River Bend Farm

Lots of news for you!!!

annettep — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 05:38:40 +0000

Good afternoon from…
River Bend Farm!!!!
I can’t believe I’m actually hanging out and resting this afternoon! Yes, RESTING!!! I have to thank all of you for our farm being so busy…heheheheh! Thank you so much for coming to our farm to get fresh picked fruits and veggies. I hope you have been enjoying this bounty.
I was a little tired last week (okay, a lot) and found myself getting a little goofy. I got caught by one of my girlfriend’s (you know who you are) while doing a really great imitation of Julia Child while making my pies. I was rolling out dough…flour on my face..talking in my best Julia Child voice! Yep, comic relief here at the farm!
Looking for peaches? We’ve got Veterans (great for canning) and the Suncrest variety. The Suncrest is a very sweet, tasty treat and great for eating, jammin’, freezing and even canning. The Late Elberta’s are not ripe yet and many of you are asking for them. This spring and summer weather has really challenged us. Everything has been late this year. Don’t worry, they will come ripe soon.
We have started picking our Serendipity Corn! We are picking every few days. So, if you are coming just for our corn, call to make sure we have it for you. It is that popular, and we sell out every day very quickly! For those of you that have never had this kind, it is a triple sweet, bi-color variety. It is very tender and does not starch up like some of the older varieties that we all grew up with. We do not spray the corn with insecticides, so as the season progresses, you might find a little protein at the tip. We’ll be happy to cut this off for you. Remember, if they like it…it must be good!!!
Our sunflowers are blooming profusely now along the driveway onto the farm. It is so sunny and a delight to see as you come by. And yes, we have cut flowers for you if you so desire them for your kitchen table. If not, we’ll hand you the scissors and put you to work cutting your own!
Our JAM MAKING classes are all full at this time. I have scheduled some other classes and think many of you will enjoy these. We will be having two SALSA MAKING classes. The first is Thurs., Sept 16th from 6:30-8:30 pm. Class size is limited to 8 and the cost is $25.00. You will learn how to make fresh Fire Roasted Pepper Salsa, a Peach Mango Salsa & a Tomato Salsa. River Bend Farm will provide all produce, containers, etc. The second date is: Sat., Sept. 25th from 2:00-4:00 pm. Email me if you would like to sign up. Our classes have been filling up fast, so don’t wait to contact me. We are also going to be having a class in which you will learn to can peaches, pears & to make applesauce. I’m getting an interest list started for this one. Again, just email me.
Well, my little hour of R&R is over. I’ve got a class from the Univ. of Oregon here and it is called Project Tomato. It is for incoming freshmen who sign up. It gets them acquainted with the Eugene area, they learn about local produce, visit 2 other farms in the area (on their bicycles), and eventually at the end of the session they take their tomatoes they have picked back to campus and process them for their hall where they will be living. That’s 900 pounds of tomatoes to make enough spaghetti and pizza sauce to feed a dorm.
Last but not least, we will be closed on MONDAY, LABOR DAY!! We are going to enjoy some family time, get a little rest, and enjoy ourselves! We hope you do so also. I will have plenty of corn for you to get for your family gatherings! Just plan ahead and pick it up Saturday as we won’t be open Sunday or Monday.

Warm regards,
Annette Pershern
River Bend Farm
541-520-2561
riverbndfarm@gmail.com
www.river-bend-farm.com
Facebook: River Bend Farm/Orchard

It’s Hot here at River Bend Farm!

