Best NW Farm Share: Helsing Junction Farms
YAY! We’re about 3 weeks out from our Helsing Junction Farms organic farm share and there are still spots available this year for you to nab! The start of our farm share with these ladies always feels like the official start of summer and a clean slate for committing to (mostly) healthy eating. 20 weeks of joy that always starts with sweet berries, cherries, pretty pink radishes, turnips, bok choy, and tender lettuces and ends with delicious winter squash, pears, beets, and more yummy greens. At this point, I can’t imagine summer and fall without all these gorgeous veggies, fruits, lovely jars, and cheese loveliness available from the other farms they partner with. All our beautiful, organic produce for 4 and a half months comes from Annie and Sue’s amazing NW farm. It feels REALLY good to support these hardworking women in agriculture who employ a lot of other ladies to work their 42 acres. Annie and Sue have been at it for over 26 years and they are inspiring, kind-hearted, mindful, inclusive, and I’m so proud to spread the word about what they do. MORE INFO.
A SWEET DEAL:
Get $10 off your share with: Healthy2018 when you sign up for HELSING JUNCTION 2018!
DELIVERY: PORTLAND • VANCOUVER • SEATTLE • TACOMA • OLYMPIA • MORE LOCATIONS
You can get your share delivered to your door for a little extra or just use a pickup location.
WHAT WE’RE GETTING FOR 2018:
We are a household of 2 people who like to eat out at least a couple times a week, so we could probably be very happy with the Mini Share from Helsing Junction Farms. However, we also love to eat piles of veggies, cook big batches of meals to freeze, and I am known around our house for being particularly enthusiastic (read: greedy) about fruit, so we get the Medium Share and the Fruit Share. The Medium Share is substantial for 2 people and is meant for 2 to 3 people. I’m kind of overwhelmed with my own flower garden situation this year, but I am still thinking about adding the lovely Flower Share and the insanely wonderful Mushroom Share — so tempting. I’m also considering adding the Cheese Share because it’s exciting to have these yummy creations in the fridge for quick snacks with fruit. We get home delivery! READ ABOUT SHARES.
SHARE OPTIONS: MINI SHARE (1-2 people) • MEDIUM SHARE (2-3 people) • LARGE SHARE (3-4 people) • HEALING SHARE (2-3 people, no nightshades) • PALEO SHARE (2-3 people low-glycemic index) • SNACK SHARE (1-2 people — berries, peas radishes, heirloom apples, melon, cherry tomatoes, sweet peppers, and more) • CHEF SHARE • JUICING SHARE (8 weeks) • FLOWER SHARE (14 weeks — so beautiful!) • FRUIT SHARE (15 weeks of magic) • SAUERKRAUT SHARE (raw w/probiotics) • YOGURT SHARE (9 deliveries — from happy cows) • HANDCRAFTED CHEESE SHARE (8 deliveries) • MUSHROOM SHARE (18 weeks) • BULK SHARE (3 distributions) • STORAGE SHARE • CANNING SHARE (3 distributions) • MORE INFO
HOW WE ROLL:
If you have been wanting to sign up for a farm share, I highly recommend you do! Helsing Junction Farms is hands down the best CSA we’ve ever supported. The quality, options, integrity, the care, communication, people, and the variety in every box, is unparalleled. With a combination of meal planning and spontaneity — you’ll find your rhythm. It’s fun and inspires you to look at more recipes and to get creative while eating fresh, organic, healthy food (that massive Helsing Junction Farms recipe database helps!). I definitely feel healthier, have more energy, and lose a few pounds that I need to shed, but I’m eating yummy stuff ALL DAY LONG. We’ve had farms in the past that gave us unrealistic quantities of things we liked, but could never finish before they were gone. We eat everything in our farm share from HJF and always have the option of putting our share on hold up to twice a year if we know we are going to be out of town or too busy to get through our box (you get a double share at a later date of your choice). There are also opportunities throughout the summer and fall to purchase bulk shares of fruits (jam!) and veggies (pickling!), and delicious extras from Sue and Annie’s farm buddies. SEE SHARE OPTIONS + SIGN UP.
GIFT A FARM SHARE:
Gifting Helsing Junction Farms CSA shares would be such a sweet wedding gift or way to support a loved one who wants to eat healthier. You can purchase shares for the whole season or by the month or by early summer, mid summer, and late summer. Also, once you have a farm share, you can schedule an order for an extra veggie share box for one week if you want to give someone a really awesome birthday gift or housewarming present! You also have the ability to donate community shares if you want to share the organic veggie love with people in need. More HERE.
