SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Hard to believe, but the end of this week will be September 1st, and the next monthly payment. If you have set up an automatic recurring payment, please be sure to get in touch if you have moved and your address is different, or if you have lost and received a new card….we appreciate your help so we don’t have payment failures! Thanks!

STRAWBERRIES!

We have fulfilled our promise of Strawberries in the CSA boxes, so we can begin to offer more Strawberry flats to you all…..if you would still like to receive a flat of our Strawberries for canning or freezing, or just because you like to eat a lot of them, just let us know by calling or emailing the farm. The 12 pint flat is $32.00.

THAT’S MY FARMER BENEFIT DINNER @ PARTY DOWNTOWN

The tickets are selling quickly now for the fundraising dinner at Party Downtown at 6pm on September 17th. This event is a wonderful way to share an amazing farm to table dinner at one of the best restaurants in town. Mark, Tiffany and crew at Party Downtown take all of the fresh veggies and meats donated by the participating farms and create a marvelous menu of delight to share with you all. If you have attended one of the previous dinners, you know what to expect! For those of you who are thinking of attending for the first time, you won’t be disappointed! Come  join the fun, while supported the That’s My Farmer Low Income Fund to support families in need with subsidized CSA Shares and veggies! To reserve your share, just send a check to the farm….the cost is $50/ticket. Call/email the farm office if you have any questions.

WHAT’S IN YOUR SHARE THIS WEEK:

• Corn
• Beets
• Carrots
• Tomatoes
• Zucchini
• Peppers
• Onion
• Lettuce
• Strawberry Spread

SOME SITES ONLY

• Eggplant
• Cauliflower
• Cherry Tomatoes

RECIPES:

Beet and Beet Greens Gratin

Beet Brownies

Vegan Beet Chocolate Pudding

Oven Baked Beet Chips

Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread

Yoram Ottolenghi’s Sweet Corn Polenta w/Eggplant Sauce

Beets! I know they have been in your box already this season, but I am determined to find a way for everyone to enjoy them. We’ve put out surveys in the past as to what is the favorite/least favorite of the veggies we offer….beets was up there in the half and half group. Some folks love them, and can’t get enough…some folks, well,  just don’t. I feel like the dislike for beets may come from childhood, when you were forced to eat beets either cooked too long, not cooked enough, pickled or just cooked in an unappetizing way. Lots of folks have only had canned beets in the past, which is a stark difference to the types of beets coming out of the field to your table. I searched out lots more recipes posted above and there are so many more in our past blogs, and archived on our website from when we did the paper box notes….I recommend to keep trying the beets, as  you might just hit on that one recipe where your taste buds say…ahhhh, thanks so much for persevering! If not, then your fellow members are gonna love you if you keep putting those gorgeous ruby globes in the Yum-Yuck box!

FARMER PROFILE:

Our Farmer profile this week is all about Jesse Lankford. Jesse is one of my favorite people on the farm….she has a dry, wry sense of humor and takes her tasks seriously.. She is matter of fact, and very knowledgeable in so many areas. Jess has lived in Eugene for 5 years now, and has been with us for three seasons. She harvests for both CSA and our Farmers’ Markets and is the host for our Sunday King Farmers Market in Portland.

Jesse feels like her work at Winter Green Farm is part of her journey to merge medicine and food. She loves to cook and always makes us all jealous with the lunches she either brings to the farm, or cooks at the farm. Occasionally a crockpot will appear on the counter in the morning, in the crew kitchen, and by lunchtime delicious smells will be wafting out to greet us.

Jesse was born on the island of Oahu, growing up there until the age of 10 years. She loved living there, and grew up surfing. Her family moved to Cedar Falls, Iowa after that. She went to College in Wisconsin, and then transferred to the University of Oregon to finish her degree in Human Physiology, with a minor in Biological Anthropology.

Jesse is such a hard worker! She started out mowing lawns, and then got a job at subway when she turned 16. After working there for about 5 years, she opened her own food cart inspired by Toast. She worked as a Nutrition Education Coordinator for the Iowa Food Bank Association, as well as coaching Soccer, another of her passions, for 8 years on and off. Besides Winter Green Farm, that was her favorite job!

When Jesse is not working at the farm, she loves to be surfing on the Oregon Coast and she, and her brother Jordan, go as often as they can. She mainly likes to read her Surfer magazines, but her favorite book is “Mountains Beyond Mountains”, the story of Dr. Paul Farmer. She loves to listen to comedy radio before work.

As if she isn’t already doing enough, Jesse started her own little farm this year, in her spare time!! Salty Dog Farm….she heads up to her plot on a friends farm off of River Road either before or after her day at Winter Green, and sells her produce at the Little Y Market on W. 19th Ave. You can find her there on Friday afternoons.

Linda: What  life defining change shaped you into the person you are today….

Jesse: “When I was 20, I transferred to Oklahoma on a Soccer scholarship. I got injured in pre-season and eded up needing 2 hip surgeries (same surgery on each hip). Since I couldn’t play Soccer any longer, I lost my scholarships and moved back to Iowa to live with my parents and go through 18 months of physical therapy.”

Linda: Who is your role model is and why?

Jesse: “My Dad is my role model! I strive to be as considerate as he is. He is a “get-it-done” kind of guy that’s never taken time for granted. AND he made it to EVERY college Soccer game of mine and my brother. We went to college 5.5 hours away, in separate directions and lived 4 hours from home. Sometimes he would cancel his own class to be there!”

Linda: What has been your most amazing adventure so far?

Jesse: “My most amazing adventure is a tie between traveling around Ireland & Northern Ireland with my family, and a solo 7 day backpacking/kayaking trip in the boundary waters on the border of Canada and Minnesota.”

Linda: If you had 3 wishes, what would they be?

Jesse: “If I had three wishes, I’d wish for farmer discounts at every restaurant,  a new source of endless fresh H2O to be discovered, and drastic political change!”

Linda: What is your Super Power and what would your Spirit Animal would be?

Jesse: My Super Power is that I can turn off street lights when I walk under them, and my Spirit Animal is an Otter, cuz I have big teeth and I love the water!”

We hope you’ve enjoyed getting to know a little bit about Jesse….we know she has big dreams and plans, but we hope she’ll stick with us for a while longer.

May your week go well, your families be healthy, may love and light fill  your day,  and of course, we hope you enjoy your veggies this week!

Linda and all of your Winter Green Farmers