2025 Vegetable Subscription information is live on our website! Enrollment Day begins on Sunday, October 13th at 7 a.m. Signing up by October 14th comes with bonuses (like a cash or check discount!)
We're publishing this information now so that when your alarm goes off at 6:50 a.m. on Enrollment Day, you'll know exactly what to select in our online store.
Click here to read program descriptions and scroll down here to read more about our bonus offer.
Early Enrollment Period
This year's Early Enrollment period will run from Sunday, October 13th at 7:00 a.m. through 11:59 p.m. on Monday, October 14th (a 2-day sale!) Anyone enrolling for a subscription during that time period will earn perks for committing their support to their farmer well in advance of next year's season!
What are the Early Bird Perks?
1. A cash or check discount. Use the table below to see what your price would be.
To receive the discount, follow these steps:
Sign up for your subscription through our online store at www.laurelglenfarm.com/subscriptions by 11:59 p.m. on Monday, October 14, 2024.
At checkout, click on “Offline Payment” instead of putting your credit card information in.
Print your order confirmation and submit it along with cash or check payment (using the table above) to us in our store during open hours. You can pay a 50% deposit or in full. Payment is required within 7 days of enrollment. If not received in 7 days, we will email notice of cancellation of your order. Remaining balances are due upon the first 2025 pickup.
We will provide you with a written receipt to document your payment.
Sorry, but we cannot refund credit card payments to accept a cash payment afterward, as this defeats the purpose of avoiding credit card fees on our end. Venmo also charges business fees and is not accepted.
2. An invitation to our Bonus Box Harvesting Event. On Saturday, September 13th, 2025, you’ll come to the farm to harvest-your-own free share of veggies to take home. Note that there is no substitution for attending this one-time event in person as the fun is joining us here in the fields!
This offer expires at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, October 14, 2024. These early bird bonuses are non-transferrable and cannot be redeemed for cash or store credit.
What's Staying the Same for 2025?
The length of the programs (Extended Season is 32 weeks, Main Season is 20 weeks, Peak Season is 13 weeks)
Customization options: small shares, large shares, and Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday pickup options for Main and Extended Season; one size and Thursday pickup day for Peak Season
The fun of the program: classic and unique vegetables, the weekly newsletter, challenges, contests, giveaways, the Facebook group, the swap able, and invitations to various farm happenings!
The choice options every week! In 2024, we changed our format slightly: the share of veggies includes a few base items that are the same for all members, and then each week at pickup, members get to choose 1-2 items from our back table to round out their share. This has been extremely well-received!
What's Changing for 2025?
We've decided to retire our biweekly pickup option. We know this is a beloved option, but as our program has grown, we are feeling a strain to balance the biweekly and non-biweekly pickup vegetable harvest and pack. Growing enough items for 40 additional biweekly spots has led to an imbalance between weeks. If we were to alternate biweekly pickup weeks for different members, we feel that this would lead to confusion and miscommunication. We apologize for any disappointment that this may bring, but we know it's the right move to streamline our processes here. We recommend two options as alternatives:
- Find a partner and register under one name. Decide amongst yourselves who will pick up on which weeks.
- Switch to the Peak Season program. The Peak Season program only spans 13 weeks, so it involves a less frequent commitment to picking up across the year.
Why Should I Enroll Early?
1. Besides the benefit of receiving Early Bird perks, we recommend enrolling early to claim your spot.
We fill about 140 spots on the first day of enrollment, so if there is a particular program and day you're hoping to enroll in, you'll be able to snag it!
It seems so silly, but we highly recommend setting an alarm on Enrollment Day!
2. The number one reason to us: your farmer appreciates it more than you know! Knowing that you’ll all be back for another year will give us extreme peace of mind over the winter months and will allow us to start crop planning efficiently. We only require a 50% deposit at the time of enrollment (Select offline payment at checkout and then mail us a check for 50% of the total of your share.) You can pay your balance next year upon your first pickup.
How Will Enrollment Day Work?
Enrollment Day has been incredibly busy in years past! We can not answer questions and help with troubleshooting on Enrollment Day, except if our own technology goes down. We strongly suggest you familiarize yourself with program details and walk through the process of enrolling beforehand - we are happy to answer questions and help ahead of Enrollment Day! (P.S. Don't forget about the cash or check discount and be sure to read the details above to see how to pay! Sorry, but we can not refund credit card payments to accept a cash payment afterward, as this defeats the purpose of avoiding credit card fees on our end.)
We are so sorry, but we absolutely can not make any exceptions for members who miss out on a spot, no matter what. We strongly recommend setting yourself an alarm so that you don't miss the sign up window and 2-day sale.
