It's no secret - our vegetable subscriptions are the heart and soul of our operations here at Laurel Glen Farm. Though we have a soft spot for every single person who patronizes Laurel Glen Farm, the community of members in our vegetable subscription program is unmatched by any other local farm community we've seen.
As we head into Enrollment Day for our 2023 programs, which is happening this Sunday, October 16th beginning at 7 a.m., we're looking back at the top 5 moments we'll remember from this season.
5. The Pick-Your-Own Members Only Event
About 35 families came out to the farm to harvest their own free bag of grape tomatoes, lunchbox peppers, or shishito peppers - and wow, was it a beautiful day! We love inviting you to see the farm and spend some time here, and we especially love having the opportunity to have face time with you.
4. Our Spud Specialist Cooking Contest
From upside-down shepherd's pie, to chocolate mashed potato truffles, to chowders, to potato pancakes, we challenged you all to show how versatile potatoes can be... and you all came through! Brian earned the ultimate title of 2022 LGF Spud Specialist by wowing us with his savory garlic cheddar potato donuts with chive and sour cream whipped potato topping, and he took home a custom, commemorative potato masher engraved with his new title.
3. The Googly Eye Photo Challenge
We're pretty sure this one goes down in Laurel Glen Farm history. What can you make with a pepper and a couple of googly eyes? Turns out, it makes for a LOT of smiles! Terry H. won our googly eye pepper photo contest with a couple of snaps of a very anxious pepper who didn't want to turn into a salad... but did.
Holy cow! The number of submissions in this contest was unreal and kept our community smiling for about 10 days. We certainly have a lot of simple fun in this program.
2. Our Bonus Box Harvesting Event
In September, we hosted our second annual Bonus Box harvesting event - a perk that members earned when they signed up for their 2022 subscription during our Early Bird enrollment period. Are we offering this opportunity again? You bet! Sign up for your 2023 subscription between Enrollment Day on Sunday, October 16th at 7 a.m. and Sunday, October 23rd and you'll automatically be invited. These families got to come to the farm and harvest a veggie box of their own!
1. Our Facebook Group Chatter
Okay, so this isn't a moment, but it's the sum of a seasons' worth of moments. Logging into Facebook and seeing positive posts of what our members are cooking with their shares truly reinforces what this community means to us. We showed off how we cooked with kohlrabi and tomatillos, drawing inspiration from each other on days when we weren't sure what to cook. And as the subscription manager, seeing your responses to polls each week - like "Do you want zucchini this week or not?" was the most useful feedback for helping us create a program that revolves around what our members want. When we're not meeting in person, we're connecting virtually, and the engagement in this Facebook group surpasses every expectation we could have in running a CSA program. You all put the "community" in Community Supported Agriculture!
If you're a returning member planning to join us again next season, we can't want to have you back! And if you're a new one, we can't wait to welcome you.
This concludes our 2023 Vegetable Subscription enrollment series, and if you missed the first two posts, here they are:
You can also read all about the 2023 subscription product descriptions here. This is where you'll check out online.
Whether new or returning, we recommend setting your alarm for Enrollment Day - Sunday, October 16th at 7 a.m. And don't forget to use the code EARLYBIRD at checkout for 5% off of your subscription. This offer is good through Sunday, October 23rd and you MUST enter it at checkout to receive the discount.
Last year you all blew us away with your support on Enrollment Day. Let's rally!
With gratitude always,
Victoria, Randy, and Peter