annettep — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:39:53 +0000

Good morning to you from….
River Bend Farm!
It’s another beautiful morning here at the farm! I’ve got the screen door and windows open to let in this cool air. One of my daughter’s chickens, Lulu, is looking in at the back screen door. My daughter, Lauren, and I took nail polish to her toenails so we could tell her apart from her sister….no, really, we did!!! They follow me around during the day like a couple of puppies. I know they are thinking…feed me, feed me!
This leads me to tell you we have a fine supply of chicken eggs for your family. These are truly free range hens and in the mornings you can look out of my front window and see them looking for bugs, seeds, etc. We are getting a bucket full of eggs every day! Did you know that there is less cholesterol in a free range chicken egg than those from “factory” farms? The flavor is so much better, and I’ve found I don’t need salt and pepper as they taste so good.
Today we will have VETERAN peaches in the store. They are just now getting picked. This is one of the best for canning as they are freestone (come free of the pit), and the skin comes free easily. They will need a couple of days in a garage that is dark and cool to come to full ripeness. So, don’t plan on canning them the day you get them. For those of you that have placed special orders, we will be putting these together for you and will call you as soon as they are ready. The other peach that we have ripe is SUNCREST. This is a fantastic eating peach. They are sweet, flavorful and our favorite! They are also a firmer peach, but you’ll find that when you bite into it, you better be standing over a sink!!! Really!
I will be doing baking today. I’ll be baking pies and pasties! So, give me a little time to get them done this morning and if you want to check to see the progress, just give me a call. That way I can save your special pie just for you! I will be baking Marion berry, Mixed berry, Peach, and Blueberry. And, I’ll be making pasties too! These are meat and veggie hand held pies which are very popular in the upper Midwest. I will also make some vegetarian ones too!
There’s lots of veggies coming out of our garden now. And we’ve got some darn good corn ready for you to serve to your family. I am selling them 5 for $2.00.
Last but not least, I wanted to tell you about our jam making classes that I’ve got available. We’ve had two classes so far and they have been a big hit! Last night we made apricot, peach, blueberry, strawberry & Marion berry jam. Everyone in the class got to take home 12 pints. We laughed, learned, and it reminded everyone of the old fashioned quilting bees. I have two more Jammin’ classes available. One on Sept. 14th, the other on the 18th. The cost is $30.00. Just email me if you are interested. I will also be offering a couple of classes on making fresh Salsa and on canning peiaches & pears.
Don’t forget tomorrow is CSA day for those of you that are signed up. Have a great week and stay cool! Many thanks to all of you that are shopping at our farm store and remember to spread the word to your friends!

Sincerely,
Annette Pershern
River Bend Farm
541-520-2561
www.river-bend-farm.com
Facebook: River Bend Farm/Orchard
Directions: From Eugene take I-5 S to Exit 188 (Hwy 58); head East 2 miles; turn left on Dilley Ln; left on Fremont Ave to our farm store.

Yes, it’s cooler this morning!

annettep — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 15:30:31 +0000

THINGS ARE A LITTLE “CORNY” AT…
River Bend Farm!!!
Good morning to you all! Here’s a quick update on our farm for this week. As I type, I’ve got two lab/retriever’s flaked out on our couch, the rooster is crowing in the background and a cool breeze is coming through my window. This heat is hard on me, but the corn is growing so fast you can almost see it get taller! Speaking of which…we’ve got a great triple sweet corn called Honey Select here for your dinner enjoyment. Next week we’ll begin picking our Serendipity corn…it is oh so tender and heaven to eat!
We are now picking our green beans…slender, very tender and perfect for steaming or sauteing for your dinners. Our summer squash are producing large amounts of zukes, patty pans and more. Hold your horses on tomatoes, though!! Everything is late this year, especially tomatoes!! We’ve got a large patch, but they are still green and we’re pretty sure they’ll come ripe the first part of September. This is county wide and is totally due to the weather. We’ve also got salad mix, Walla Wall onions and today we’ll be picking some fingerling potatoes.
We’ve also been busy in our kitchen!!! I made peach, blueberry/peach, and mixed berry pies! This morning I’ll be making pasties and some other tasty treats. Don’t forget we also make our own Hazelnut Basil pesto sauce, hummus, potato salad and pasta salad! At this time, we are not doing our Friday night dinners…we’ll be back at it in September.
I have started holding classes on jam making! I’ve got two spaces left for this Saturday (2-4 pm) at our farm store kitchen. For those wanting to join, the cost is $30.00 and you’ll walk away with a 12 pint case of jam! AND, I guarantee you’ll have fun, we’ll have some refreshments and your family will enjoy the “fruits” of your labor. We will be making a cooked jam, not freezer! If I have more signing up, I’ll add another class. Our Tuesday, Aug. 24th class is full at this time.
Don’t forget to tell everyone about our farm! You are the best advertisement out there and it is the most cost effective at this time. I am also on Facebook under River Bend Farm Orchard and have a website at www.river-bend-farm.com.

