CSA Community

Meet the Member: Heather

MEET CSA MEMBER HEATHER

I am privileged to introduce you to Heather. Heather, her husband, two kids, and Rosie the dog live in beautiful Southeast Portland. Heather’s agricultural background runs deep, having grown up on a dairy farm in Saskatchewan, Canada.

During her time in British Columbia for college, she met her wonderful husband who was from Portland. After graduation, she had many life paths before her, and ultimately decided to pursue marketing for her career and fulfill the desire to live in the big city. So, 15 years ago she began her life in Oregon.

Heather and her family are strongly committed to supporting local farmers not only through the Double F Ranch Meat CSA but also through a local vegetable CSA. The family enjoys cooking together and are masters of meal planning and prepping.


Join Date

2015


CSA Pickup Location

Portland pick-up site


Share Type

10# with lamb

In Search of Quality

When you grow up on a farm there are certain aspects to which you become accustomed. Particularly, seeing up close and personal how your food is grown or raised. How then do you maintain that connection when you are no longer living on a farm? Community Supported Agriculture bridges the gap, and the CSA model is what Heather found herself searching for after moving to Portland.

“I grew up on a farm and I would always have really high-quality ranch meat and when I moved to the city and started buying stuff at the grocery store, it just wasn’t at all what I was used to tasting from when I was growing up. I was really looking for some sort of option that could help me still connect to that part of my life even though I lived in the city. ”

Connecting With Double F Ranch

Heather first heard about the CSA through her boss at work. They shared a strong interest in cooking and spent time discussing what they were making at home. Tales of the meat her boss was putting on the smoker and cooking up prompted the question, “Where do you get your meat?”

From that point there was no hesitation about joining Double F Ranch Meat CSA.

Meat Club

Stretching back to when Heather first joined the CSA, there was a running joke between Heather, her boss and other coworkers who had also joined:

“Are you going to Meat Club?”

The Meat Club moniker became synonymous with Heather darting out a little early from work once a month to pick up her CSA share and to enjoy the pre-covid social time with drinks and appetizers.

In a funny stroke of happenstance, Heather saw one of her former coworkers at a gathering recently in which she was greeted with, “I am in your Meat Club now!”

Honoring Her Agricultural Roots

Supporting a multi-generational farm just made sense to Heather. Her deep connection to farming and her understanding of the rigorous life of farmers is why she has such a strong respect for the hard work that Nathan and Katia do in order to run the farm.

“There was a point in time where my parents sat me and my siblings down and asked, “Do you want to take over the farm?”

Nobody said yes because we knew how incredibly hard it is.

So, for someone my age to have said yes to that same question, I really respect that.
”

She has passed on that knowledge and understanding to her own family through involvement in the CSA. Including her kids in the conversation about where their meat comes from and who their farmer is.

“Katia started to feed just me and my husband.
She fed my kids when they were still in the womb.
Now she teaches our kids.

It is important to feel that connection and not feel bad about explaining where meat comes from to the kids. I can say definitively these animals had an amazing life and they were always cared for.”

Spreading The Word

She is an outspoken advocate for the CSA and is directly responsible for many members joining throughout the years. She is encouraging and resourceful, using word of mouth to bring others to “Meat Club”. She finds ways to connect with friends in the CSA, sharing tips and brainstorming meal plans with various cuts.

Heather has noticed that when people join her family for dinner, they always comment on the quality of the meat and she is quick to tell them where it came from.

“If there’s anyone that comes for dinner, they always comment, why does this taste so good? Even if we have someone over for tacos, they say this is really good. Where did you get the meat? Well, from the Club!”

A Family That Cooks Together

If you have ever seen the beef liver or heart in the CSA Online Store, and wondered, “Who is buying this?” Well, Heather buys it when her parents are visiting. One of the joys of having CSA meat is that Heather gets to share it with her parents as a way of remembering childhood when her family would use the whole cow.

Her parents, like Heather, understand what quality meat tastes like. They rave about how good the CSA meat is and relish in hearing about Double F Ranch.

In keeping with tradition, Heather is passing on her cooking knowledge to her children and her family is actively involved in preparing and cooking meals together.

