Are you there fall? It’s us the Rainshadow farmers!
Fall? Are you here?
Winter? Are you on your way? The swings of the past weeks really leave one wondering. Just about a month ago we had our first killing frost and then it was in the 90s for a week. Now we are in the throes of smoke season but it isn’t excruciatingly hot. I’m not sure that there is any surer place to feel the arrival of fall then when farming. Being outside, working with plants and animals in the dirt, you embody, feel viscerally, the seasons. September has truly felt like that crucial tip into fall.
We have adjusted the start time of our days. Instead of starting at 6 in the bright shining sun, our farmers begin their day 15 minutes later each week in the dusky morning light.
What we are harvesting has changed. The sheer volume of harvest has pivoted from pickling cucumbers to potatoes for storage, from bunched carrots to bulk storage carrots, from shishitos to hot peppers.
It is noticeable in what we are planting because the only new things that are going in the ground are Siberian Kale starts, the foundation green of Winter here on the farm.
Fall on the farm is tending, tidying, harvesting, storing, and organizing. It is celebrating the warmth and lack of HEAT. It is counting the moments until the frost really comes, because that changes everything. And it is reveling in the successes and hashing through the (relative few) failures of the season because next up on the list is planning next season!
But before we start planning next season, we need to finish this one! I want to take a moment to remind you to sign up for your Winter CSA. The Winter CSA is a major part of our farm. During the summer we spend a lot of time and energy and dedicate a lot of farm space to growing storage vegetables and raising animals to feed you, our community, all winter long. Please join us on our year round culinary adventure and nourish yourself with food you can trust! (Click HERE or the button below!)
We love that we get to feed you all year. Food is the fuel for all of life’s joys and journeys. We love that it is our purpose, and indeed our pleasure, to provide you with nourishing ingredients through our CSAs, Farm Store, and farmers market stands. Thank you so much for being part of our community!
Save the Date: Customer Appreciation Day, 10/27
Please join us on Sunday, October 27. Rain or shine; snow or sleet, we will be celebrating all of you, OUR COMMUNITY, and the end to a fabulous and prolific growing season!
- We will be selling small plates for lunch, $2 to $4 per plate; vegetarian and omnivore options available.
- Our Farm Store will be open for shopping.
- We will have live music on the deck, 12-1:30 pm.
- Our 25-acre field will be open for gleaning carrots, onions, and many other treasures.
- Suggested donation, $10
Come prepared for the whatever weather is in store and a day of chatting, eating, celebrating, and gleaning!
Please, NO DOGS ALLOWED!
Fall vibes for sure! The root washer is up and running, the pigs are feasting on delicacies as we clear beds in the 25-acre and plant cover crops, the hot peppers are finally making an appearance, and our pig birthing pens are full of piglets!
Meanwhile the 25-acre is still looking beautiful and harvest continues. Beets, onions, and potatoes for storage and all the grapes on the deck were harvested and Tristan made the world’s best grape jam which you can find at our Farm Store or at the Bend and Sisters Farmers Markets!
Amanda Mythen, Rachel Hansen, Melissa Harmon
Winter CSA Shares still available
Our Winter CSA is the perfect way to continue nourishing yourself with nutrient dense and locally grown produce and meats all winter long. We firmly believe in the power of local food year round and we cannot wait to continue feeding you and yours!
We make this CSA as easy as possible! Pick up on the first Thursday of the month, November through May:
- in Sisters, 3:30-3:45, at the Fir Street Park
- in Bend, 4:30-5:30, at the Deschutes County Parking Lot (1300 NW Wall Street)
Or at the Farm Store the Friday (11-5) and Saturday (9-3) following, 71290 Holmes Rd!
The Winter CSA Details
- Shares starting at $76/month!
- Meat only or Meat and Vegetable
- Select your own vegetables, meat is prepackaged for you
- Pay in Full or Monthly subscription payment –> with the monthly subscription, you pay for November when you sign up (maybe today…) and then don’t pay again until Dec. 1.
- Use your SNAP benefits and your vegetable share is covered by Double Up Food Bucks!
Save the Date: Fill Your Pantry, November 9
The 9th Annual Central Oregon Fill Your Pantry is a community bulk-buying farmers market held at the OSU Extension Parking lot at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds. If the Rainshadow Winter CSA isn’t your thing, this is another great option for sourcing local foods.
This is a bulk-focused farmers market, so bring your muscles! Farmers, ranchers, orchardists, and producers will be selling large quantities of items. For example, 20lb bags of onions, 50lb bags of potatoes, 25lb boxes of ground beef, etc.
You can shop day of, or (what we highly recommend) pre-order your goods October 20-November 2. This ensures that you will actually get what you want! Click on the button below to bookmark the pre-order page and then set an alarm for October 20 to do your shopping before the pre-orders sell out!
If you just want to enjoy the last Farmers Market in Central Oregon of the year, come on out on November 9! We can’t wait to see you.
October Farm-to-Table Events
Join us on farm for some glorious fall weather and help us bid farewell to the decadent 2024 growing season.
Once October comes to a close we’ll be putting our greenhouse walls back up on the porch and converting it to our “Arizona Room”. So come enjoy the views, the perfect temps, community, and a delicious meal before the seasons turn.
Upcoming Events:
Salty Debby’s Sockeye: Central Oregon Delivery, November 7
This year Salt Debby’s Sockeye, aka farm friend Keree Smith, will be delivering her frozen Sockeye at our Thursday, November 7 CSA delivery. If you purchase a box of fish from her, you can pick it up in Sisters or Bend that day *or* at the Farm Store during our open hours on Friday and Saturday after that.
Keree fishes in Bristol Bay and this fish is hand bled and refrigerated immediately after being caught and then processed and flash flash frozen soon thereafter. Purchasing a box of premium sockeye fillets from small-scale fishing operations like hers directly supports the livelihood of the fisherman while also working with the needs of the fishery itself front and center.
More information and to purchase click HERE or the button below.
