2024 CSA Season Week Nineteen

October 15, 2024

We’ve reached the last week of the Standard Season, and boy, oh boy, have we filled up your box this week! It’s also the last week for the Eugene Farm Stand, so don’t miss out on what the farm stand has to offer! We’ve been so pleased to work with you all this season, and we appreciate each and every one of you. We’d also like to extend a HUGE thank you to our residential site hosts in Portland, Coos Bay, and Reedsport, as well as Sarah Lane and W. 20th in Eugene. If you get the chance, please say goodbye and thank you to your site hosts this week!

We’ll begin the Extended Season next week!

For the last five weeks of the season (beginning NEXT Friday/Saturday/Sunday), we will fill the shares with as many root veggies, greens, squash, pears, and apples (and more!) as we can. The Extended Season will continue until the week before Thanksgiving, and man, oh, man do we fill those boxes up! If you’d like to join us for the gorgeous autumn bounty, we still have spots available!

Please note, all deliveries switch to Friday-Saturday-Sunday for the Extended Season, and will begin a full week after the Standard Season ends. If you’re in Eugene, all residential sites will switch to Friday, but the Lane County Farmers’ Market will remain the same on Saturday. The Eugene Farm Stand will close after October 16, and those Extended Season pickups will switch to a Friday residential site, the LCFM, or out here at the farm. For those in Portland, all Extended Season pickups will be at the King Market on Sundays, so the last day for residential sites in Portland will be October 16th. If you pickup on the coast, Florence and Mapleton sites will remain the same, though unfortunately, we aren’t able to offer the Extended Season for the Coos Bay or Reedsport sites.

If you have any questions about the Extended Season, or you’d like to join us, shoot me an email at folks@wintergreenfarm.com, and we’ll get you set up!

We have apples for you again this week!

We’ve partnered with Mt. Hood Organic Farms to bring you apples again this week! 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!

Jack-O-Lanterns
Potluck
Cider Press
Fall colors
Apple cider
Hay rides
Conversation
Farm tours
Pick your pumpkin!

We would love to see you this weekend at the farm!

On Saturday, October 19th, come out to the farm and meet your Winter Green farmers! We’ll have pumpkins, apple cider, farm tours, and a scavenger hunt for the kiddos. Bring your favorite dish, and come out and say hello! Bring the family, tell your friends, and come have fun! It’s an open house, so you don’t have to be a CSA member to come out and see us!

We’ll be here rain or shine, so if it looks like rain, bring coats, boots, and umbrellas because it can get wet and muddy! 

Winter Green Farm Harvest Potluck
89762 Poodle Creek Road
Noti, OR 97461

Saturday, October 19, 2024
12pm to 4pm in the afternoon


We are so excited to show you around!

Kate on the barrel washer

Our online payment system is up and running again!

Over the last week, our online system has had some issues, and paying online wasn’t an option. That has now been fixed, so if there’s still a balance on your account from October or a previous month, you can now pay online again. If you choose to pay by check, don’t forget to deduct any credit card fees on the invoice from the final amount. Thank you all so much for supporting the farm!

A few end of season notes for those only doing the Standard Season

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, and how respectful you’ve been to each other. Since it is the last delivery of the Standard Season this week, 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 for the sites not continuing into the Extended Season, 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 2025 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!

What’s in your box this week:

  • Kabocha squash
  • Potatoes
  • Parsnips
  • Collards
  • Onions
  • Leeks
  • Apples
  • Cauliflower

Some sites only:

  • Broccoli

While not all of our crops wanted to produce in abundance this season, we did our best to get everyone as much as we can. We hope you all enjoy the abundance of crops in your shares this week, and we apologize to the few sites that weren’t able to get broccoli. We harvested as much as we could!

