In honor of our 25th year as a subscription farm, we had a dinner for the 16 families who have been subscribing for 15 years or more to our farm. What fun we had! The weather was perfect.

When we started Pumpkin Ridge Gardens in 1990, it was a grand experiment. We had heard of subscription farming but didn’t know if people would accept and support it. The four families that joined us that first year were likewise gambling that we could do it. One of those families still subscribes 25 years later and were with us for the evening.

Having customers that support us for so many years is vital to our farm. They not only sustain us financially, but are our greatest boosters. Many of the 28 people who attended the dinner told us that their children, who grew up on Pumpkin Ridge Gardens vegetables, really care about eating “real food.” Many of the kids of our long-term subscribers belong to a CSA themselves. One family who attended the evening have a daughter who subscribes to our farm!

The dinner was packed with seasonal vegetables from the farm.

The menu included Summer Corn chowder (vegetarian and non-vegetarian), stuffed eggplant, leek gratin, ponzu grilled salmon with golden beet couscous, island pork tenderloin salad on collard greens, green salad, pear upside-down cake, plum and pear cake, and apple and dried cherry crumble.

One of the attendees sent us an email that captured the evening perfectly and made us feel great about what we do and who we do it for:

“Thank you again for including us in the celebration of your 25th anniversary of providing amazing vegetables for our consumption! We have never regretted the decision to belong to your CSA…only that we should have started sooner! The dinner was delicious, the views were spectacular, and the conversations about farming and food were interesting and delightful.
Again, thank you for an amazing dinner and for all that you do to promote healthy living in Oregon.”