2025 CSA Season Week Fourteen

September 9, 2025

Welcome to the fourteenth week of the 2025 CSA Season! It’s raining here at the farm–though not much–and everything feels just a little bit different. Autumn is on its way, and we are so excited for the crops we’ll be able to share with you soon!

Just a few reminders as we head into the last third of the season.

As summer comes to a close, routines can get busier and things get forgotten. We get it! We’re happy to help make things easier if we can. If you’re going on vacation, just let me know! I do need at least 7 days notice from the earliest change to adjust the lists, as we do prepare for what we harvest in advance to avoid any last minute errors. If you do have to miss a scheduled box, we have a few options:

  • 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!
  • 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. Please make sure you know where you would like your box rescheduled to and when BEFORE you let me know, so I can make the changes. You can find our delivery site options on our website here.
  • Receive up to two vacation coupons that can be redeemed at any of our markets.
  • Donate your share to Food for Lane County.

If you do need to reschedule your pickup or reroute your box from the market, please make sure to include the pickup site in your request by the deadline. I’ll need that pickup site to make any changes. Also, please make sure to include your name in the body of the email. I get so many emails a day and it can be confusing and time-consuming to have to chase down an email address so I can help you. I appreciate your help on this matter!

We have tomato flats available for next week’s delivery!

We have tomatoes by the flat! Winter Green Farm has an abundance of slicer tomatoes, so we wanted to provide our CSA members with bulk beefsteak tomatoes this year! We will have a limited number of flats available on select dates, so order fast! Tomatoes are sold on a first-come, first-serve basis and delivered to your regular CSA site on the selected date.

These tomatoes are the beefsteak slicer variety and we will sell them as a 10-pound flat for $25.00. You can place your order here. (Please use the order form to make your purchase. You can choose the check option if you would rather avoid the online card fee.)

Just to clarify: If you’re in Portland or pick up at one of our markets, you can still get tomatoes! Tuesdays and Fridays are the days we pack the boxes for delivery, so if you’re a Wednesday delivery normally, choose a Tuesday that works for you, and if you’re a weekend market delivery, choose a Friday. You will still pick up on your regular day.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call the farm at 541-935-1920 or email us at folks@wintergreenfarm.com.

We will open orders each week for the following week, for as long as we have tomato flats available. If you aren’t able to purchase flats for this week, keep an eye on your email for when they open up again. Thank you!

We have sweet pepper flats for next week, too!

We have sweet peppers by the flat! Winter Green Farm has an abundance of peppers, so we wanted to provide our CSA members with bulk sweet peppers this year! We will have a limited number of flats available on select dates, so order fast! Peppers are sold on a first-come, first-serve basis and delivered to your regular CSA site on the selected date.

These sweet peppers are of the bell and cow-horn variety and we will sell them as a 15-pound flat for $37.50. You can place your order here. (Please use the order form to make your purchase. You can choose the check option if you would rather avoid the online card fee.)

Just to clarify: If you’re in Portland or pick up at one of our markets, you can still get peppers! Tuesdays and Fridays are the days we pack the boxes for delivery, so if you’re a Wednesday delivery normally, choose a Tuesday that works for you, and if you’re a weekend market delivery, choose a Friday. You will still pick up on your regular day.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call the farm at 541-935-1920 or email us at folks@wintergreenfarm.com.

We will open orders each week for the following week, for as long as we have pepper flats available. If you aren’t able to purchase flats for this week, keep an eye on your email for when they open up again. Thank you!

Unfortunately, we will not have strawberry flats through the CSA this season.

It’s been a strange year for weather, which means a strange year for strawberries. We’re just now fulfilling our projected number of strawberry pints for the CSA, and with the rain in the forecast, we’re expecting the patches to be knocked out here pretty quick. We hardly had any strawberries at all for most of June! So unfortunately, we just don’t have enough from our CSA plantings to do extra flats.

But you can still get extra strawberries! This week, we still have strawberries at our markets, so you can pick up a half flat or a full flat if you head on down. But make sure you get there early! Some of our markets sell out of strawberries pretty quick.

If you’re in Florence, you can find us at the farmers’ market on Tuesday afternoons. In Eugene, we’re at the Emmaus Church on 18th and Polk on Wednesday afternoons or on Saturdays at the Lane County Farmers’ Market downtown. For our Portland members, you can find us at the King Market on Sundays. We would love to see you!

beef clover
beef clover

We still have Winter Green Beef available!

Now that the weekly CSA is underway, it’s time to think about reserving your share of our beef!

Our Grass Fed beef is raised on our certified organic, nutritive pastures. We offer ¼ shares, ½ shares, or a whole animal (share with friends and family!) of mixed cuts. You will receive about 1/3 as steaks of varying cuts, about 1/3 as roasts of varying cuts, about 1/3 as ground beef, as well as stew meat, short ribs, soup bones, organ meats and dog bones!

You are also welcome to receive all of the bones from your share for making bone broth, and the fat to render tallow. We also offer Ground beef only shares! We have butcher dates from July through November.

The price per lb. includes all fees. We can accept SNAP benefits for payment as well. You can visit our website to learn more about how we raise our beef, and how to reserve your share, or you can contact Linda at beef@wintergreenfarm. You can also give her a call at 541-833-0274. She will be happy to help answer any questions you might have.

What’s in your box this week:

  • Strawberries
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Carrots
  • Cauliflower
  • Zucchini
  • Sweet Peppers
  • Eggplant
  • Tomatoes
  • Swiss Chard
  • Lettuce

Looks like everybody is getting everything this week! Keep an eye out for the labeled boxes. There is one in Florence and one at the Duma Community house this week. PLEASE ONLY TAKE A LABELED BOX IF IT HAS YOUR NAME ON IT! They are clearly labeled, so they should be hard to miss. Thank you so much for your cooperation and understanding! We appreciate you!

Handy Tips:

  • Strawberries: Rinse strawberries just before eating to clean off any grit that may still be on the berries from the field. To freeze them, spread them out on a cookie sheet and place them in the freezer. Once frozen, store them in a Ziploc bag or plastic container until ready to use.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Eggplant: Eggplant is best when it’s fresh. Store it unrefrigerated at a cool room temperature, or in a hydrator drawer of the fridge for up to one week. Eggplant can be peeled, but it’s not essential. To remove any acrid flavors and excess moisture, lightly salt the slices and allow the to sit in a colander for 10 to 15 minutes. Gently squeeze out any liquid. Eggplant should always be cooked to eliminate solanine, a naturally occurring toxic substance.
  • Chard: Swiss Chard keeps best unwashed and wrapped in a damp towel or plastic bag. Store it in the drawer of your refrigerator, and wash before use to remove any unwanted soil or insects. Cut the celery-like stems away from the tender leaves (you can use the stems in soup stocks) or chop the whole thing up and use the entire leaves, including the stems. To cook chard, steam for 8 to 10 minutes or boil for about 3 to 5 minutes. The greens brighten in color when they’re nearly cooked and should not be over-cooked to preserve flavor and nutrients. Add them to soups or casseroles, or serve steamed, tossed with butter, garlic, and just a bit of lemon juice.

What we’re making this week:

  • Looking for something a little different with your cauliflower? Check out this Cashew Curry dish!
  • Looking to do something other than sauce with all your extra tomatoes? Why not give this Spicy Tomato Jam a go?

We hope you’re all having a wonderful September so far, and we would love to hear all about it! We’re so excited to go on this food journey with you this year. Have a fantastic week!

Many blessings,

Chelsea and your Winter Green farmers