Handy Tips:

  • Winter Squash: Store winter squash in a cool, dry, dark place with good ventilation. They should keep for up to a month or more, depending on the variety. You can also incorporate winter quash into a beautiful arrangement for your fall table. They won’t keep quite as long at room temperature, but if they are sitting on your table, you might be inspired to eat them quickly. Once squash has been cut, you can wrap the pieces in plastic and store them in the refrigerator for five to seven days. To bake winter squash, cut it in half, scoop out the seeds and pulp, then place the halves on a baking dish filled with a half-inch of water, cut-side down. You can also bake without the water, just lightly grease a baking sheet or use parchment paper. Bake squash at 350 degrees until halves are completely soft and just starting to collapse. This could take 45 minutes to an hour, sometimes more, depending on the size of the squash. Remove squash from the oven, fill with butter, seasoning, or filling, and serve them in the shell. Winter squash can also be substituted in baked goods. Try using it instead of pumpkin or sweet potatoes in dessert recipes. While the oven is hot, try roasting the seeds after mixing them with a little oil and seasoning of your choice.
  • Potatoes: We wash the “field soil” off of your potatoes, but scrub them well and cut off any sprouts or green skin when you’re ready to cook. No need to peel. Store them in a cool, dark, dry place such as a loosely closed paper bag in a cupboard or closet. They should keep for weeks at room temp, or longer if at ideal temp of 40-50 degrees. Potatoes are great boiled, mashed, fried, or baked. Use them in soups, hash browns, salads, and stews.
  • 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.
  • Collard Greens: Just prior to use, swish Collard leaves in a basin of lukewarm water. After any grit has settled, lift leaves out carefully. Additional rounds of washing may be necessary.
    Store preferably unwashed, wrapped in a damp towel or plastic bag in hydrator drawer of refrigerator. Best used fresh, but may last for up to one week if properly stored. Keep moist.
    Collards can be cooked or eaten raw as a wrap for stir-fries and salads.
  • Leeks: Place dry, unwashed leeks in a plastic bag and store them in a drawer of your refrigerator. Leeks will store well for up to two weeks.To clean leeks for cooking, trim the roots, remove the green tops (which can be used in soup stock) and peel off the outer leaf layer, removing any hidden dirt. Cut leeks in half lengthwise and chop. Most recipes only use the white portion. Leeks can be substituted for any recipe calling for onions. They develop the best flavor when cooked or sautéed slowly.
  • Apples: Apples are an incredibly versatile fruit. They can be eaten plain, made into juice or sauce, or turned into ciders, vinegars, or alcohols. They can be dried and saved for later, or baked into your favorite treats. Apples can be stored at room temperature for a short amount of time, but check on them frequently to make sure they haven’t begun to rot. For the best results, sprinkle your apples with water, place them in a perforated plastic bag, and then store them in the coldest part of your refrigerator. They should keep for 2 to 3 weeks.
  • Cauliflower: Cauliflower is best eaten soon after it’s harvested, but it will keep for one to two weeks in the refrigerator if you wrap it loosely in plastic. Remove the outer leaves, rinse, and trim off any blemishes or brown spots. To cook florets, steam for 15 to 20 minutes. Overcooking will result in a strong odor and flavor. Stir-fry the florets with other veggies, add to Indian or Asian curries, top steamed heads with lemon and butter or parmesan cheese, or serve raw with dip.
  • Broccoli: Wrap the broccoli loosely in a plastic bag and keep it in the veggie bin or your fridge. Don’t use an air-tight bag, as broccoli continues to respire after being harvested and needs room to breathe. It will keep for over a week, but is firmest and tastiest if used within a few days. To make sure your broccoli is fully cleaned and not carrying any tag-alongs from the farm, soak broccoli immediately before cooking, head down, in cold, salted water for 5 minutes. Broccoli can be steamed, stir-fried, or eaten raw. For salads or veggie platters, try blanching in boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes, then chill. You can add broccoli to soups and stews in the last 10 to 15 minutes of cooking time.

What we’re making this week:

  • Do you know someone who loves pasta but isn’t so keen on vegetables? This Mac & Cheese with Collards is a great way to satisfy both!

For those only joining us for the Standard Season, it’s been a pleasure to work with you this season, and we’re hope to have you with us again next year! We haven’t finalized pricing or open spots for next season, but if you’re interested in joining us, please let me know!

Thank you all so much for your continued support of the farm! We couldn’t do our CSA without you, and we hope to be able to continue for years to come!

Many blessings,

Chelsea and your Winter Green farmers