–
Happy New Years Friends & Farm-ily!
–
CSA Sign-Ups begin TODAY – January 1st! We hope the winter and holiday season is treating everyone well. Although the winter has its perks with the shorter days, your farmers are feeling inspired and excited for Spring and another year of farming ahead! Thank you for all of your support this last season – we couldn’t be more excited for what is in store for 2016. Because of you and your investment in our farm it continues to thrive and get better and better with every passing year. The learning curve is becoming less steep, and we are feeling more confident no matter what ol’ mother nature throws at us.
–
As for this year’s winter (so far), it’s surely been the wettest we’ve ever experienced here on the farm. The record breaking rain this month brought the biggest flood we’ve seen as well.. the pigs and cows have had a nice waterfront view for the past few weeks and we’re happy to see our pastures again. As always, we are taking advantage of the mild days and are plowing ahead with projects and are VERY excited for the coming season on the farm. Spring is just around the corner (thank goodness the days are now getting longer) and we’re in the midst of our seed order and crop plan in anticipation of our greatest year yet! We’re so excited to continue on in this farming journey and to share it all with you.
—
–
A great many thanks for all your appreciation, support and encouragement through the most productive CSA season we’ve experienced to date! Over the course of our 28-week 2015 CSA season Brian & I harvested and distributed 81,000lbs of freshly picked, organic, thoughtfully grown produce to our CSA members. From Spring to Fall, the shares averaged 27lbs (with lighter shares in the Spring and heavier shares in the late summer and Fall) and included 12-20 items with a great variety of crops and delicious tasting veggies that have inspired many fantastic home cooked meals. That’s 771lbs of produce per weekly share which means our members paid $1.52/lb for all their fresh, local, organic produce during the 2015 CSA season.
–
By investing in the CSA we are able to invest in you! Every year we perform a cost comparison by adding up the cost of the produce in each weeks CSA share and comparing it to our local organic markets and in a typical year our members save in excess of $400 -$500 on their produce. Not that we think our produce can be compared to that of the super market as ours is harvested by either farmer Jess or farmer Brian and given to you the very same day – you can’t beat the freshness of our produce! Also, a store can’t give you the sense of adventure and community that a local farm can. With that being said…
–
CSA Sign-Up Starts TODAY!
–
2015 was not only our most challenging season (due to the extreme weather) but it was also our most productive year yet (over 80,000 lbs of produce harvested and distributed) and we have a feeling that 2016 will be even better! As you know, our 2016 sign up starts TODAY January 1st with a 2-week priority sign-up for our previous 2015 CSA members. We will be limiting our CSA so we encourage you to sign up as soon as possible.
–
–
2016 CSA Info. You can read all about our 2016 CSA here – for the Who, What, When, Where, Why & How (much). As farmers we’ve really come to love the CSA model as members share both the risks and benefits of food production. That by supporting our farm their understanding of nature, the seasons, the bounty, the loss …all of it brings them closer to their own place in nature with the added bonus of supporting a farm that they can get behind, know, trust and thrive with. That together we can live more productive and healthier lives and feel connected to the piece of dirt that nourishes us all. Together we are investing in the future… one that we believe in!
–
Two types of shares: Weekly & Bi-Weekly
–
Weekly CSA Shares (our best value CSA share!) We estimate that our Weekly Shares feed 2-3 adults (or a family of 4) that enjoy eating their veggies! Starting in May, for 28 weeks you will pick up your share of seasonal produce each week at the farm. Shares are 8-16 different items depending on the season and average to be 26lbs per share. With every Weekly CSA you will be emailed a detailed list of vegetables and 4-6 recipes that correspond with the veggies in that weeks share.
–
Bi-Weekly CSA Shares (for individuals or small households that are learning to love their veggies!) This share is ideal for individuals or for small households that are, shall we say, learning to love their veggies! With the Bi-Weekly Share you are investing in exactly half the produce of the Weekly Share as you will come and collect your bounty every other week (a total of 14 shares). Shares are 8-16 different items depending on the season and average to be 26lbs per share. Starting in May, members will pick up their share on weeks 1,3,5,7, etc… or 2,4,6,8, etc… depending on your assigned CSA start date (the farmers assign the start date, you choose your pick up ‘day’). With every Bi-Weekly CSA share you will receive recipes and tips on how to store, prepare and fall in love with vegetables! Note: Our expectation is that each Bi-Weekly share will contain enough veggies to meet the needs of an individual or small household for one week per pick up.
–
–
Market-Style CSA Pick Up At Working Hands Farm we use a Market-Style CSA Pick Up to display our weekly bounty that is reminiscent of a beautiful farmers market stand! During CSA pick up you get to pack your own share with the allotted amounts of vegetables written next to each varietal. It is very user friendly and FUN! Members bring 2-3 reusable bags to put their produce in.
