2025 CSA Season Week Two

June 17, 2025

We’re cruising right along as the season gets underway! We are so excited to be able to provide you with as many delicious vegetables as we can this week, and the boxes look great! Thank you all so much for your support of the farm and letting us tag along on your food journey this year. We appreciate you!

Half Share – Group B members, this is your week!

Just a few quick things as we find our groove…

The first weeks of the season are typically a little bumpy, though this season has been quite a bit smoother than expected. However, there are still a few things that may be worth mentioning again.

Please make sure to have your site host information with you (as well as your schedule if you need it!) during the pickup window. While I am more than happy to answer any questions about your share that I can, we are not available during the pickup windows, which are always afternoon to evening (or during the weekends) when we are not in the office or available by phone or email. If you have questions about how to find your site, you can give your site host a call during the pickup window.

If you miss your pickup at one of our markets, please make sure to reach out to the farm asap! Market boxes do come back to the farm (residential boxes do not) and we need to know by 10am the next business day (Thursday for Florence and Eugene Farm Stand, Monday for Lane County and King) to reroute your boxes. Any return boxes still unclaimed after that time will be donated to Food for Lane County. Please make sure to contact the farm instead of your market host. Once the market hours have passed, they will not be able to do anything with your share except bring it back here to the farm.

If you have more questions about the way the CSA works, you can find that information here. Anything else, feel free to ask! I’m happy to help in any way I can.

Let us know a week in advance if you’re taking a vacation!

We completely understand that summer brings vacation (I’m taking one myself!), and we are willing to accommodate you to keep your season (and ours) as smooth as possible. We do our best to plan ahead as much as possible to avoid any last-minute mistakes, so if you need to change a pickup or a site or any of the above, please let us know at least seven days in advance. This means seven days from the nearest change. If you’re changing a scheduled day from Friday to the previous Tuesday, I would need to know seven days from Tuesday to make sure our lists are accurate and that our harvest team can account for the changes.

We do have a few options for how to reschedule your boxes this season:

  • You can reschedule to a different day and location in the same week to still get that week’s produce.
  • For half share members, you can reschedule for an off week. For full share members, you can choose a double share for the week of your choosing.
  • We can offer up to two vacation coupons to be used at any of our markets.
  • You can have a friend pickup your share (we don’t need to approve this option).
  • We can donate your share to Food for Lane County.

We are happy to oblige with all of these options, just please make sure to let us know as soon as possible, and at least a week in advance. Thank you so much!

Have you checked out our farmers’ markets this season?

We have four! Did you know we added the Florence Farmers’ Market to our list of things to do on Tuesdays this year? If you want to hang out on the coast during the week, come check us out on the pier and say hello to Mark and Runningwater! (Sometimes Chris or Shannon will be there, too. Or even Kate!)

In Eugene, you can find Kate, Rob, and Julia at the Lane County Farmers’ Market downtown on Saturdays, creating amazing, eye-catching displays of delicious food. Or, if you’d rather a more low-key local, you can come say hello to Shannon and myself at the Eugene Farm Stand at 18th and Polk on Wednesdays. Our first day there is tomorrow, and we’ll be there from 2pm to 6pm. We’re all excited to see you!

Picking up in Portland on Sundays or just in the area? Come say hello to Bruce and Alana at the King Market off NE Wygant and NE 7th Avenue! They would love to see you and show you what we have to offer this weekend. Come check us out!

Just those pesky house-keeping things…

We are at the beginning of the season, so we have to mention that pesky inconvenience of payment. (I know, I know, but what can you do? You keep us going.) If you haven’t already covered the balance of your share or set up a payment plan for monthly or split payments, please do so at your earliest convenience. No one likes to talk about money (least of all me), but we really do rely on the income from CSA shares to keep going smoothly throughout the season. We do have financial assistance again this year (thank you amazing, generous donors!), so if you do need help with the cost of your share, please let us know and we’ll see what we can do.

We offer the following payment options for your convenience: 

Check: We’re happy to accept checks for payment to avoid the credit card transaction fee. (We actually prefer it, as it saves us the fee too!) But make sure you deduct the fee from your total! If you’d like to send post-dated checks so you don’t have to remember to make additional payments, you’re more than welcome to! We’ll lock them away in our safe, so they’ll always be secure.  

While mailing a check is the most secure way to make sure we receive your payment, if you choose to pay at one of our markets, please make sure your payment is contained in a sealed envelope with your name and “CSA” clearly written on the front. Please do not leave a check at your pickup site.  

