2025 Subscription Program enrollment opens on Sunday, October 13th at 7 a.m. Our Early Bird Registration Period runs through Monday, October 14th and includes perks for your early commitment.
As you gear up for enrollment day, we recommend considering these 5 tips ahead of time so you know you've made the best decision for your family for next season and so enrollment day goes smoothly.
(This is the second email in our 2025 subscription program registration series. Click here to read the first one, which is all about the early bird perks and changes for next year.)
1. Compare the Extended Season, Main Season, and Peak Season programs
We recommend the Extended Season for members who would be excited to cook with any vegetable in their share, including greens, cabbage crops, root crops, and onion crops. The program runs for 32 weeks of the year. It begins in early May, and the nature of the share is heavily comprised of a variety of familiar and lesser-known greens for the first 6 weeks of the program prior to the 20-week Main Season portion. When the Extended Season continues for 6 weeks beyond the Main Season, it includes crops like winter squash, cabbage crops, onion family crops, and root crops.
Here’s a photo of what the share looks like in the early portion of the Extended Season:
And the late portion:
If classic summer crops are more your speed, we recommend the Main Season program. Although both programs include many lesser-known items like kohlrabi, Tokyo bekana, tomatillos, and bok choy, the Main Season spans 20 weeks during the most bountiful time of the year, when classic summer vegetables are coming in heavily.
Here's a photo of what that's looked like (tomatoes arrive around the first week of August):
The Peak Season is a mini version of both of these beloved programs, with pickups only spanning for 13 weeks. We recommend this option for anyone who can't commit to weekly pickups for a longer period of time or someone looking to try this experience out for the first time.
2. Familiarize yourself with the customization options
We offer pickups on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, so it’s important to consider which best fits your schedule and lifestyle, if you're hoping to swing in after work or take your time shopping on the weekend.
Also consider if a small or large share is best for your family’s lifestyle. The small share includes 5-7 items per week, and the large share includes 7-9, a few with increased quantities.
Here's a photo of a small share during the Main Season in July:
Here's the large on that same week in July:
Click here to see our sample Harvest Calendar, which shows all of the items in the Main Season share across the 2023 season, for more help with choosing a size.
Please note: Once you are enrolled in a program, we can not switch you over to a different one.
3. Know that you only need to pay for half of your share now
It’s a huge deal to us that our members pay upfront for their share. It allows us to make large investments prior to the growing season: repairs, ordering seeds, maintenance, and budgeting. Programs like these are referred to as Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs, and your farmers are so appreciative of the support.
When you enroll, you are only required to pay for a 50% deposit on your share. Rather than entering credit card information, click “Offline Payment” at checkout, then drop off a cash or check payment at the store. Follow the table below to receive the discount price if you enroll by Monday, October 14th.
(Sorry, no Venmo as they charge business fees on transactions!) Deposits are due within 14 days of enrollment to hold your spot. Balances are due one week before the start of your program.
4. Set an alarm for enrollment day
Enrollment for 2025 opens on Sunday, October 13th at 7:00 a.m. We recommend signing up then to claim your spot! Early Bird Registration closes on Monday, October 14th. After that, there is no other opportunity to receive bonuses:
A cash or check discount on your share.
An invitation to our Bonus Box harvesting event next September.
5. Reach out to us with other questions
We love our subscription members, and we’re always seeking more incredible people to join our community. If you’ve been thinking about joining us, or about making a change to your current subscription, please ask us any questions you might have. It’s super important to us that you feel comfortable and prepared ahead of enrollment day.
Remember that we will not be answering questions or helping with troubleshooting beyond potential issues with our own website that day, so we strongly encourage you to reach out ahead of time. Call or email Victoria at 203-305-9179 or laurelglenfarm@gmail.com.
This weekend, Randy and I are celebrating our 10 year wedding anniversary, so I'm keeping these updates short and sweet otherwise. Don't forget that our "Just a Crush" crushed tomatoes are going on sale this Friday for $7 each.
This week we completed the tedious but necessary task of portioning out all of the winter squash for our Extended Season program shares. We don’t include winter squash in our Main Season shares because we believe so strongly in seasonality - we eat what’s fresh and available now, and store these into December when there aren’t as many options available. (Although you can technically still find them in our farm stand now.) We still have 10 more weeks until our season ends, so we stretch the produce as long as we can. We grow delicata, acorn, butternut, spaghetti, and honeynut.
We're also working on harvesting a ton of cabbage family crops, like Napa cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower. Napa cabbage will be in veggie shares this week.
Napa cabbage is my favorite green to grill. If you have a grill pan, give this a try - chop it up, toss it in olive oil and salt and pepper, and grill it until it gets soft. It retains a nice crunch. Anyone else feel like it's still grilling season even though it's October?
I also love Napa cabbage for soup and stir fry because it goes really far. Randy's mom makes an amazing Napa cabbage slaw (recipe at the bottom of the newsletter) and crew member Ethan makes an awesome homemade kimchi.
Hakurei salad turnips will be in shares this week, too. These are in my top 5 raw veggies to eat. They're sweet, peppery, tender, crunchy, and somehow juicy all at the same time. I love to cut them up and dip them in tzatziki or hummus. They're also awesome when roasted or sauteed, since cooking them makes them sweeter. Don't toss the greens, either! You can cook them along with other greens and they have a turnip flavor.
And finally, broccoli rabe is back this week, too! You all know I'm a summer girl, so your free choice item will be one of the summer favorites we're still harvesting in abundance. Even though the shares are looking more like autumn these days, I hold on to summer cooking for as long as I can...
