2026 CSA Season Week Thirteen

September 1, 2026

Welcome to week thirteen of the 2026 CSA Season! This summer is quickly shifting into autumn before our eyes. Kids are busy getting ready to go back to school and I know many of you are traveling this weekend (no doubt, getting in one last trip before the summer is officially over).

Speaking of transitions…we’re heading into cooler temperatures and even expect to see some rain this week. Rain or shine…the farm team is preparing another wonderful box of produce for you this week.

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

We’re very happy to have you with us this season and we would love to hear from you. We always enjoy hearing from our CSA members and friends. We would love to know how your food journey is going. Feel free to shoot us an email with any recipe ideas, suggestions or other feedback you have for us!

Folks@wintergreenfarm.com

Winter Green Lamb

Greetings everyone,

We are excited to have plenty of lamb available this year.  We will also have a few ewes for grind as well.  The price for lamb is 8.00 a pound hanging weight, you pay to us. You will also be charged a cut and wrap fee by 4 star meat company when you pick up your meat which is $135.00 per animal. We do offer a discount for multiple animals purchased, the cost would be $7.50 a pound per animal. The ewes will be $6.50 a pound plus the cut and wrap fee.

The butcher dates are on the following days:

September 19th

October 10th

October 15th

October 22nd

October 29th

Please let us know if you would like to reserve lamb for this year and if you have a preference on dates.

We look forward hearing from you!

Meet Some of Our Young Farmers

Meet Owen & Jenna. These siblings have been a valuable part of our Winter Green Farm crew this summer. They showed up with enthusiasm and grit every day…ready to work hard with smiles and great attitudes! They brought with them some experience and skill as they’ve grown up in a ranching family. Friday was their last day on the farm for this summer. They’re both getting ready to begin their school year soon.

This was Owen’s second summer working at Winter Green Farm. His primary farm duties were working on irrigation with Porter Overbaugh and helping with the Winter Green Beef herd. Beyond this, Owen was tasked with quite a wide variety of other farm jobs (anything from harvesting corn & melons, to helping wrangle, sort and move sheep with Alden & Porter). Owen will be a high school Senior this year and will be playing football again this season. After graduation, Owen plans to pursue a degree in agriculture.

Jenna will be a Sophomore in high school and is also an athlete. She’ll be playing volleyball and basketball this year. This was Jenna’s first summer on the harvest crew at Winter Green Farm. She did an excellent job and was a strong asset to the harvest crew. We look forward to her return next summer! When asked what her “favorite” and “least favorite” jobs on the farm were, Jenna responded (without hesitation) that her favorite was harvesting sungold tomatoes and least favorite was strawberries.

A huge thank you to both Owen and Jenna, whose diligent work was greatly appreciated this summer. They assured me they’ll pop by the farm from time to time to say hello. 🙂

We wish them both the very best in the coming school year!

What’s in your box this week

  • Strawberries
  • Basil
  • Lettuce
  • Collards
  • Broccoli
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Tomatos
  • Summer Squash
  • Cucumbers
  • Corn
  • Onion

Some Sites Only:

  • Eggplant

*If we aren’t able to get something from the list to your site this week, don’t worry! We’re keeping great notes and we’ll be sure to get your site next time.

Handy Tips:

  • Basil: To keep fresh basil vibrant & green store it in a jar of water at room temperature like a bouquet of flowers rather than putting it in the refrigerator. First, cut a small half-inch piece off the bottom of the basil stems at an angle. Next, put the stems in a clean glass or jar with an inch or two of cool water. Do not submerge the leaves.
  • Corn: Eat your fresh corn as soon as possible. Natural sugars begin to break down soon after harvesting, so the sooner the better. Corn can keep for a few days if you keep it refrigerated with the husks on. Corn-on-the-cob is the favorite way to enjoy fresh-picked corn. To cook, steam in 2 inches of water for 6 to 10 minutes, or drop it into boiling water and cook for 4 to 7 minutes. Older or over-mature corn is great when added to corn bread, soups, stews, chili, casseroles, stir-fries, quiches, salads, or bean dishes.
  • Cucumbers:  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.
  • Summer Squash: To store properly, keep the squash dry and unwashed. Then place in a perforated plastic bag or plastic/paper bag with one end of the bag open, and keep in the crisper drawer in your fridge. Ideal storage temperature is between 45-50 degrees.
  • Collards: Just prior to use, swish the collard leaves in a basin of lukewarm water. After any grit has settled, lift the leaves out carefully. This may need to be done more than once. You can store collard greens wrapped in a damp towel or plastic bag (preferably unwashed) in the hydrator drawer of your refrigerator. They are best used fresh, but they may last for up to a week if they’re stored properly. Keep them moist. Collard greens can be cooked or eaten raw as a wrap for stir-fries and salads.
  • Tomatoes: Do not refrigerate tomatoes! You can place them out of the sun at room temperature. Some of our tomatoes are a day or two from being fully ripe, but will be perfect with a little patience. To remove tomato skins, place the whole tomato in boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon, dip in cold water, and remove skins. Tomatoes can be frozen whole. Core tomatoes, then place them on a cookie sheet, and freeze them. When they’re solid, place them in a freezer bag and replace them in the freezer. Remove as many tomatoes as you need at the time. Thawed tomatoes are good for cooking and pureed dishes. Salsas, sauces, and purees also freeze well.

