2023 CSA Season Week Twenty-Two

November 3, 2023

Whoah, we’re halfway there! (Sorry, I couldn’t resist. Bon Jovi is my guilty pleasure.) We’ve reached the third week of the Extended Season, and with only two more left, we’re almost done with this year’s CSA Season! It’s been a pleasure to tag along on this food journey with you all, and we’re looking forward to yet another week of delicious veggies!

A Few Quick Reminders for these last few weeks…

You’re all pros, so you probably don’t need these tips, but just in case!

  • Please remember that the farm office is not usually open during the pickup times, so if you aren’t able to make your pickup window or can’t find the site, give your site host a call. This is where the emails I sent come in handy, because we don’t post the site host names or phone numbers online. However, I’ve updated the delivery site info and added the delivery schedules to the website, so the locations and pickup times will be available online if you need them. If you don’t have the email attachment that includes the phone numbers, please reach out and let me know so I can resend them to you next week when we open on Monday.
  • All of our residential sites are hosted by volunteers who have graciously donated their time and property for our deliveries. Please do your best to respect them and their homes by keeping the area tidy and neatly stacking your boxes so they are easy for both the site hosts and our delivery drivers to handle. The boxes sit until the next week, so leaving a mess can cause a bunch of extra work. (So far, we haven’t been told this is an issue, so keep up the good work!)
  • Please make sure to check your name off the list so we know you got your share! We only pack enough each week for the names on the list, so if your name isn’t there (even if you think it should be) please do not take a box. Reach out to the farm at [email protected] or 541-935-1920 and let us know there was an issue, and I’ll get back to you the next business day.
  • When picking up your share, please transfer your veggies into your own box or bag, and leave the totes to be picked up by our drivers. The shares get pretty heavy during the Extended Season, so make sure your box or bag is sturdy and large! If you have extra bags at home you’d like to donate, please feel free to bring them to your site. There should be a box at the site where you can put them out of the rain. If you have any bins that made it home, please return them to your pickup site. We appreciate you!
  • If you’re going on vacation, let us know! We’re still pulling the lists and planning the harvests well in advance, so if you aren’t able to pick up your share or need to change the location, please notify us at least 7 days in advance! Pickups this season are Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and I will be pulling lists Monday morning, so any requests received after that previous Sunday will not be processed. Please let me know as soon as possible!
  • All of our residential sites have a hard deadline at 7pm. After that, the share is donated to the site host. If you can’t make the pickup window, give your site host a call! A lot of times, they’re willing to work with you. Please note that we will not be able to make up or issue a credit for missed or forgotten boxes. Residential deliveries do not come back to the farm, and if you pick up at a market and weren’t able to get your share, please notify me no later than Wednesday if you’d like your box to be sent to you the following weekend. Anything after that Wednesday will not be processed.
  • For pickups here at the farm, the shares will remain in the cooler through Monday. If you aren’t able to pick them up and would like them held longer, please let us know! We donate remaining shares to Food for Lane County Tuesday mornings, so please notify us by end of day Monday.

Now’s the time 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 will be sending out your 2024 invoices next week! 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!

Come see us at the farmers’ markets, even through the holiday season!

Yes, we’re no longer at the Eugene Farm Stand, but we’re still at the farmers’ markets for your extra weekly veggie needs! If you’re in Portland, you can find us at the King Market on Sundays through the Extended Season, and if you’re in Eugene, we’ll be at the Lane County Farmers’ Market on Saturdays until close to Christmas! We would love to see all of your smiling faces on the weekends, so if you’re in the area, feel free to stop by and say hello!

Do you still have a balance on your account?

Just a friendly reminder for those that may still have a balance on your account that the deadline for payment or contacting the farm has passed, and if you haven’t already touched base with us, all payments are due as soon as possible. We’ve had some truly generous donors this year, so we do have financial assistance available, and would love to help any family in need.

You can access your invoice by logging into your account on our website and going to your orders. If you have questions about the amount or payments, please reach out at [email protected] or 541-935-1920.

Remember, we’re no longer set up to take payment over the phone, but you’re more than willing to pay online by card or you can pop a check in the mail to avoid that 3% transaction fee. You can send checks to:

Winter Green Farm

89762 Poodle Creek Road

Noti, Oregon 97461

What’s in your box this week:

  • Kale
  • Leeks
  • Celeriac
  • Carrots
  • Parsnips
  • Acorn squash
  • Lettuce

Some sites only:

  • Radishes

We aren’t always able to harvest our veggies in equal share, but I promise, we’re doing our best! This week, we’re getting radishes to the sites that didn’t get them last time. We didn’t forget about you!

Handy Tips:

  • Carrots: Cut or twist carrot tops off before storing in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. They will keep for several weeks. Clean the carrots well before eating by scrubbing with a vegetable brush under running water. Do not peel unless the carrots are damaged, as much of the nutrients are very close to the skin. Eat carrots raw in sticks, rounds, julienned, or grated. You can also add slices or chunks to soups, stews, or casseroles. Carrots are also delicious lightly steamed or sautéed, and garnished with butter or olive oil and fresh herbs. Try them grated with oil, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper.
  • Celeriac: Celeriac will store for up to a month in your refrigerator in a plastic bag. When ready to use, slice off the green stalks at the root crown. Then soak the root in warm water to loosen the earth between the roots and scrub well with a brush. Peel the skin off the roots before preparing (top and peeled portions are a tasty addition to soup stocks). Try celeriac raw, grated into salads, or in any recipe that calls for celery. Celeriac can also be boiled or steamed. Peel, slice, and boil celeriac for 5 to 10 minutes or boil whole for 20 to 30 minutes. Mash and top with butter. It tastes incredible with potatoes!
  • Parsnips: Parsnips with store well for several weeks, unwashed in a plastic bag in your refrigerator. When ready to use, scrub under running water (no need to peel). Parsnips have a naturally sweet flavor that is brought out by roasting. Parsnips taste wonderful in curries with ginger or try them in soups and stew with squash. Try adding sage, leeks, onions, or greens to accent the sugars. Grate raw into salads or mix with potatoes for pancakes or hash browns. For a delicious snack, try parsnips cut into sticks and then fried like French Fries in olive oil until golden. Add a pinch of salt or soy sauce for flavor. Or, you can bake the sticks at 350 degrees on a cookie sheet until tender-firm. Parsnips are delicious cut into chunks and baked with other root vegetables, or basted around a roast. Boil or steam, then top with butter or mash like potatoes.

What we’re making this week:

  • Want to do something a little different? Try this French Leek Pie this holiday season!
  • Looking to cut out the carbs before the holidays? This Celeriac Carbonara is a great substitute for noodles!
  • Do you ever want to shake things up in the morning, or do a healthier version of breakfast for dinner? These Carrot Cake Pancakes may be just the thing!
  • This Fall Harvest Salad is a bit of an “everything but the kitchen sink” recipe, but the great thing about salads is you can modify them any way you want!

We hope you all had a wonderful holiday, and celebrated with fun and good food! We’re wishing you yet another wonderful week, and we appreciate you allowing us to be part of it!

Many blessings,

Chelsea and your Winter Green farmers