Next weekend we have a bunch of special events happening, and I'll pop back into your inbox at the beginning of the week to let you know all about it. Until then!
Yes, we still have bulk boxes of tomatoes! They're winding down but we are able to continue packing them - email to check for a specific day if you're interested. $45 for 25 lbs. of plum tomatoes, $35 for 25 lbs. of tomato "seconds."
We are seeking more clean boxes to reuse for orders! Medium and large sizes only, please. Nothing smaller than a box for a case of wine or a box of diapers. Think Chewy, Amazon, meal prep service, etc. Simply rip your address label off first - no need to break down the boxes. Thank you for your support!
WHAT'S IN STORE
Here is the fresh produce we plan to have in stock while supplies last (through Friday, 10/11):
Acorn Squash
Arugula
Beets
Bell peppers
Bok choy
Broccoli
Butternut Squash
Cabbage (green)
Carrots
Cauliflower
Collard greens
Cucumbers (winding down)
Delicata Squash
Eggplant
Fresh herbs (sage, thyme, parsley, rosemary, mint, and basil)
Garlic
Grape tomatoes
Green/wax beans
Honeynut Squash
Hot peppers (assorted)
Husk cherries (winding down)
Kale
Kohlrabi
Leeks
Lettuce
Mustard greens
Napa cabbage
Onions
Potatoes (red and gold)
Radishes
Raspberries (the last of them for 2024)
Scallions
Shishito peppers
Spaghetti Squash
Tomatillos
Tomatoes
Yellow squash
Zucchini
STORE HOURS
Monday: 10:30 to 6
Tuesday: 10:30 to 6
Wednesday: 10:30 to 6
Thursday: 10:30 to 6
Friday: 10:30 to 5
Saturday: 9 to 4
Sunday: 10 to 3
So sorry, but we can't accommodate early or late arrivals even if we are around. Our staff is scheduled to work on prepping the store with the freshest products right up until we open. We also try to honor personal lives by closing promptly.
** Vegetable subscription pickup occurs during all open hours on members' scheduled pickup day and we hold shares for 24 hours afterward.
MARKET HOURS
Shelton Farmers' Market - Saturdays from 9 to 12 at 100 Canal Street.
Monroe Farmers' Market - Fridays from 3 to 6 at 7 Fan Hill Road.
THIS WEEK'S VEGGIE SUBSCRIPTIONS
MAIN SEASON WEEK 18 OF 20
(Tuesday, October 8th through Saturday, October 12th)
Biweekly pickup occurs on all odd-numbered weeks - 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19.
Share Contents (Listed approximately from shortest shelf life to longest)
Large:
2 bunches of broccoli rabe
1 head of broccoli
1 head of cauliflower
1 free choice of summer favorites: tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers, zucchini, squash, eggplant, beans
1 bunch of salad turnips
1 head of Napa cabbage
1 lb. of carrots
1 onion
Small:
1 bunch of broccoli rabe
1 head of broccoli or cauliflower (farmer's choice this week)
1 free choice of summer favorites: tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers, zucchini, squash, eggplant, beans
1 bunch of salad turnips
1 head of Napa cabbage
1/2 lb. of carrots
Caring For Your Share (All of this information, plus long-term storage info, can also be found in our Vegetable Library of Resources).
Store Napa cabbage in a plastic bag in the fridge (use two, one on each end, if needed due to size). Wash when ready to use.
Store your head of cauliflower in an open plastic bag in the fridge. Wash and use within the week.
Remove any greens from the salad turnips and store them in separate plastic bags in the fridge. Wash when ready to use.
Most sources will recommend wrapping heads of broccoli and celery in a damp paper towel in the fridge. We think the less air it's exposed to the better. Open air causes it to wilt fast. You can try putting your broccoli and celery in a plastic bag in the fridge and using it within the week. Wash when ready to use.
Store dry onions in a cool, dark, dry place, such as a pantry, cabinet, or cellar. Ensure that they have plenty of airflow; you can store them in a mesh bag. Keep them away from potatoes.
Store broccoli rabe in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of your fridge. Or, trim the ends and store it in a glass of water, like a bouquet. Wash when ready to use (within the week).
Store carrots in the plastic bag in the vegetable crisper, where they may last for weeks when stored properly.
The LGF Cooking Club (Recipes to try in addition to those in the Library of Resources!)
Napa Cabbage Wedge Salad with Apples and Buttermilk Dressing
Asian Napa Cabbage Slaw (Randy's mom's favorite - use your salad turnips!)
Broccoli Rabe and Tortellini Soup - This sounds delicious, but I definitely laughed when visualizing the typo - a bushel of broccoli rabe is a LOT. I think he means a bunch.
How to Change Your Vegetable Subscription Pickup Day
If you need to skip your share for the week, or change your pickup day, you must provide us with 48 hours notice for any of the options below. This is because we pack shares the day before pickup. Once your share has been harvested and packed, we can not cancel your pickup.
For Tuesday pickups being changed, we need to know by Sunday.
Wednesday pickups, we need to know by Monday.
Saturday pickups, we need to know by Thursday.
You have the option to choose another of those pickup days in a given week: Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday.
You can skip a pickup and receive a double the following week.
If you miss your pickup, we will hold your share for 24 hours after your pickup day, and then it will be donated to a local food pantry. With more members than ever before, we don't have the cooler space to hold onto shares longer than this. This is a great option if you accidentally miss your pickup - just come the next day.
You can always send a guest to pick up in your place by simply notifying us of their name.
Comments