What we’re making this week:

  • Grain Free Chocolate Zucchini Cake is fun choice for those looking for delicious ways to indulge a bit. This recipe uses honey or maple syrup as sweetener instead of sugar. Go ahead and enjoy a slice (or two) without hesitation 🙂
  • This Strawberry Basil Lemonade sounds so delicious. You can try making it this Labor Day weekend using the strawberries and basil in your CSA boxes.

Farmer’s Market Update this week!

We hope you’re able to come visit us at one of the Farmer’s Markets this week. We always have an abundance of beautiful produce for you to shop from at our markets.

Below is our schedule for this week (*Note that we WILL be having our Wednesday Eugene Farm Stand, rain or shine!).

*Florence – We’re at the Florence farmers’ market on Tuesday, 3pm to 6pm. THIS IS OUR LAST FLORENCE MARKET FOR THE SEASON.

*Eugene Farm Stand on Wednesdays – 2pm to 6pm. Our Wednesday Farm Stand is located at the Emmaus Lutheran Church (1250 W. 18th Ave) during the Standard Season.

*Eugene– Lane County Farmers’ Market on Saturdays, 9am to 2pm (8th and Oak)

*Portland- We’ll be at the King Market on Sundays, 10am to 2pm.

We hope to see you at one of our markets soon!

Our “delivery dogs” Jake & Pete, always eager and ready to work!

CSA Reminders:

  • Reminder for members who pick up in Noti (at the farm)– We’re always happy to see our CSA members! In order to ensure safety for everyone (and efficiency for our farm crews), please do not park in front of any farm buildings or blocking the pack room when you arrive.  We’re a working farm with many farm vehicles and equipment frequently passing through. Thank you so much for understanding and for helping things run safely and smoothly! 
  • Our residential sites have a hard deadline of 7pm. Please help us respect our wonderful volunteer site hosts by staying within that delivery window and treating their property (and other members) with respect and kindness. On that note…Please check with your site host before bringing your pets with you to pick up your shares. Thank you all for your cooperation. We really appreciate you!
  • Please make sure your name is on the list! If you don’t see it, please do not take a box. Instead, contact the farm via email at folks@wintergreenfarm.com and we’ll get back to you the next business day to figure out the mistake. We only pack enough boxes for those on the list, and we want to make sure everyone gets their share. Thank you so much for your help with this!

CSA Payments:

Here’s your friendly reminder from the farm office that September payments are due!

  • If you’re a CSA member making monthly payments, please submit those September payments, if you haven’t yet done so.
  • For members who are paying in two installments, quick reminder that your second payment was due on August 15th. Please get those payments sent at your earliest convenience, if you haven’t yet.

If you have any questions, need to reschedule a payment or are unable to make a payment, please reach out.  folks@wintergreenfarm.com.

We greatly appreciate you all! Thank you for your support.

Are you going on vacation?

If you’re going on vacation and need to reschedule a CSA pickup or site, just let us know! We’re happy to help make things easier if we can. 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 date or a site, please let us know at least 7 days in advance. 

If you do have to miss a scheduled box, we have a few options:

  • Reschedule for another week – for half share members, it’s easiest to reschedule for a week you wouldn’t normally pick up. For full share members, you can choose a week you will be available to take a double share.
  • Receive up to two vacation coupons that can be redeemed at any of our markets.
  • Donate your share to Food for Lane County.
  • Have a friend pick up your share while you’re gone – we actually don’t need to know about this one! As long as whoever is picking up your box checks off your name, treats the site and other members respectfully, and leaves the tote (just like you would!), you’re good to go!

We are happy to oblige with all of these options, just please make sure to let us know as soon as possible.

I truly appreciate your cooperation and communication so that we can stay organized and make sure everyone gets their CSA shares. Thank you so much!

“What if I need to cancel my share?”

We understand that things happen and you may need to opt out of your share this season. We get it! Just let us know so we can adjust your account.

In order to cancel a share and refund any qualifying payments, we will need that cancelation in writing. Non-payment or not picking up your shares without letting us know you’re opting out does NOT count as canceling and you will still be financially responsible for whatever shares have already been delivered.

Thank you -We appreciate you!

Have a wonderful week and celebrate safely on this Labor Day weekend.

Thank you for being part of our Winter Green family and for your continued support!

Many blessings,

Summer and your Winter Green farmers