Meet CSA Members Linda & Jerry
Members since 2010
I want to introduce you to Linda and Jerry, two of the Double F Ranch CSA founding members. Linda and Jerry made their way to the west coast from the Midwest in their 20s. Life eventually brought them to Portland and they have been here ever since.
Jerry and Linda are now enjoying retirement and all that it brings.
CSA Pick-Up Location
Portland
Type Of Share
10# with lamb add-on
Founding Members
When the CSA was first starting, word of mouth was the only advertising. Linda knew Nathan’s uncle, Chuck, who hosts the pickup at his house. Turns out Linda and Jerry lived in the same house back in the 70s! He asked Linda if they would be interested in joining and they gave it a shot.
Over time they felt like they received enough meat that they could share with another family. So they invited foodie neighbors Mark and Sara to the CSA pickup. They thought it was a great fit too and both households have been alternating pickups every other month for several years.
Understanding Farm Life
Linda and Jerry are no strangers to farm life. Jerry grew up on a farm in Michigan. He can relate to the demand of farm life and how much work it is for Nathan and Katia to rn the CSA, the farm and have a family.
Linda’s father is from western Canada, and he grew up on a farm. In the summers she would visit the farm with all of the family and has fond memories of helping out and rounding up cattle. These early experiences really piqued her interest in the CSA and going to visit the ranch in Central Oregon made an impact.
“Going to the farm was the excitement of my childhood. Then to see Nathan and Katia’s ranch, it felt like western Canada.
Here is a young family just doing something they love in Oregon. It felt like the right thing to do for us and on so many levels. We were just intrigued. We wanted to be supportive.”
How The CSA Adds Value To Their Lives
Jerry really loves the social aspect of the CSA and misses getting to mingle. He particularly loves the molasses cookies Nathan’s mother bakes up for winter CSA pickup days (she knows they are his favorite). The people of the CSA are what makes it amazing.
“It’s such a wonderful group of people and such nice energy. It’s so easy to belong.”
Linda is grateful for the grass-finished beef and the health benefits it provides. She just loves getting fresh-ground, whole-wheat flour and has started baking bread again. It adds a nuttiness to her baked goods that she can’t get from store-bought whole wheat.
This in turn reminds her again of her childhood and being on the farm with all the bounty it provides.
Advice For CSA Members
When I asked Linda and Jerry about advice for new members, they weren’t sure anyone in the CSA would need the advice! But they did offer these insights.
Take it nice and slow with the grass-finished beef. Don’t cook it on high heat.
Katia is so easy to work with and genuinely wants to help. If you need help with something, then talk with her!
“Katia pays attention to people’s needs and is constantly figuring out how to make even the littlest things better.”
All Time Favorites
Linda and Jerry have seen it all. They have had every cut that has ever been offered in the CSA. There are no surprises when it comes to picking up their share.
Over the years though they have developed a preference for some of their favorite cuts.
Jerry, hands down, prefers the pork, all of it! He loves making roasts.
Other cuts they love include the beef and lamb stew meat.
Linda loves getting the chicken in their share. She shared that several years ago she inquired if they could purchase more chicken separately. Katia explained that unfortunately, she didn’t have the resources to do that.
The CSA is a delicate balance between
the number of animals raised
the number of families fed
and what the land can support
Doing too much of one thing could shift the balance and negatively impact the quality of the meat, the personalized attention given to each member or the health and sustainability of the land.
This prompted Linda to read more about the topic. As she began to understand the importance of this agricultural balance, she made peace with not having as much chicken in her share. She decided that she could have less meat-centric meals and use other cuts to supplement.
Mealtime Inspiration
Linda really enjoys the recipe ideas that Katia sends out. She draws on her own cooking experience for creating tasty meals in the kitchen most of the time.
It helps a lot that they have friends who are also CSA members. They share ideas on what worked well for different cuts and Linda will take the feedback and find recipes to help cook up their share.
For special occasions, they frequent the New York Times cooking site.
Final Thoughts
They see how the CSA has evolved over time and what Nathan and Katia are bringing to it in the form of community building. It has really impacted their CSA experience.
Linda really loves how Katia includes opportunities to financially support other farmers. In addition, before Katia made her aware, she did not yet know about the PDX Free Fridge program. Afterwards, she started noticing them on her walks in the community.
“The community building is just so lovely.
It’s one thing to have good food and we are lucky to have good food. We are even more lucky to have the community and the connection that goes beyond.
It feeds your soul, and it helps rebalance us in so many ways.
”
Thank you, Linda and Jerry, for sharing your CSA experience with us! -Rachel