Welcome to May!
Can you believe there’s only a few weeks left until this season starts? Neither can we! We’re working hard here at the farm to get as many veggies in the ground as we can, and we ‘re so excited you’ve let us tag along on your food journey with you this year!
Welcome Packets are going out!
Every year, we send out welcome packets in the mail and through email to give you all the info you’ll need for this season. It’s a long process, as there are so many of you, but well worth it! The physical copies have started going in the mail this week, and they will all be out by the end of next week. If you still don’t have yours in the next couple weeks (sometimes the USPS is slow), reach out and let me know. I can always send it again! Your packets will also be sent via email in the next two weeks, so check your inboxes for the digital copies.
What your packet includes:
- Welcome letter with tips for the season to help it run smoothly, as well as information on scheduling vacations, handling add-ons, and pickup-time requirements.
- Delivery Site information for your chosen pickup. You can also find that information online here.
- Delivery schedule for your chosen share. You can also find the full schedule for the season here.
- Your account statement, which will have the names of the adults on the share, contact information, share information, and your account balance. (Please note, the physical copies have already been printed, so if you’ve made a payment and it still says you owe, feel free to check with me to make sure, or disregard if you know the payment has been received.)
- Other information which is personalized for each share, including payment options, site host letters, and SNAP information.
If you need to make changes or don’t receive all the forms you should have, please let me know so I can make the adjustments!
Talk us up for a chance to win two free weeks!
DID YOU KNOW??? The best way for us to get the word out about Winter Green Farm is you! In order to fill our last remaining spots for the season, we’re running a contest for referrals! For the month of May, the person who sends us the most referrals for the CSA season will get 2 free weeks for your share, or the market card equivalent if you’re not a member, but win the contest!
Tell your friends, tell your family, share our posts on social media to your community groups, to your neighbors, or those strangers at the store. Just make sure they use your name! At the end of the month, we’ll tally up the numbers and announce a winner! @wintergreenfarm on Facebook and Instagram.
We work with SNAP and the Double-Up Food Bucks program, which will match payments for up to half your share, and thanks to our truly generous donors, we also have financial assistance available for those that might need it. We’re always happy to help!
New members can join through our website (and leave your name in the notes), or they can shoot me an email at [email protected] to answer any questions they might have. Help us support the farm, and get talking!
Tips and tricks for a smooth season!
- Help us keep everyone healthy by only touching your own share.
- Don’t forget to check your name off the list, so we know you got your share!
- Shoot me an email at least a week ahead of time if you need to change your delivery schedule.
- Contact your site host before the 7pm deadline if you aren’t able to get your share during the delivery window.
- Please bring your own bag or box, so you can leave the farm totes at the delivery site. We would appreciate it if you stacked them nicely to help out both your site host and your delivery drivers!
- Keep an eye on your emails for information from the farm! Let us know if you aren’t getting them, as that’s how we communicate with you!
- Only take a box if your name is on the list. We only pack enough for the members listed, so if your name isn’t there, please contact the farm for a makeup during the next delivery or a credit to your account.
- Please do not take any extras at the delivery site unless your name is on them. We appreciate your cooperation!
Payment plan options for those who need it:
Here at Winter Green Farm, we do our best to accommodate all financial needs. While it does help the farm to receive payment in full, we understand that’s not always an option for every household. To that end, we offer the following payment plans for your convenience, as well as financial assistance for those in need.
Pay in Full: You are always welcome to pay for your share in full. Doing so helps the farm cover costs for seed, labor, maintenance, and anything else that needs to be done before the season begins. The payment deadline for paying in full is May 15th.
Pay in two installments: For those who need to split their payments a bit, you can pay in two installments, one before the season begins, and the balance halfway through. The payment deadline for the first installment is May 15th, and for the second, August 15th.
Pay in five monthly installments: If you’re interested in an even more economical option, you can make payments in five monthly installments. The payment deadline for monthly payments is the 1st of each month from June to October.
SNAP Benefits: We are thrilled to let you know that we’re accepting SNAP benefits and working with the Double-Up Food Bucks program again this year! This also includes the P-EBT benefits sent for school-age children. The Double-Up Food Bucks program (DUFB) will match your monthly payments for up to half your share. Payments will be withdrawn from your benefit account by the state on your benefit loading day every month from June to October. If you’d like to use your benefits to pay for your share, please email me at [email protected].
Ways to make payments to the farm:
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 [email protected].
We will mostly communicate through email!
We will be sending out emails each week to let you know what’s in the box! The blog will go out on Tuesdays during the Standard Season, and Fridays during the Extended Season and off season. It will contain important announcements, what’s going on at the farm, what you can expect in your share each week, and recipes to help inspire your time in the kitchen!
You’ll also be getting an email on Mondays or Thursdays, depending on your delivery day, with an estimate of what you can expect in your box. These lists come from the harvest crew and are more of an estimate than a final list. We also aren’t able to guarantee Tuesday/Wednesday deliveries will be the same as the weekend deliveries, but we will do our very best to get you the veggies we promised for this season. If we don’t get you one week, we’ll get you the next week that veggie is available.
(Please note: we can’t guarantee half shares will receive all the veggies offered throughout the season due to availability, but we’ll try our best.)
If you aren’t getting emails, please let me know! You can reach me at [email protected], and I can check to make sure you’re on our list.
Come see us at the Lane County Farmers’ Market this weekend!
If you’re in the Eugene area this Saturday, come check out our booth at the Lane County Farmers’ Market! Say hi to Kate and Rob, and get your fill of delicious Winter Green veggies! The crew harvested some HUGE heads of red butter lettuce this week, and we’ll have them available at @lanecountyfarmersmarket this weekend, along with the first of our spring turnips and other delightful salad fixings. Hope to see y’all this Saturday!
Our season officially kicks off on Tuesday, June 11th, and we are so excited to see all of you again this year! We hope you enjoy the last few weeks of spring and you’re prepared for Winter Green veggies to take over your kitchen!
Many blessings,
Chelsea and your Winter Green farmers