Have a wonderful day and enjoy this cool weather!!!
Annette Pershern
River Bend Farm
541-520-2561
From Eugene: Take I-5 South to exit 188 (Hwy 58); head East 2 miles, turn left on Dilley Ln, left on Fremont Avt.

Good Morning!

annettep — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 17:49:20 +0000

We are just waking up at…
River Bend Farm!!!
Today is Wednesday, August 11th and I’ve got my coffee, a lab/golden retriever on the chair next to me (sound asleep, of course), the door’s wide open and a nice cool breeze if coming in to wake me up. Unfortunately, my body is not responding….I need more coffee!
Some of you may be getting this weekly email for the first time, or haven’t in a long time. I worked on my contact list all evening as Gmail has been updated and it was helpful. So, for those of you new to our email…here it is! I update everyone on what is ripe in our fields, what is coming ripe and what is available at our farm. As this has been an interesting spring/summer as far as weather goes, thing are not always predictable when it comes to ripening.
This week we have Red Haven peaches (a great eating peach, but not the best for canning), blueberries, nectarines, summer squash, slicing cukes, salad mix, head lettuce and more. The garden has been growing very quickly and with the upcoming heat, it will be producing much more variety.
Possibly by next week we will have Veteran and Suncrest peaches. One is an excellent canner, the other the BEST eating peach for our area. I’ll keep you posted. Please call me with questions and orders. I am able to get pickling cukes, though my own plants are a little slow producing this year. Tomatoes will be ready late August, early September. That is late, due to our wet/cold spring. Corn is almost ready from my patch, and I will be getting some local corn later this morning if you’ve got a hankering for it.
We will NOT be having a Friday night Grab and Go dinner for awhile. Due to limited interest, I made a decision to not do this for the rest of the month. But, you can still get potato salad, pasta salad, hummus, and even our own Hazelnut/Basil Pesto sauce. This morning I will be making some peach pies, annnndddd Breakfast Pasties! The pastie (past ee) is made with sausage, eggs, potatoes, & cheddar cheese wrapped in a pastry and baked to a golden perfection.
Also, we will be offering several jam making classes!!! I will provide the jars, fruit, sugar, pectin, etc. and you will be able to take home for your family, a tasty treat of 12 jars of jam! The amount for the class is $30.00. Please contact me if you are interested. The dates/times are as follows…Tuesday, August 24th from 6:30-8:30 pm and Saturday, August 21, from 2:00-4:00. Email me if you are interested.
Well….I’ve been busy mowing/flailing my filbert orchard in preparation of a bountiful nut harvest. I’ve discovered a new sunscreen…dirt! I’m covered with it and at the end of the day I probably wash off a pound of it. But, I relax and enjoy the moment. It even drizzled raindrops on me yesterday! I couldn’t believe it!
Sorry….got too wordy today, but there was much to tell you. Don’t forget to pass along my email and visit my Facebook site for River Bend Farm/Orchard! Have a great day and please stop by our store for some yummy goods! Come shop where it grows!!!

Warm regards,
Annette Pershern
River Bend Farm
541-520-2561
Facebook: River Bend Farm/Orchard
www.river-bend-farm.com

It’s a real zoo here at… River Bend Farm!!!