Food Prep Master

Heather and her husband are busy working professionals who value their food but also their family time. She has stated that, “I always feel like I am constantly working towards dinner being cooked in 15 minutes.” Especially on busy workdays. In order to accomplish this, she has become a well-organized and creative meal planner.

Heather sets aside time once a month after the CSA pick-up to prepare and freeze meals for the month. Some of her go to staple freezer meals are:

  • Taco meat with veggies added to help bulk it up

  • Spaghetti meat and sauce

  • Meatballs

  • Sausage Gravy

  • Meatloaf

  • Meat pies

  • Smoked whole chicken with the meat parceled out

One of her families’ favorite cuts is Pork Chops which they prepare one of two ways:

  • Slow cooked until the meat falls apart

  • Hoard several packages and then put them on the smoker.

Heather uses a vegetable meal kit service to help with meal planning and finds it to be a great addition to her kitchen. Prep the veggies the night before, add in some chopped, smoked pork chops, sausage, or prepared chicken and the meal is not only quick and efficient but filling and enjoyable.

Heather believes having a Food Saver vacuum sealer is a must have for meal prep and freezing.

Final Thoughts

The CSA experience has brought value and purpose to her family and cooking. She believes in the potential for the CSA to do the same for other families. So when posed with the question, “Who do you think would be a good fit for the Double F Ranch CSA? She responded:

“Going back to the family thing, people who want to be able to teach their kids how to cook, where food comes from, and the importance of knowing where your food comes from and making conscious decisions. ”

Heather looks forward to the day when we can get back to more “Meat Club” activities like visiting, enjoying the appetizer spread, and drinks with one another.

Heather will continue to be a strong supporter of the CSA for years to come.

“I just love it. I couldn’t see us ever quitting [the CSA]. I don’t know where else I would go or what else I would do.”

Thank you, Heather, for sharing your CSA experience and wisdom with us! -Rachel

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Dry, dense whole wheat loaves? CSA member David shares his superpower bread baking tips

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Ahh! Homemade bread. That first bite of a warm crusty loaf on a blustery day… And that subtle sweetness and nuttiness that whole wheat flour adds to the loaf… Mmm my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Yet all too often the home bread maker eagerly slices into a whole wheat loaf only to find it overly dense and dry. Crumbly sawdust is not exactly the texture we were looking for here.

““I like a good hearty loaf of bread or a good hearty baked good, but I don’t want it to be a brick.””
— David

Luckily, CSA member David cracked the code for how to bake bread using only 100% whole wheat flour from Double F Ranch (a fresh-milled, unsifted, hard red spring flour) that yields a delicious, chewy loaf.

And he was kind enough to share his secrets to success!

Even after baking bread for many years, David found reliably producing a quality whole wheat loaf an engaging challenge. With a son who went to culinary baking school there was also a family interest in cracking the code.

But that all changed during pandemic lock down when he came across a “stretch and fold” technique while watching a video in the King Arthur Flour Isolation Baking Series. This technique, combined with a wet dough and a long rest helps to build the gluten network within the bread to provide chewiness and structure.

Curious how this technique would hold up to whole wheat baking, David did some extra research, made careful observations and applied his years of bread-baking knowledge to crafting a whole wheat sandwich bread.

And the resulting loaves he turned out of the pan were fantastic.

““There is really something quite remarkable about the wheat. Either how it is milled or grown. That first loaf David made was quite possibly the best whole wheat bread I have ever had.” ”
— CSA member Linda

100% Whole Wheat Bread - David’s CSA Superpower

Adapted from Tassajara Bread Book and King Arthur Flour - Isolation Baking Show

Makes 3 loaves.

Ingredients

  • 3 ¼+ cups whole milk

  • 2 tablespoons yeast (active dry)

  • ¼ cup brown bugar

  • 1 cup +/- lukewarm water

  • ½ cup gluten (optional, could use AP flour)

  • 5 teaspoons salt

  • 4 oz unsalted butter (1 stick)

  • 9 ¼ cup+/- Double F Whole Wheat Flour

Instructions

  1. Scald 3 ¼ cups milk and let cool.

  2. Proof yeast 5 - 15 minutes with 1 cup water, ¼ cup brown sugar and 2 tablespoons yeast.

  3. Create sponge:

    • In a large bowl, add  3 ¼ cups cooled milk.

