With the holidays coming up, our minds turn to those less fortunate than ourselves. Here are two ways that you could help feed those in need this holiday season.

First, our neighboring farmer Lyn Jacobs of La Finquita del Buho is also a doctor at The  Virginia Garcia Clinic in Cornelius. She has facilitated a food delivery system for some of her patients who are unable or afraid to leave their houses in these uncertain times. She is asking for donations of non-perishable food boxes for delivery on the week before Christmas. We can pick up a box from you on December 16th (for Tuesday deliveries) or December 19^th (Fridays) when we deliver your basket. Here are the foods they are looking for: pasta, beans, rice, onions, potatoes, carrots, maseca, cooking oil, sugar, flour, canned goods…(enough for a family for a week – less than 21 lb).

The second way that you could help is to support the Pacific Northwest CSA Coalition, the non-profit membership organization for CSA farmers. They have lost about half their grant funding this year. This deals a blow to the critical work they do: educating  and connecting farmers, running a share fair that connects us with customers, and, most crucially, administering the SNAP program and Double Up Food Bucks that allows low-income families to access CSAs. They need to raise $15,000 for 2026 and every donation counts! Donate here

Greetings all~

It was great to come out and meet some of you at the pumpkin pick up and get to see the csa in action and experience the pizza!! As promised, here is the availability and pricing for the Thanksgiving pear order.

hey all~

We are so excited to partner with Pumpkin Ridge Gardens again this year. This is our 3rd season working with you all. We appreciate your support and enthusiasm for our pears. This year, we are structuring the orders a bit differently. Orders will be placed directly with us, using the following email: jen@bigbarnorganics.com

Please see availability below. We are coordinating with the pumpkin pick up at the farm pumpkin pick-up weekend on oct 18th and oct 19th.  All orders need to be  placed by Oct. 13th.

Payment with cash or a check is appreciated at the time of pick up that weekend.

Bartlett:  these are the first of our pears to be picked. This year, harvest was on the early side and compressed! These pears were picked mid August and this is last call! We are at the tail end of our inventory. First come, first serve.

2 lbs         $4

5 lbs         $8

25 lbs $32

Abate Fetel:  this Italian varietal is perfect for appetizers, in salads or as a stand alone treat.

2 lbs.  $5

5 lbs.  $10

Gem:  great pear now if you want some crunch and a bit of acid. let ripen a few days, and they are equally as good, a bit sweeter with a little more juice.

2 lbs.  $5

5 lbs.  $10

Hosui: one of three of the Asian pears that we grow. What can I say? Crunchy, juicy, flavorful

2 lbs.  $6

5 lbs.  $13

25 lbs.  $55

Big Barn Organics

jen@bigbarnorganics.com

541-980-9693

Give the gift of delicious, healthy, and sustainably caught wild fish to the seafood lover in your life or make your own festive meal stand out with one of our featured holiday sampler boxes. Each box showcases a curated array of our wild Alaskan seafood such as Halibut, Cold Smoked Salmon Lox, and True Cod

As a gift from us to you, we are offering the Pumpkin Ridge community 15%. Use the discount code PR15 at checkout to save.

More holiday cheer –  These boxes, as well as our regular products, are available to ship out of state. Simply choose ‘shipping’ at checkout and it will populate shipping costs. Note that all shipments include next day delivery, dry ice, and insulated boxing.

Place an order for your own household or your loved ones between today and December 19th for a December 20th or December 21st pickup or delivery

Available boxes:

Tis’ The Season Sampler Box: Treat yourself or give the gift of delicious seafood with our limited-edition ‘Tis The Season Sampler Box. Packed with over 8 pounds of wild Alaskan seafood, this box showcases seven of our most beloved products: Wild Alaskan sockeye salmon, coho salmon, hot smoked sockeye, cold smoked sockeye lox, smoked salmon spread, halibut, & true cod. ORDER HERERudolph Smoked Salmon Box: Provide yourself and others with something special this season by purchasing our Rudolph’s Smoked Sampler Box. You are sure to impress with this array of smoked goodness featuring our wild Alaskan hot smoked sockeye salmon, cold smoked sockeye lox, and smoked salmon spread. ORDER HERE

These are the varieties of pears Jen from Big Barn Organics included in your sampler bag.

As we do every year, we will be delivering double baskets prior to Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve. We will be giving 2 weeks worth of veggies in a single delivery, including items that store well. The schedule this year is:

Thanksgiving Double Basket on Friday, Nov. 19th & Tuesday, Nov. 23rd

No delivery Friday, Nov. 26th & Tuesday, Nov. 30th

Normal delivery Friday, Dec. 3rd & Tuesday, December 7th

December Double Baskets on Friday, Dec. 10th & Tuesday, Dec. 14th, Friday Dec. 17th & Tuesday Dec. 21st

No delivery Friday, Dec. 24th & Tuesday, Dec. 28th, Friday, Dec. 31st & Tuesday, Jan. 4th

Normal deliveries resume Friday, Jan. 7th

We are growing tromboncino squash this year as an experiment. They are an heirloom climbing squash that can be used as a winter squash, but are usually eaten as a summer squash, prized for their firm texture. We got interested in them through the Culinary Breeding Network, an organization based in Portland, that encourages breeders, chefs and farmers to collaborate. Lane Selman, who started the organization, has Italian roots and has introduced several Italian heirlooms to area farmers. Tromboncini are delicious pickled. We have used them in several traditional Italian recipes, including a risotto and a simple soup of potatoes, tromboncino, pasta and tomatoes sprinkled with parmesan cheese. Here is the link to the adorable video we watched to teach us this recipe (the video uses cucuzzi, but tromboncini work perfectly): Cucuzzi with Zisolhouse

The following is our schedule for deliveries throughout the holiday season:

TUESDAYS:

Double basket on 11/26

Skip delivery 12/3

Double baskets on 12/10 & 12/17

Skip delivery on 12/24 & 12/31

FRIDAYS:

Double basket on 11/22

Skip delivery 11/29

Normal delivery 12/6

Double deliveries 12/13 & 20

Skip delivery 12/27 & 1/3

Check out this great post by one of our subscribers! https://thecrunchyginger.com/5-tips-for-using-a-fall-csa-basket/