Norm and Cinda met back in 1968 on a blind date and married a year later.  Norm was in the U.S. Air Force.  The newlyweds lived on the island of Guam for the first two years of their marriage.  Norm's next assignment was at Del Rio, Texas, where their son, Glen , was born.  Norm, Cinda and Glen returned to Roseburg after Norm was discharged from the Air Force in 1973.  They lived on the family farm, but Norm had a job in Roseburg.  However, the call to farming was always ringing in Norm's ears.

The Norm Lehne Garden and Orchards began in 1974 after Norm's parents, Myron and Helen, retired.  Norm and Cinda sold vegetables out of their large family garden.  As the demand for fresh produce increased, they expanded the garden and also planted a large variety of fruit trees - apples, peaches, nectarines, pears, & prune-plums.  Eventually these were available to u-pick customers.  Norm has also planted a hazelnut orchard.  He harvests them in the fall, and sells a portion of the dried hazelnuts here at the farm.

In addition to Glen, two daughters came to the family...Colleen and Beth were both born in Roseburg.  The Lehne kids were involved in the family farm during their growing up years.  Old-time customers have many fond memories of watching them at work and play here at the farm.  Farming in in their blood.  Glen and his family have a garden, they go to Farmers' Markets, and have belonged to a CSA.  Colleen purchase fruits and vegetables year-round at the Redondo Beach Farmers' Market (California) for her growing family.  Beth also enjoys growing veggies for her family, and has been here helping at the farm this year for over a month.

Until 2002 produce from the farm was only available u-pick.  Since then it has also been sold at the Umpqua Valley Farmers' Market.  A few years later Norm and Cinda also joined the Coos Bay Farmers' Market.  In 2008 the LEHNE FARM CSA began.  So now there are three ways to get locally grown, farm-fresh, vine ripe Lehne produce...pick it yourself at the farm, choose it from the Lehne booth at the Farmers' Market, or join the LEHNE FARM CSA and receive a weekly harvest box.

The Norm Lehne Garden and Orchards is located just a few miles outside of Roseburg, in beautiful Garden Valley.  Customers can take a leisurely drive into the country to pick a wide variety of farm-fresh, vine-ripe produce.  Upon arrival, customers will find that the Garden is carefully maintained to be as weed free as possible.  The Orchard is pruned so that ladders are not needed for picking the fruit.

Norm and Cinda value their customers and will always treat them with integrity and courtesy.  They also value their family farm and will carefully manage it in order to maintain its productivity, quality of produce, and long-term sustainability.  They see themselves as stewards of a natural resource that will one day be managed by another generation.

Next week we will feature the third generation of the Lehne Family Farm.

• "Norm's SuperSweet" Corn
• Sweet Gypsy Peppers
• Cabbage
• Broccoli
• Kale
• Lemon or Burpless Slicing Cucumbers
• Bok Choy
• Colossal Garlic from Gilroy, California
• Herb of the week: Basil

We rinse all the produce in the boxes to remove any excess soil and debris...however we do advise that you wash all the produce before eating...Enjoy!

Garlic is a species in the onion family Alliaceae.  Its close relatives include the onion, the shallot, and the leek.  Garlic has been used throughout recorded history for both culinary and medicinal purposes.  It has a characteristic pungent, spicy flavor that mellows and sweetens considerably with cooking.

Most of us buy garlic at the supermarket.  We don't know what kind it is, how fresh it is or where it's grown.  But there's a good chance it comes from China, which produces 75 percent of the world's supply - and whose food exports have come under scrutiny after recent discoveries of tainted pet food ingredients, toothpaste and more.

Garlic is the United States' biggest fresh vegetable import from China, which sent us 138 million pounds of it worth more than $70 million in 2006.  (By Sue Kovach Shuman, The Washington Post)

Some California growers and processors say that even though they don't like Chinese garlic, they buy some because it's cheaper than what it costs them to grow it -- even in Gilroy, the "Garlic Capital of the World," which in July holds its annual festival celebrating the vegetable. 

Bill Christopher of the 50-year-old Christopher Ranch in Gilroy, one of the largest U.S. growers, explained why: "A 30 pound box of Chinese garlic is $14, but our cost [to produce it] here is $26.27."  He claims California garlic tastes better and independent lab tests show it's denser in texture than Chinese.  (By Sue Kovach Shuman, The Washington Post). 

This week we have provided California grown garlic from Christopher Ranch to complement your vegetable recipes.  We currently do not grow garlic but thought it would make a nice addition to your CSA harvest box...Enjoy!

Recipe by: The Encyclopedia of Herbs, Spices and Flavorings, by Elisabeth Lambert Ortiz

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

2 oz fresh basil leaves (about 4 cups, loosely packed)

2-4 garlic cloves, or to taste

1/4 cup pine nuts

4 T extra-virgin olive oil

4 T freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Salt

1 lb fresh spaghetti

Preparation

Combine the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and reduce to a puree.  With the machine running, slowly add the oil, pouring in a steady stream.  When the mixture is well emulsified, add the cheese and process briefly.  Scrape out into a bowl, taste for seasoning, and add a little salt if necessary.  Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling water.  Drain, transfer to bowl and toss with pesto.  Serve.

Ingredients
2 T grated fresh ginger
1 T minced fresh garlic
3 T low-sodium soy sauce
4 teaspoons cornstarch, divided
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 pound flank steak, trimmed and thinly sliced
Cooking Spray
2 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms (about 1/2 pound)
1 cup thinly vertically sliced onion
1 cup red bell pepper strips
4 cups sliced bok choy (about 1 medium head)
1 cup less-sodium beef broth

Preparation

Combine ginger, garlic, soy sauce, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, oil and crushed red pepper in a large zip-top bag.  Add steak to bag.  Seal and marinate in refrigerator 20 minutes.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Coat pan with cooking spray.  Add mushrooms, onion, and bell pepper to pan.  Cook 3 minutes or until crisp tender.  Transfer to a large bowl.  Add bok choy to pan.  Sauté 2 minutes or until slightly wilted, add to bowl, keep warm.

Recoat pan with cooking spray.  Add half of steak mixture to pan.  Cook 3 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally.  Transfer to a large bowl, keeping warm.  Coat pan with cooking spray.  Add remaining steak mixture to pan.  Cook 3 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally.  Add to bowl, keeping warm.

Combine broth and remaining 2 teaspoons cornstarch, stirring with a whisk.  Add to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.  Bring to a boil.  Cook 1 minute or until mixture thickens, stirring constantly.  Return steak and vegetables to pan, tossing gently to coat.

1/2 Head Green Cabbage

3 T white wine vinegar

3 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. Soy Sauce

1 Clove peeled and minced garlic

1/2 tsp. Asian sesame oil

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. cayenne

1 C mayonnaise

Preparation

In a small bowl, combine white wine vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, Asian sesame oil, ground ginger and cayenne.  Stir until sugar dissolves.  Gradually whisk in mayonnaise, stirring until blended.