    • Mix in 4 1/2 cup flour, ½ cup gluten.

    • Once mixed, beat 100 strokes with spoon.

  4. Cover and set to rise for 30 minutes (I use oven on 'low proof' setting).

  5. Melt butter and let cool.

  6. Add butter and salt to risen sponge. Fold in with dough scraper. Slide scraper down bowl to get under sponge, then pull towards center of dough, turn bowl and repeat.

  7. Add approximately 4 cups flour to bowl, and fold and stretch until all is incorporated. Add more flour if needed. Dough will be tacky, but not stick to bowl, and have  a  pronounced bounce back when stuck with a finger. Expect this process to take 10 - 15 minutes.

  8. Cover and set to rise 40 minutes.

  9. Punch dough down and set to rise another 30 minutes.

  10. Punch down and divide dough into 3 equal parts (a scale is helpful here).

  11. Gently roll and stretch each loaf and fit in oiled bread pans.

  12. Cover and let rise 35-45 minutes until bread puffs up over top of pan.

  13. Preheat oven to 350 F. I add a baking pan on lowest rack to hold water for steam.

  14. Slash top of loaves with sharp knife and bake 50+/- minutes. Optionally, add 1-2 cups water to baking pan to create steam in oven. This creates a better crust. Bread will sound hollow when done.

  15. Turn loaves out onto rack to cool.

  16. Cut a thick slice of bread while still warm, slather with butter and enjoy.

Thank you Linda and David for sharing this yummy recipe with us!

Be sure to give this recipe a try and share your photos via email or tag @doublefranchmeatcsa on social.

Meet the Members: David & Linda

MEET CSA MEMBERS DAVID AND LINDA

Meet veteran CSA members David and Linda. They’ve been in the CSA since 2011 - showing their community support for over a decade.

They are avid gardeners, tending to a bountiful garden teeming with produce and fruit. They enjoy the adventure of travel. David plays guitar and they both love to sing. As passionate locavores, they find joy in the creativity of cooking.

JOIN DATE

2011

CSA PICKUP LOCATION

Portland

SHARE TYPE

10 pound share with lamb

CSA INTEREST BEGINS

Linda and David first heard of Double F Ranch’s pastured Meat CSA subscription through friends. The Community Supported Agriculture model was not a new concept for them. As passionate supporters of local food, they’ve participated in vegetable, fruit and seafood CSA programs.

““We like the idea of being close to our food sources.””

Joining the CSA made sense for them. “We were attracted to the quality of the food and supporting local”. Valuing small, family-owned farms, they wanted to support Nathan, Katia and the ranch.

LONG TERM MEMBERS

““The reasons we joined [the CSA] are the reasons we continue to stay with the CSA.””

Over the years the CSA has continued to add value to Linda and David’s lives. As the CSA has evolved, so has their cooking. Being members has pushed them to cook more and try new things.

They also enjoy the social aspect of the CSA. “We like the CSA pick-ups. It has been a nice punctuation in our monthly schedule: Like oh! We get to go and get our meat, chat, and eat some snacks.” It has been a fun way for them to connect with other people.

Seeing both younger and older generations a part of this community has been inspiring and an important aspect of their relationship to the CSA. “I think we live in a fairly age segregated society and the CSA pickup is a time when there's a nice generational mix happening in terms of older adults and young families. “

As long term members, they’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Nathan and Katia and watching their family grow. Over the years this has brought many sweet memories as they have seen the farm kids grow up. It is a solid reminder of how connected our community is to one another through our shared experiences and interactions.

COMMITMENT TO LOCAL

Linda and David love spreading the word about the value and connection that Community Supported Agriculture brings and share their CSA experiences with friends, family, and coworkers.

They regularly seek out locally sourced items. From farmers markets, to their own garden, to foraging for less common fruits and vegetables, they are continually on the look out for ways to connect with local food. They are currently scouting for better access to local seafood.