–
Over 70 different crops (and even more varietals)! After many seasons of trialing a diverse selection of veggie and fruit varieties we are feeling more confident than ever in our experience – which plants grew the best, produced the most, tasted the best and survived throughout all the seasons! The varieties chosen this past year were some of our most productive to date! We have selected the very best from the past 6 seasons and are excited to incorporate a few new varieties, from local seed companies, that we know our members are going to love. There isn’t much better than fresh-harvested the same day-produce & the first Spring Strawberries! To see a list of crops that we grow click here.
–
CSA Member Benefits:
- In addition to your weekly fruits and veggies you will receive a weekly newsletter full of beautiful photos and updates about the farm.
- Over the course of the season you will have the opportunity to visit the farm at our CSA Member Farm-Day & our CSA Member Pumpkin Day set for late September!
- Exclusive access to our Working Hands Farm CSA Members page to share recipe ideas, kitchen prep successes, food preservation ideas etc. You have permission to get creative in the kitchen! Now go for it!
- WHF Grass-Fed Beef, Pastured Pork, Pastured Eggs! As CSA members you will have the opportunity to buy our 100% organic, grass-fed black angus beef, pasture-raised pork, pasture-raised chicken and pasture-raised eggs.
–
–
Pastured Eggs. After 4 years of raising laying hens, 2015 was the first year that the egg enterprise on the farm paid for itself! The ladies of Chateau Poulet appreciate all the love and support this past season. They are raised on fresh pasture as well as an organic, non-GMO feed (no soy, no corn) made in the Pacific NW by Scratch and Peck – a local feed supply that we are proud to support and share the goal of feeding our communities the best possible product (their tag line is “you are what your animals eat!”). We believe in our farming practices and in offering the best possible product to our members and community – a product that you simply can’t find in the store. Everything we do on the farm, we do it out of love for nature, the animals, our environment and the health and safety of our community.
–
Grass-Fed Beef & Pasture Raised Pork. As CSA members you will have the opportunity to buy our 100% organic, grass-fed black angus/british white beef and pasture-raised pork. We will let you know when these products are available throughout the CSA season and we sell them on a first come, first serve basis. Currently, our online Farm Store is stocked with Winter Pastured Pork Shares (12-13lbs)! Check out the details here: WHF Farmstore.
–
–
3 Steps to Signing Up:
- Read all about the 2016 CSA season
- Fill out the CSA Sign Up Form & Member Agreement
- Mail or drop off a Check or Make Payment Online to reserve your share
Pay by Check: Make checks out to ‘Working Hands Farm’ and send it to 7705 SW River Rd. Hillsboro, OR 97123. If you would like to drop off your payment in form of a check on the farm, there is clearly marked white CSA lockbox located to the right of the greenhouse. We check it daily. Checks only! Please make sure to put the shareholders name & type of share in the memo.
–
Pay Online (new option!) Visit the WHF Farmstore to pay for your share online. Please note that the online payment option includes the 3% + .30 online processing fee. If you wish to avoid this online fee you can pay by check.
–
In order to reserve your share we require a $250 deposit that is non-refundable and is applied to the total cost of the CSA. The deposit is due within two weeks of submitting our online CSA form. Once your deposit of $250 is received we will send you a confirmation email welcoming you to our CSA program. We encourage those members who can, to pay more than the deposit upon signing up as this helps your farmers absorb the initial expenses that happen at the beginning of the season. Our farm is a livable wage farm and by being part of our farm-ily you are directly investing in a sustainable agricultural model that doesn’t make compromises! Because of your investment we will be able to provide safe, delicious and nutritious food for many years to come. Remember that our CSA operates on a first come, first serve basis so sign up ASAP!
–
–
Quick Links: 2016 CSA Season (the Who, What, Where, Why, When & How Much) & our 2016 Sign-Up Form. If you have any further questions be sure to check out our FAQs section or send us an email. We look forward to seeing you all at the start of the season! Here’s to good food and the amazing community it brings together!
–
And a very important favor to ask of our members… word of mouth is the best way to help us grow and sustain our small farm. Please share the link, forward this email and encourage interested friends, family, neighbors & community etc… in signing up for their CSA share. Many thanks for your help from all of us at Working Hands.
–
Check out this link to our favorite photos from our 2015 season: it’s amazing how much can happen in a year and there’s so much to be thankful for! Enjoy this compilation of our best shots of the year.
Happiest of days to you all!
–
Jess, Brian & the rest of the farm-ily…
–
dirty hands, clean hearts
–
working hands farm 
