. You can put down a $100.00 deposit to lock in that price, and then I’ll set up your invoice like I did this year to incorporate any discounts or credits. (Please remember that if you create the full order yourself, I cannot edit the payment amount. Please, please, please do not create a full order for 2024. Just complete the reservation order.)

This offer is good for anyone who is interested in a CSA next season, whether you’re a current member or not, so tell your friends! Now is the time to sign up for 2024. After January 1st, this offer will no longer be valid.

For those that have let me know previously they’d like to be on the list, I’ve sent you an invoice already for that deposit. You’re under no obligation to pay it now, but if you’d like to lock in the 2023 price, you’ll want to jump on that opportunity before the end of the year. Even if your name is on the list, without the deposit, the price will go up come January.

For those that have already paid the deposit, I have sent out your 2024 invoice! You’re welcome to pay on them now, or into next year. The deadline for payment is still May 15, 2024, so no rush! We’re happy to accept checks, credit card payments online, or even post-dated checks that will hang out in our safe until the date on the check.

If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

A Few End-of-Season Notes:

This has been a wonderful CSA season, and we’re so grateful we got to tag along on your food journey this year. We appreciate how cooperative and understanding you’ve all been when we’ve had technical difficulties, and how respectful you’ve been to each other. Since it is the last delivery, I just wanted to touch on a couple things:

  • Be sure to thank your site host for all they do! Even if you pick up at market, your hosts would love to hear from you as the season ends.
  • If you have any bins, please make sure to return them to your site! We will do a sweep early next week to pick up any stray bins that show up after delivery, but the sooner we can grab them to make sure we have them for next season, the better. Thank you!
  • Keep an eye on your email for any information you may need in the off season, and notes on the 2024 CSA Season! We’ll continue the blog throughout the off season, and we’d love to keep in touch.
  • Follow us on social media to keep up with what’s happening at the farm! You can find us on Facebook and Instagram @wintergreenfarm. Share what you’re doing with Winter Green veggies this year!
  • Sign up for the 2024 CSA Season! Until December 31, you can get in next year for this year’s prices for just $100.00 down, so pop on over to our website and place your order. Tell your friends! This offer is for any and all who would like to join us next year.

This is our last week at the King Market in Portland!

Thank you to everyone in Portland who comes out to see us or picks up your shares at the King Market in Portland! It’s been a delightful season, and we’re always so grateful for your support. This is the last weekend we will be at the King Market, so be sure to stop on by and fill up your pantries for the holiday season! We would love to see you.

We will still be at the Lane County Farmers Market in Eugene right up until Christmas, though we are taking the weekend after Thanksgiving off to spend time with our families for the holidays. If you’re around in December, stop on by and say hi to ouur crew!

We’ll have pears again for the last delivery of the year!

We’ve partnered with the wonderful people at Mt. Hood Organic Farms to provide you with pears for your final delivery! Mt. Hood Organic Farms is located at the base of Mt. Hood in the Upper Hood River Valley. They’ve been around since the turn of the century, and their gorgeous grounds are perfect for both growing fruit and hosting beautiful wedding venues. Their pear and apple orchards boast near one hundred different varieties, and we’re so thrilled we get to offer you a taste of their magnificent, organic, biodynamic produce. If you’d like to know more, visit their website to learn more about their awesome operation!

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and holiday season!

No matter how you celebrate, we hope you’ll all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and holiday season, filled with good food, great people, and even better memories. You’re all part of the Winter Green family, and we wish all of you the very best this holiday season!

What’s in your box this week:

  • Collard Greens
  • Brussel Sprouts
  • Celeriac
  • Carrots
  • Onions
  • Butternut Squash
  • Delicata Squash
  • Potatoes
  • Pears
  • Lettuce
  • Parsley

We do our very best to get enough veggies for everyone, especially for our last week, and we hope you all enjoy this bountiful box!

Handy Tips:

  • Brussel Sprouts: Brussel Sprouts keep longest if they are left attached to the stalk, but if you are short on refrigerator space, snap off the sprouts and store them unwashed in a closed plastic bag in the veggie bin. Even when they are left on the stalk, they should be wrapped in plastic to prevent wilting. Their flavor is sweetest right after harvest, so try to use them within a few days. When cooking, snap Brussel Sprouts off the stalk and remove any loose or discolored leaves. Trim the base of each sprout and cut a shallow X in the stem end to speed cooking. Rinse the sprouts in cool water. The key to using Brussel Sprouts is cooking them enough, but not too much. As with full-sized cabbage, over-cooking Brussel Sprouts evokes an unpleasant, sulfurous smell that makes people run for cover. Ideally, sprouts should be tender enough to yield when pierced with a fork, but not so soft that the fork sinks right in.
  • Parsley: Wrap your parsley in a damp towel or place upright in a container with an inch of water and refrigerate for short-term storage. For longer storage, parsley can be dried. Check your favorite cookbook for dehydrating info. Parsley can be tossed into salads with other greens, or chopped into any chilled pasta or vegetable salad. It is excellent in soups, stews, and stir-fries, only remember to add it toward the end or after cooking is completed to retain color, flavor, and nutrition.

What We’re Making This Week:

Because we’re so close to the holidays, this week’s recipes will have a Thanksgiving theme. Maybe you’ll find some hidden gems for your celebration!

  • Looking for a pie that isn’t pumpkin this season? Why not give this Spiced Carrot Pie a go?
  • Mashed Potatoes and Stuffing are two classic Thanksgiving dishes, but have you ever tried combining the two like this Cheesy Bacon Ranch Potato Stuffing? It looks delicious!
  • Salad is a timeless Thanksgiving side, and this Thanksgiving Salad combines all those autumn tastes into one fantastic dish!

What are you making?

One of our members made this Parsnip Cake this season, and it turned out great! What are you making? Send us pictures or your favorite dishes and holiday meals throughout the off season, and you might see them on the blog or social media! You can follow us on Facebook (Winter Green Farm) or on Instagram (@wintergreenfarm), or send us an email at [email protected]. We would love to hear from you and see what you’re cooking up!

It has been an absolute pleasure to take this food journey with all of you this season, and we’re excited for many more years working with you at Winter Green Farm! Thank you all so much for being so kind and considerate all year long, and thank you for supporting the farm. We couldn’t do what we do without you!

Many blessings,

Chelsea and your Winter Green farmers