DAVID’S CSA SUPERPOWER

Both Linda and David enjoy having access to fresh-ground, whole wheat flour as a perk of being a CSA member. With a strong family interest in baking - David’s been baking bread for many years and their son went to culinary baking school - David cracked the code of how to bake 100% whole wheat bread and revealed his “CSA Superpower”.

“ “There is really something quite remarkable about the wheat. Either how it is milled or grown. That first loaf David made was quite possibly the best whole wheat bread I have ever had.””
— Linda
““I like a good hearty loaf of bread or a good hearty baked good, but I don’t want it to be a brick.””
— David

Check out this blog post where David shares his whole wheat bread baking secrets so YOU can create hearty, chewy loaves at home too!

FAVORITE CUT

Lamb chops, roasts and tri-tip top the list of favorite cuts but Linda’s all-time favorite is one of the newest additions to the online store - pork belly!

This cut only made an appearance based on the feedback of another member and has since become a CSA favorite. Yet another perk being a CSA member - farmers Nathan and Katia raise food FOR YOU and incorporate the feedback of members when deciding what to offer. They’re always open to suggestions for new cuts to try.

FAVORITE MEALS

Pork belly of course! “It is a fatty cut but is really rich in flavor and texture that is very filling.” Linda recommends several preparations:

  • Sprinkle with sugar to make bacon

  • Braise it in the oven with some broth

Being a member of a vegetable CSA and having a garden means lots of spare veggies for stir-fry’s. Other favorite meals include:

  • Korean short ribs in the slow cooker

  • Ground pork and polenta

  • Lamb meatballs with red lentil soup.

The exploration of new meals is part of the fun of being a CSA member. “I think we’d figure out how to make do with whatever we get, but is so nice to have variety”

MEAL PLANNING TIPS

Linda and David love to experiment but also keep an eye on the time when they are in the kitchen. They like efficient recipes and find the pressure cooker they purchased a few years ago to be very helpful in the kitchen.

“The CSA makes it pretty easy to try things that are not going to take as much time [to cook].”

FINAL THOUGHTS

Linda and David look forward to supporting the CSA for years to come.

“I feel like it’s an important part of our diet in terms of our meat selection and quality and also just an important part of our life, really. ”


Thank you Linda and David for your time and for sharing with us about your CSA experience! -Rachel

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Meet The Member: Jill & Bob

Meet CSA Members Jill and Bob

 
Meet the Member Jill
 

Jill and Bob relocated to Oregon from Wyoming in 2014. As members of the Central Oregon CSA drop, they call Prineville home. Bob is a retired farmer and rancher and Jill is a recently retired botanist - “I’m just kind of working myself into retirement so taking the summer off has been amazing for me. I think I just got into that Covid [mentality] of examining your life and your values and better aligning with that”. 

Bob is into automotive collecting and tinkering and together they are working to restore a 4.5 acre industrial property within Prineville city limits. Jill enjoys using her botany background to lean into the challenge of how to nurture this formerly industrial parcel to restore the land to a healthy, functional high desert ecosystem - right in town!  


Join Date

2018


CSA Pickup Location

Bend


Share Type

10# share with lamb. “Of course we have a lamb share. I would like it to be all lamb if it was up to me!”


CSA Interest Begins

“If I’m adding this back into my diet, how am I going to get something that would be compatible with my values?”

Even though she’s married to a rancher and had the opportunity for close personal connection with meat, Jill was a vegetarian for 25 years. “Things just changed for me, my body was changing and I decided to add some meat back into my diet”. Yet after so many years of commitment to a specific diet and lifestyle, the question really turned towards, “if I’m adding this back into my diet, how am I going to get something that would be compatible with my values and really with Bob’s values?”

Jill discovered the CSA through an online search and found the idea of being able to purchase meat through a CSA model really exciting. She was inspired by the efforts of the family to tune into the growing local foods movement to connect people to a pure food source, the land that supported that and philosophy of management practices that make the whole system more sustainable over time.