Credit Card: We’re happy to offer online payment options through our website, wintergreenfarm.com. After logging into your account, you can find your invoice in the “Orders” tab. When you check out, you can choose any of the payment plan options mentioned above. There is a credit card transaction fee of a little over 3%, as that’s what we get charged to process online payments. (This fee is added to all online payments, so if you’re paying by check, please feel free to subtract the fee from the total.) 

Please note that we are unable to take any credit card payments over the phone, as we’re no longer set up to do so. Thank you for understanding! 

Cash: While cash is definitely the least secure way to pay, we are happy to accept cash as payment for your share. If you choose to pay cash, please make sure to contain it in a sealed envelope with your name and “CSA” clearly written on the front if you pay at a market, or included in a note or letter if you send it by mail. Please do not leave cash or payment of any kind at your pickup site. 

You can mail checks to:          

 Winter Green Farm 

89762 Poodle Creek Road 

Noti, OR 97461 

If you are in need of financial assistance to help with your share, please contact the farm at folks@wintergreenfarm.com.  

Let me introduce myself…

Now that we’re all acquainted, let me introduce myself! My name is Chelsea and I am the CSA Coordinator and Office Manager here at the farm. This is my 5th season with Winter Green handling the CSA and working with you all. It’s been a lot of fun! I’ve learned a lot, and it’s a pleasure to be the one to communicate with you throughout the season.

My family and I live in Veneta, so we’re local and pretty close to the farm. Makes my drive quick and easy each morning! We have a teenager who’s starting high school in the fall, and four animals that keep me on my toes. In my spare time, I like to read (a lot), I write poetry, crochet mythical creatures, and I’m working on writing a fantasy series that has become a lot more involved than I anticipated!

I am always up to chat with members, and those that I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know personally have made my work days brighter. You may have seen me at the farm stand in previous years, but this year, I’m there again working with Shannon and Mark on Wednesday afternoons. I would love to say hello to you all!

What’s in your box this week:

  • Kale
  • Spinach
  • Cucumber
  • Green Onions
  • Carrots
  • Radishes
  • Lettuce

Some sites only:

  • Peas
  • Zucchini

The weather at the beginning of the season is always a little iffy, which can put a damper on some of the vegetables we hope to provide. While the peas and zucchini were in abundance last week, this week, there aren’t as many. We do our absolute best to get everyone as much as we can, and we so appreciate your understanding as we gather the farm’s bounty. We appreciate you!

Handy Tips:

  • 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.
  • Spinach: Rinse spinach leaves in cool water and pat them dry with a towel or “spin dry” as you would lettuce. Store in a damp towel or plastic bag for up to a week. Spinach can be steamed, sauteed, eaten raw, or added to soups at the last minute. For long-term storage, you can freeze spinach, then blanch it for 1 to 2 minutes. Spinach cooks quickly, so be careful not to overcook. Look for a bright green color. Two to three pounds of fresh spinach will reduce to two cups when cooked.
  • 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.
  • Green onions: Green onions, also known as scallions, should be stored unwashed and wrapped loosely in a plastic bag. Put them in the refrigerator, and they’ll keep for about a week. To keep green onions longer, chop off about three quarters of the tender, green tips; the end closest to the root is less perishable. You can eat the entire green onion. Use them chopped as a garnish, or use as a substitute for chives. Green onions are excellent in soups and stews, especially if added late in cooking. Grill, bake, broil, or stir-fry with a little oil to concentrate their sweetness and flavor.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Summer Squash: To clean summer squash (zucchini), rinse or wipe with a damp cloth (peeling is not necessary). Store in the refrigerator in a closed plastic bag to prevent dehydration. Use within a few days of harvest. Summer squash is very versatile. Try it raw, steamed, baked, broiled, fried, grilled, sautéed, or stir-fried. Slice it thinly for a great pizza topping, oven fry in sticks, or try in quiche or omelets. It also works great as a substitute for noodles or pasta. Grated squash mixes beautifully into your favorite chocolate cake or muffin recipe. A simple way to prepare squash is to half it, then top with minced garlic, herbs, and olive oil. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the top, and bake until tender.
  • 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!

What we’re making this week:

  • My daughter loves cooked spinach with a little bit of butter and salt and pepper, but these Spinach-Filled Stuffed Shells sound a little more tasty!
  • Cucumbers are always refreshing in the summer, and this Cucumber-Lime Energy Drink sounds like the perfect cool-down for hot days!
  • These Baked Zucchini Chips are a wonderful, healthy snack for you, your kiddos, and whoever else you hope to feed!

Another week of the CSA is in the books! We hope you all enjoy it as much as we are. We so appreciate each and every one of you! Thank you so much for all your kind words and support of the farm. We wish you all a wonderful week!

Many blessings,

Chelsea and your Winter Green farmers