annettep — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 21:56:12 +0000

Good morning to you all! I’m on my second cup of coffee and starting to wake up now. Our 40 plus chickens are now producing a lot of eggs, and are quite entertaining at times. Fearless Fiona (our curious chicken) now has a habit of trying to get into cars, our house, the farm store, you name it! I found my daughter, Meghan, feeding her blueberries yesterday and she was begging just like a dog. I’m going to have to post a sign at the store….Beware! Please keep car doors closed, or take a chicken home with you!!!
This week we’ve got some tasty fruit for you! We have Washington apricots (from the Columbia Gorge area), nectarines, local blueberries (no u-pick), sweet cherries and by the afternoon, Red Haven peaches! Red Havens are some of the first varieties of peaches for the season. They are very sweet and tasty and especially noted for their flavor. These are great eating peaches. As they are a cling variety, they are not good for canning. Canning peaches (Veterans, Suncrest, Elbertas) will be coming soon. I’ll keep you posted.
I’ll be baking some pies (Marion, peach, blueberry and peach/blueberry) and pasties (hand held pies) today. I’ll be making a breakfast pasty with eggs, sausage, potatoes and cheddar cheese, a veggie pasty and a Mexican style pasty. All of these are my take on a traditional Midwest pasty. Our muffins for today are our favorite Buttermilk muffin, which tastes just like an applesauce donut and Morning Glory muffins. So, I’ll be busy! They will be ready by mid afternoon.
We are now taking names of those of you that may want to learn how to make jams, jellies and syrup. We will have room for 8 in our class at our certified kitchen. We will provide berries, jars, and all other supplies…just come, learn and take home the “fruits” of your labor. We will have a price for the class after we see what kind of interest there is. It will be your choice of fruits: peach, Marion, Boysen, Rasp, blueberry…or any combination. We’ll have fun and you’ll go home with a tasty treat for your family! Just email me if you are interested in joining us for this class!!! We will hold it on a Saturday afternoon this month if there is enough interest.
Last, but not least…our Friday “Grab and Go” dinner for this week will be an Italian Stuffed Meat loaf. This meat loaf has a filling of mozzarella, ricotta and spinach. It is topped with a homemade marinara sauce and will have garlic mashed potatoes on the side along with grilled summer squash. We will have meals available for 2, 4 or 6 people and the price is $6.00/person. This was a huge hit last year, so please call or email me your order.
Well, time to get ready for the day!!!! Have a great week and we’ll see you soon! And, many thanks to all of you who are supporting our farm.

Warm regards,
Annette Pershern
River Bend Farm
35027 Fremont Ave
Eugene OR 97405
www.river-bend-farm.com

July 27th Update!

annettep — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 00:53:39 +0000

Chicken Soup for the farmer’s Soul….

Good morning to you all this beautiful day! I awoke this morning to our rooster, Hot Rod, crowing at our back door…..the only problem was that is was 5:00 am. Contemplation, Contemplation….should I, or shouldn’t I….hmmmm, soup tonight or fried chicken??? Just kidding, he’s such a handsome bird, I just have to forgive him his faults.
We are really enjoying this heat this year. The veggies are growing right before our eyes vs. last year when it was too cold. Next month many of these items will finally come ripe and then we will have a huge selection for you. Some of the things that we are growing are cucumbers, French petite green beans, summer squash, Triple sweet corn, eggplant, tomatoes, chard, Walla Walla onions, fingerling potatoes….to name just a few of the items that will come ready in August. I’ll keep you posted. I’m just as impatient as you in anticipation of these treats!
This week signals the end of raspberries. We still have sweet cherries, pie cherries (on order), blueberries, peaches, and Washington apricots. Canning peaches are not ready yet, they will be ready next month.
We have been baking pies, pasties, cookies, bars and more. And, to help you with your dinners or picnics, we have pasta salads, potato salad, our own hummus, and I make an awesome Hazelnut Basil Pesto! I am also excited to let you know that I’ve been making sorbets!!! I’ve got peach, raspberry, strawberry, and blueberry all lined up for you to try! On of my up and coming young bakers will be working on cakes today. Ashley and I met 2 years ago at the Springfield Farmers Market. She will be going to LCC this fall and entering the Culinary program. She is enthusiastic and loves to make cakes. So, I am letting this budding new artist come up with some tasty cakes for all of you. We take special orders, so please consider us for your cake needs.
This week’s Friday night Grab and Go dinner is…..Rosemary Pork Tenderloin with a side of roasted potatoes. This comes with a puree’ of berry/sweet cherry to accompany the tender pork. Please pre-order your dinner so that I can anticipate how many pork tenderloins to buy. This is going to be a very tasty treat, so don’t miss out on getting this one.
Don’t forget that Thursday is CSA day for those that have signed up. We’ve had fun coming up with so many delicious fruits and veggies for you. Sorry, I’ve not had recipes in the boxes lately….my computer is getting repaired.
Have a great week and enjoy that sun!!!!