We love chatting about our Vegetable Subscription program - it's our pride and joy! Please feel free to send us an email at laurelglenfarm@gmail.com or give Victoria a call at 203-305-9179 with any questions.
Randy and I are celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary this Friday, and we're launching the perfect product to coincide with this special day.
As you know, we sent 1,000 more pounds of tomatoes off to be made into another special product, and we're excited to present to you...
Just a Crush! We can't wait to see what you cook up this winter with these simply crushed tomatoes. These will be on sale beginning on our anniversary weekend, this Friday, October 4th for $7 each.
Safe to say, what started as "just a crush" for us in high school, (he went to Emmett O'Brien and I went to Derby High School, and we met through a mutual friend) has blossomed into the farm we share today.
Chicken plushies will be back on Saturday, October 12th with some new "breeds" - like this black Australorp named Cher!
Speaking of which, Richard the Rooster is a dad!
Allow me to explain...
Our friend Jess had a broody hen as part of her flock. This means that her hen was sitting in the laying box without moving, signaling a desire to sit on an egg to hatch. Since we have a rooster, we can pretty much guarantee our eggs are fertilized, so we gave her a few of our eggs as an experiment.
Mama hen, pictured above, sat on the egg for a little over two weeks. And the little chicky above was born!
It most likely looks like a black Australorp crossed with a buttercup (Richard). Its name is Tilly (even though we technically don't know if it's a girl or a boy) and it will stay with Jess's flock. We plan to expand our own flock this winter.
And finally, lots of fall crops are back!
Lettuce, beets, romaine, spinach, arugula, leeks, celery, bok choy, kohlrabi, and more, can be found in our store. Escarole will most likely return next week.
Our members are receiving kohlrabi in their shares this week. Perfect for Oktoberfest, kohlrabi means "cabbage turnip" in German. Cole slaw gets its name because cabbage is a "cole crop" and the "kohl" in kohlrabi has the same meaning.
Like cabbage, kohlrabi can be green or red. It looks like a big turnip bulb with leaves.
You peel the bulb, and inside there's a turnip. It can be roasted or mashed like a potato, grated and made into slaw, cut into matchsticks along with apple for a salad, or air fried to make chips. Many of our members even just love to slice and eat it raw. You can saute the greens along with any other greens or veggies.
To celebrate Oktoberfest, consider trying these recipes this week:
WHAT'S IN STORE
Here is the fresh produce we plan to have in stock while supplies last (through Friday, 10/4):
Acorn Squash
Arugula
Beets
Bell peppers
Bok choy
Broccoli
Butternut Squash
Cabbage (green)
Carrots
Cauliflower
Collard greens
Cucumbers
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
Kale
Kohlrabi
Leeks
Lettuce
Mustard greens
Napa cabbage
Onions
Potatoes (red and gold)
Radishes
Raspberries (limited availability)
Scallions
Shishito peppers
Spaghetti Squash
Spinach (limited availability)
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 17 OF 20
(Tuesday, October 1st through Saturday, October 5th)
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:
1 small bunch of celery or basil (you choose!)
1 lb. of tomatoes
1 head of broccoli or cauliflower (you choose!)
1 head of bok choy
1 head of romaine
2 kohlrabi
1 large bunch of beets
Small:
1 small bunch of celery or basil (you choose!)
1 lb. of tomatoes
1 head of broccoli or cauliflower (you choose!)
1 head of romaine
1 kohlrabi
1 bunch of beets
Caring For Your Share (All of this information, plus long-term storage info, can also be found in our Vegetable Library of Resources).
Shake out any excess water in the head of romaine and bok choy, then store in a plastic bag in the fridge. Wash and spin out 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 beets and store them in separate plastic bags in the fridge. Use greens within the week; beets can last up to a month. 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.
Remove the greens from the kohlrabi bulbs and store in separate plastic bags in the fridge. Use the greens within a week; the bulbs can last a couple of weeks if stored properly.
Trim the bottoms of basil and place the stems in a glass of cold water, like a bouquet. Keep it out of the fridge, as basil leaves can turn black when exposed to cold temperatures. Use within a few days.
Keep tomatoes out on the counter and out of direct sunlight, where they will get plenty of air flow. Do not put them in the fridge; it will dry out the tomatoes and change their consistency. Tomatoes continue to ripen after harvested, so use within a few days. To ripen a tomato quickly, put it in a paper bag in a dark place, like a cabinet.
The LGF Cooking Club (Recipes to try in addition to those in the Library of Resources!)
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.
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