With Bob’s prior history in farming and ranching, they were familiar with the struggles of small farms trying to compete in a corporate farming world and admired the CSA model and the passion of Nathan and Katia to making it work - “I mean, when you are deciding to do things a different way, it is just really swimming upstream and it’s more difficult. So you have to have a reason to do it or you’re not going to be able to sustain the effort it requires to be successful”. 


CSA Challenges

Despite being a vegetarian for so many years, Jill didn’t find joining the CSA challenging at all in terms of actually cooking the meat, “I was, oddly enough, cooking meat fairly regularly for my family. I didn’t sample it or eat it, but they said it tasted pretty good. On all levels I was ready to make that transition [to eating meat again], and [already knowing how to cook it] made it much easier”. 

The most challenging aspect of the CSA is just getting to Bend to pick up the share. Central Oregon covers a huge area and like most CSA members that live outside Bend, Jill combines the trip with other errands. “In some senses it would be easier to just go to the grocery store where you’re getting other stuff, but it feels worth it”. She loves her monthly check-in with her farmers; it has a ritual quality to it. “It’s part of your commitment to them and to the CSA model. It feels worth it to put in that effort to make the drive and to touch base”.

Plus, as anyone familiar with agriculture knows, there’s always weather to discuss. “I think it’s cliche to talk about the weather, but we talk about the weather all the time! It’s one of those things that [helps us] process our vulnerability as humans together”. 


Food Philosophy

““I think sometimes we take things for granted because we do live in a world where you can go to the grocery store and buy whatever you want. Choosing to balance that out with other ways of approaching food and wellness is really helpful for me””

Jill sums up her local food philosophy succinctly, “It’s worth it”. It’s worth supporting the people willing to grow food for you. It’s worth taking the time and effort to prepare that food in a way to nourish your body. It’s worth it to support sustainable food production systems.

Jill finds the CSA model grounding and believes the 10# share size makes her more thoughtful about her meat consumption. “I would like to eat 40 pounds of lamb chops, but there are other parts to that [animal] and that is the whole idea of CSA”. She finds this really helps her to value what is on her plate - “I think sometimes we take things for granted because we do live in a world where you can go to the grocery store and buy whatever you want. Choosing to balance that out with other ways of approaching food and wellness is really helpful for me”.

Bob and Jill really enjoy the CSA but for them it is more than just the meat. “That could be their new [CSA] motto,” laughs Jill, “It goes beyond meat. It isn’t just a product that is out there, it’s the whole package. It’s [Nathan and Katia] and the land that they’re on and their family and their business and us”. It’s all connected.


Favorite Meals

Jill finds she prefers simple preparations of the meats including grilled lamb or pork chops with seasonal vegetables to make an amazing meal. Though she rarely uses eggs for breakfast, they are a huge and nourishing component of lunches and dinners.

One of her favorite perks of the CSA is having access to beef and chicken bones for stock. “I’m a big stock maker! I transitioned my diet to fewer grains and I was a big baker. It was painful to give up the pleasure of baking. [Now] I make stock if I need a project to make the house smell good, or cozy, and it has the feeling of making something incredibly, deeply nourishing for your family”. With two big pots of stock simmering on the stove, Jill finds the quart jars of stock stashed away in the freezer to be an indispensable part of her pantry.


Final Thoughts

“If you’re going to have humanely raised animals, what does it amount to if the way they’re slaughtered and processed isn’t respectful?”

If we are to discuss local food in a holistic manner, Jill points out that the conversation isn’t complete without mention of the butchers. “I think we are really lucky to have Prineville Butcher Boys. They do a great job. It’s amazing to have a local outfit to do that work. It’s difficult for sure - not many people want to do it. I would love to shout out to them too because we appreciate that. [Butchery] is very underappreciated but it’s also a critical part of this food system. If you’re going to have humanely raised animals, what does it amount to if the way they’re slaughtered and processed isn’t respectful?”



Thank you so much Jill for talking with Rachel about your experience and for sharing your CSA story with us!






Meet the Member: Vincent & Elena

Meet CSA Members Vincent and Elena

Meat CSA members Vincent (R) and Elena

Meat CSA members Vincent (R) and Elena

Elena grew up in Portland, while Vincent spent the first half of his life on the East Coast. Elena works as an IT Project Manager and Vincent a Cloud and Security Engineer.