July 22nd Update!

annettep — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 00:53:06 +0000

Good morning to you all! I was able to get away last week for 3 days with my husband, Dick. Yes, I actually got away!!! We stayed at a cabin on the Metolius River and rested, explored the Crooked River Gorge, and went fly fishing. I felt renewed and had a wonderful time. My oldest daughter, Lauren, covered here at the farm and did a wonderful job.
Saturday evening I had to “wrassle” a garden hose….and lost. It up and grabbed my foot, almost broke my nose and after fighting it to the left and to the right it brought me down. I’ve got a fracture in my elbow, I’m bruised all over and on a forced “vacation”. Amazing how we don’t bounce back as fast as when we were younger!!!
Ok, now getting back to business!!! We now have a nice variety of fruit for you. We’ve got Raspberries, Marion berries, Blueberries, sweet cherries, on order pitted sour pie cherries, local peaches from Detering Orchards, and Washington Apricots!!! Please make sure to contact me if you want any larger quantities on any of these items so I have what you want. Veggies include green beans (for canning), salad mix and spinach.
This week we will be making Cheese Stuffed Manicotti. We’ll have a side of bread to go with this and if you want a great garden salad, we have fresh salad mix available to go with this. Just heat it up and serve it for dinner. This will be available for $6.00 / person. As always, we make sure and provide you with a generous quantity!!! Just call or email us with your order asap.
Today is CSA day. For those of you that have signed up, remember to come after 1:00 pm today to pick up your fruit and veggie box.

Thanks so much for supporting our farm. Remember you are also helping local members of our community by keeping them employed here at our farm. A heartfelt thanks to you all!

Warm regards,
Annette Pershern
River Bend Farm
www.river-bend-farm.com
Facebook: River Bend Farm/Orchard
541-520-2561

The “lazy” days of summer???? You’ve got to be kidding!

annettep — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 20:17:47 +0000

I don’t know where that saying came from, but it certainly doesn’t apply to farmers!!! A few days ago I came into the farm store after working outside and Jessica (one of my helpers), told me about a gentleman that said “aren’t you lucky to be inside in a nice air conditioned room, instead of like that person out there”. She laughed as she told him “that’s my boss (me)!” He laughingly asked why she wasn’t out there working in 95 degree heat on the irrigation instead of me. Yep, that’s me….doing all the different jobs, and a master of none!!! The one good thing about working on irrigation though, is you get wet, very wet!!! Obviously a good thing in the heat we’ve had!
This week we’ve got sweet cherries such as Van’s and Lambert’s for $2.25/lb. I will have pitted sour pie cherries available in another week. I’ll keep you posted on when they are ready and on a price. These will not be from our farm,as our crop has been u-picked clean.
I have been able to get fresh picked apricots which were grown along the Columbia Gorge in Washington. AND, I now have Springcrest peaches grown at Detering Orchards. This is a very early variety and they have good flavor because of the heat we’ve had the last week. This is not a canning variety…those come later. I have some news for you, too. For the first time since I’ve had the orchard, I lost my peach crop due to the cold and rain. Several other growers in the area lost theirs also. But, I will be able to get some other locally grown peaches for you in August.
This week we are going to provide you with a very simple, yet very delicious family dinner for this Friday’s “Grab and Go” dinner. We will be making our own tantalizing recipe of Sloppy Joes using locally grown ground beef. They will be served with a Poppy Seed Kaiser Roll and fresh corn on the cob. All you need to do is come by, pick it up, heat it and dinner is done for you!!!! All for the great price of $6.00/person. Just give us a call before Friday so we have an idea of quantity to make. We always have extra made too, for those of you that forget to call in.
There is always a nice selection of salad mix, spinach and some great ready made salads. don’t forget we have eggs, and local meats. We’ll have pies ready on Thursday as that is my pie making day! I’d have more made throughout the week, but my time is divided by farm work!
Well, have a great week and I hope you are staying cool and enjoying friends and family!

Warm regards,
Annette Pershern
River Bend Farm
541-520-2561
www.river-bend-farm.com
Facebook: River Bend Farm/Orchard

It’s heating up here at the farm!!!

annettep — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 20:05:16 +0000

IT’S QUIET & PEACEFUL THIS MORNING AT…
RIVER BEND FARM!