➔ FOLLOW THE HELSING JUNCTION FARM CREW + WEEKLY SHARES:
INSTAGRAM • FACEBOOK • TWITTER • GET A FARM SHARE
Feel free to ask me any questions! I recommend following these rad ladies at @helsingfarmcsa on Instagram and HelsingFarmCSA on Facebook. It’s really nice to see and hear about their planting progress, fun at the farm, upcoming music events, and yummy harvests. Also, once you sign up for a share, you get newsletter updates regularly and emails letting you know what will be in your box that week.
And, don’t forget this discount code: Get $10 off your CSA share with code: Healthy2018 when you sign up for 2018! JOIN HERE
SOME FAVORITE MEALS:
We always make a lot of delicious things with our farm shares and add a few special offers throughout the season to use for canning and root veggie storage. You also have the opportunity to add yummy individual items from their partner farms that become available throughout the summer and fall. Aside from making simple, delicious daily meals, there have been standouts: roasted cherry rose ice cream, roasted lavender peach ice cream, watermelon cucumber basil feta salads, the huge green bean radicchio herb and feta salads, snacks of perfect radishes and french butter, ricotta toast with berries or sugar snap peas, whole roasted fava beans, grilled halloumi with berries and herbs, slicing open a bright yellow melon to find sweet blush pink fruit inside, easy and impressive cast iron pan frittatas, veggie pizzas on the grill, roasted maple delicata squash rings, apple and pear crisps, grilled lavender jack cheese sandwiches, pureed cauliflower pear soup, and pear cardamom muffins to name a few. I just found a chocolate beet brownies recipe in the massive Helsing Junction Recipe Index, so that will be happening when we get our beets later this year! MORE RECIPES.
PHOTOS: Mostly from our home and some beautiful farm shots from HJF!
The Jacqui Bag
I love this Jacqui Bag from the new Jacqui handbag company. The Portland-based company was created by designer Matt Pierce whose work you may know from the beloved Wood & Faulk line. Today, he is kicking off a Jacqui kickstarter campaign where you can get in early to nab the beautiful leather bags in black or fawn or get a nice leather clutch — all at early bird super discounted prices. Buying these bags not only supports the creation of Jacqui, but it supports the woman-owned small business manufacturing operation in Portland who handcrafts all bags in this new line. I really want one of the fawn-colored Jacquis and that lining is the kind of thoughtful special detail that really tugs at my heartstrings.
See all the bag options HERE! And keep up with Jacqui on Instagram.
LOOKBOOK CREDITS: Photos: Charise Ash Styling: Matt Pierce & Kristen Robison Hair & Makeup: Madeline (the model’s own) Model: Madeline
WHIT x Helen Dealtry
Just wonderful! This new collaboration between WHIT clothing designer, Whitney Pozgay, and artist Helen Dealtry is so good! I was looking through the WHIT Spring/Summer 2018 and it came as no surprise that all my favorite pieces this season are the ones covered in Helen’s gorgeous flower designs. My favorites are the Casa Dress, the Loli Dress (more sizes available HERE), the Georgia Dress (white flowers on white cotton! lovely!), the Yoke Skirt, and the Sun Coat. All Whitney’s designs are so versatile and sweet — such a great collection. More designs right HERE and HERE.
Also, I would love to hang one of Helen’s beautiful Anemone paintings on the “botanical walls” I’m working on for our dining room. AND I’m SO IN LOVE with this dreamy Aestas scarf on Helen Dealtry’s shop! Find more of Helen’s artwork and scarves HERE.
Images courtesy of WHIT. Photography by Jimmy Marble.
SABRINAGOH
I love so much of the beautiful SABRINAGOH Spring 2018 collection from Singapore-based designer Sabrina Goh. This line is her Elohim collection that is a tribute to a god of creativity and features Goh’s love of sculptural and architectural shapes. Right now, my very favorites from SABRINAGOH are the black Lea Puff Sleeves Top (the red and the white are super cute, too!), the white Kori Kimono Top, the cream Riley Cross Back Dress (love it in navy, too!), the Frida Puff Sleeves Dress in both black and red, the white Tessa Dress (and in black!), the Lorelei Dress, the Aria Tube Top, and the Aspen Yukata. Some of her white dresses would be so sweet worn as casual bridal attire (white Frida Puff Sleeves!). More HERE.
Images courtesy of SABRINAGOH