They both enjoy spending time outside enjoying nature. It is one of the reasons they decided to recently relocate from Portland Metro to the Columbia River Gorge (an hour and a half away) in order to take advantage of what Vincent calls ‘rural amenities’ - “We have easy access to rural amenities which is what I've been calling it since urban amenities makes it sound like all the good stuff is in the city. I'd rather travel into the city for the urban amenities and have the rural ones next to me. It makes me happier and nature is a big part of it”.

But don’t fret, you will still see them at the Portland Meat CSA pick up once a month. As committed members who share a passion for good food and animal welfare, they love trying new things and sharing new experiences. It is one of the reasons they were drawn to the Meat CSA in the first place and what makes them valued members of our Double F Ranch CSA community.

Join Date

2012 to 2015 and 2018 to today
 

CSA Interest Begins

Vincent first became aware of the CSA after hearing good things from a friend. He decided to join after discussing more about the farm with Nathan and learning more about how the animals were cared for and about the quality of the meat. “I grew up around farms so I care a lot about how the animals are treated which is one of the biggest things for me about the CSA”.

Vincent took a break from the CSA after moving out of state. As time went on and he and Elena relocated back to the northwest, she too became interested in the CSA. Elena had spent time as a vegetarian after not finding meat that met a high standard of quality and care for land and animals. After learning about the quality of the CSA she felt at peace with eating meat again.
 

Returning Members

After moving out of state, Vincent and Elena joined another local CSA. However, they were not impressed. “The CSA we had in Maine was supposed to have a variety of stuff but it was overloaded with ‘chicken and carrots!’, ‘chicken and carrots!’ It was always unbalanced”.

“But here, Katia does an amazing job keeping [shares] balanced each month. I didn't even realize how big of a deal that was until I didn't have it anymore”.

Over time, as they considered options for where to live, they were drawn back to Oregon and recognized a move back meant being able to rejoin the CSA. This was a huge plus for them and they were excited to become “returning” members.
 

What’s great about the CSA?

  • Quality of meat

  • Community aspect

  • Stewardship of animals and land

  • Variety and balance in shares each month

  • Member support through new recipes

  • Farmstead products like soap and seasonal items at Winter Market

Vincent and Elena enjoyed watching how the CSA has progressed over time. From the swap cooler to the introduction of the online store. “It’s really nice how all these little things have fairly added to the quality of life of being a CSA member”.

They love that the CSA listens to what is going on and responds, embodying the community part of Community Supported Agriculture, especially during the pandemic. “I really enjoyed the step up by participating in it and appreciate everyone else who has participated during the pandemic. You know, donating to the free fridges or delivering to the free fridges. It’s nice being part of it. Katia went right into it and we all stepped up and she clearly listens to the community and responds”.

Likewise, with all the new recipes and tips that show up in emails, Facebook posts and blog posts, “at this point I have too much [content] to keep up with but it’s a good problem to have”.

Go To Meal

Vincent and Elena both enjoy a quick meal of Andouille or Polish sausage with broccoli and white sauce. The addition of mushrooms is a welcome bonus.

Favorite Cuts

Vincent’s favorite cut is pork chops and Elena’s is carne asada.
 

Cooking Style And Abilities

Over time, they have embraced a more open and flexible approach to meal planning. Being a part of the CSA encouraged them to put more time and energy into cooking the meat to make the most of it and bring out more flavor.

“If you get a really great kind of steak you don't just throw that in the oven by itself and do nothing else to it”.

“I'm much more likely to use marinades or proper seasoning with CSA meat instead of being lazy with it. It forces you to think about those things - because it feels special!”.

This shift in mindset has led to a noticeable change in their cooking - the quality of the meals have gone up because they feel inspired to match their efforts to the quality of the food.


CSA Memories

Both Vincent and Elena miss the block party atmosphere of pre-Covid pickups. They enjoyed connecting with others and sharing Uncle Chuck’s “better than the store” homemade wine. They look forward to a day when the community meet-ups return.




Thank you so much Vincent and Elena for talking with Rachel about your experience and for sharing your CSA story with us!