I’m awake….and that’s a good start to the day! I just need a few more cups of coffee to get myself going today!!! Here’s a run down on what is happening here at our farm. For many of you that are new to our farm emails, I like to update everyone once a week on what fruits and veggies we have available and give some information on our Friday night “Grab and Go” dinners.
First, our U-pick strawberry patch will officially close for the season today. I will have picked berries available for a few more days from another local farm and they are at their sweetest. Don’t wait to get them! June bearing strawberries have the best flavor of all the varieties and you can freeze them for the winter for your family to enjoy. Or, make your jam in the winter when it’s not so hot! Just call in your order! Flats (12 pints) run $26.00.
Our sour pie cherries are now all picked off of the trees. It was a much smaller crop this year and we had many u-pickers come and enjoy the picking. We now have sweet cherries available in our farm store (no u-pick on these). We grow Lamberts, Vans, Bings, and Royal Annes. These are staggered and the crop is also much smaller due to the weather.
We now have picked Raspberries and are picking on order our own Logan and Tay Berries. As I only have one row each of the Logan and Tay, I only take orders and fill them as we pick them. First on the list and so on….
Patrick and Hilary have been busy planting and weeding our garden. The veggies are really starting to grow fast and this weather is perfect for them. They are energetic and a great addition to our team. Till our garden comes into production, we will be getting veggies from Hey Bayles Farm! (in Lorane), Circle H Farm (in Dexter), and McKenzie River Organic Farm. They are all local growers and we all sell at many of the local farmers’ markets.
Last, but certainly not least is our menu for our Friday Night Dinner!!!! We are going to offer something to help make it easy for you during this heat wave! We will be making Greek Chicken Kebabs with a Mint-Feta dipping sauce and a side dish of Lemon and Pine-nut Rice. The Chicken and veggie kebabs will be marinated and ready for you to pop onto your BBQ grill or under a broiler. The sauce is a great combo of yogurt, feta cheese, red wine vinegar and a hint of mint. Yumm!!! We will be offering this meal for $7.95/person and we promise you will not go away hungry!!! Just top it off with one of our tasty pies or Raspberry Cream puffs and you’ve got a great summer time meal!! Just call in, our email me your order.
Well, time to get ready for the day!!! There’s much to do and many things to water! Have a great day and please forward this to your friends. It is you that keeps us going, along with a love of this land and it’s bounty!!!

Warm regards,
Annette Pershern
River Bend Farm
541-520-2561
www.river-bend-farm.com
Facebook: River Bend Farm/Orchard

4Th of July & River Bend Farm

annettep — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 22:31:14 +0000

We’re BBQ’ing here at…
River Bend Farm!!
Good morning farmer friends! There’s lots going on today and more fruit coming on! So, here’s a quick rundown for you from our farm!
First, we will have pies available by this afternoon. I will be baking some peach, marionberry, blueberry and our favorite…strawberry! It is a pre-baked pie crust, lined w/ melted chocolate, layered w/ home made vanilla pudding, strawberries, then drizzled w/ chocolate. Totally decadent and low calorie! I’ll provide you with a roll of duct tape to tape it onto your hips too! Deb is also making shortcakes for your strawberries!!!
We are now getting ready to slow bake our pork ribs. They’ve been marinating all night, and then we start basting them with a homemade Bourbon BBQ sauce. Then, we pop them on the grill for a fine finish! We are offering this dinner along with Garlic Parmesan Bread sticks, choice of salad (potato, pasta, & Greek), our own BBQ beans all for a great price. A serving for 2 is $10; 4 for $20; 8 for $40. Where else can you get a meal like this in town for such a great price? Just grab it and go! It will be available after 2:00 today and we are open till 6:00 pm. We will be making a lot of ribs, so I’m sure more will be available on Saturday if you would like to pick some up. PLEASE CALL IN YOUR ORDERS BY PHONE!
We now have u-pick pie cherries for $1.25/lb.; raspberries, and by Saturday we will have sweet cherries available. Raspberries run $34.00 for a 12 pint (NOT 12 CUPS) flat. If you are pricing at other farms, make sure you ask if they are cups or pints! We have a nice selection of fresh picked, organic salad greens, spinach, and Kale here at the farm.
Sorry for the extra email this week, but many of you want to know what is ripe and what is being baked in our bakery for the weekend.
WE WILL BE CLOSED ON JULY 4TH FOR FAMILY TIME! We will reopen on Monday at 9.

Warm regards,
Annette Pershern
541-520-2561
www.river-bend-farm.com