Crop List: Fingerling Potatoes, Yukon Gold Potatoes, Carrots, Turnips, Beets, Basil, Watermelon Radish, Kale, Garlic, Red Onion, Yellow Onion and Maybe Tomatoes

What an amazing summer that just keeps going!​ We are loving it, and I hope you are enjoying it too. 
We think we've pulled off another successful season of farming in the Tetons. This spring was a bit more dynamic then the last 3 years. We had unseasonably warm temps, and a bunch of frosts in June. The temperature swings seemed to stress the plants out and stunt them a bit early on. They did bounce back and by July everything was growing well and catching up.
After the first week of August the plants went full in on growth. Jed and I really think it was partly due to Cosmic Apple's 30th Anniversary Party. We infused the garden with love...and let's face it, we know the plants LOVED listening to The Deadlocks rock out. The farm gathering was a high point of the summer, and 30 years of farming! Thank you for being part of this year. It feels special.

What were the highs and lows for us this year?
The lows...
The mice eating the cucumber sprouts was painful for me. I really missed that garden goodness this summer.
We lost a bunch of sunflowers to early frosts and poor timing with irrigation. I filled in the holes with seeds, but they never really caught up.
Our tomatoes are struggling. We are working on solving some greenhouse issues...but the ones we did get tasted amazing!!!
On the backend of the farm, one of our dear managers had to quit for completely understandable personal reasons. We were never able to rehire for the position and Jed and I ended up with a lot more work to do. We hope you didn't even notice! For us, it was a good reminder of how grateful we are for all the hands that help us all season, but dang, we're tired and behind on projects.
The highs...
Basil is back! I'm so glad we figured out one of our greenhouse dilemmas. One member happily mentioned to us that he thinks he got more basil then lettuce this year! I'm going to have to check the numbers on that one, but I love the thought of it!
We had some stellar arugula harvests. Tender, spicy leaves that were just perfect. 
We grew the nicest crop of cauliflower I've ever seen this year. It's a bit of tricky crop to grow, and the warm early weather, sprinkled with a lot of frosts really cut down on the cabbage moths, aphids and other critters that like to snack on the cauliflower and broccoli making it less desirable.
Last week's Cosmic Mix was unbelievable, greens at the end of September was a treat.
The carrots this year are large. There's a lot of them and they just kept getting bigger, and bigger. They stayed sweet like only carrots grown in the Tetons do!
Thanks to your donations Cosmic Apple was able to provide 15.5 shares to the Teton Valley Food Pantry. Super cool!
I'll say it again...our party was special. Food, music, family, friends, hugs, smiles and a beautiful summer night in the Tetons. I still get a bit giddy thinking about it.
 
Thank you for riding the waves with us! We've been farming long enough to know each year gives us "highs and lows". Avoiding this, is impossible. It's fun to look at it and think about why each crop was affected differently each year. Human error, weather, poor seed, a failed experiment or missed timing. There are so many variables in farming, we'll never master them all, and sometimes we don't even figure out exactly what happened, we just guess. It's one of the reasons I still love this job, we're still learning and growing!
You, dear CSA member are another reason I love this job. Thank you for bringing Cosmic Apple into your home each week. We are honored that you turn to us to help nourish you and your loved ones. We appreciate your commitment to picking up your share each week, and cooking what we can grow, when we can grow it. We know it is not always easy. (You may have had "high and low" CSA moments too!) Your commitment to your health, eating food with flavor and supporting local agriculture is so evident to us and we want you to know how grateful we are for your dedication.
As we wrap this year up, I just want to remind you of my prayer for every product that leaves the farm:
May it nourish you so you have the stamina to make the world a better place.
We look forward to growing for you in 2027. 
Until we meet again, Be Well!!!

2027 CSA Memberships Available!
It's time to reserve your share of the harvest for 2027. By paying for your 2027 share before this season ends, you'll get some cool Cosmic Swag!
We heard you...it was time for something new!
This year we will have our trusty stylish organic t-shirts and onesies for the babes, but we have added a sweet tote bag to the line up! Choice is yours: Tote Bag or T-shirt with the purchase of a 2027 share before the end of this year's shares.
The bags are sweet and high quality! We, of course, had to source organic cotton! They are a nice weight. My favorite part (other then the art!) is the 8" X 8" inside pocket for wallet, keys and phone as you pick up your share or do your shopping! And they have a nice metal snap on the inside to close the bag. They are LARGE. Height 16"X Width 22" with a 6" wide base at the bottom.
Your site host will have paper sign up sheets available at the pick up, or you can print one following the link and finding the "join by mail" button. PLEASE bring cash or check to pay at the site. (No Venmo for shares!!)  You can sign up online also (4% card fee charged), but be prepared to show the receipt to your site host to get a shirt or bag.​

Recipe Ideas: Curry Carrot Soup; Merav’s Carrot Soup; Potatoes and Kale; Potato Latkes​

Crop List: Swiss Chard, Bok Choy, Red Onion, Carrots, Butterball Potatoes, Huckleberry Gold Potatoes, Turnips, Cosmic Mix, Head Lettuce, Maybe Summer Squash, Red Cabbage, Winter Squash, Tomatoes and/or Cauliflower

Good news! We will be going until week 18 this year! Tuesday, October 6th and Thursday, the 8th will be the last days of shares. We realized on Monday morning there is just to much goodness in the garden for us to be able to get it all in this week. We apologize for the back and forth. Mother nature is giving us so much extra growing weather this year!
We are still harvesting summer squash! Cosmic Mix is still coming in too. It's astounding to have treats like this at the end of September.

Here's an update on our calf with the mending leg: We took him to the vet on Monday. He was x-rayed and still needs a bit more time in a splint. The cast was cut off. More soft bandaging was applied and the cut cast was re-used as a splint. He has grown so much the vet was concerned about the cast becoming to tight. It is not sealed all the way around like a cast, because it was cut on two sides to remove it. It was taped back into place with very cute vet tape...instead of a green cast he now has tape with turtles and elephants on it. We take him back in on the 5th to check again...but we are feeling confident that will be his last trip to Driggs. He is our most well traveled calf! He has gained 25 pounds in the 2.5 weeks since he was born! We never have weighed a critter, so it was fun to see how fast he grew.
We have been digging all of the potatoes by hand so far this year. We have to wait until the plants die and the potatoes get their "tough" skin on them to use our digger we pull behind the tractor. We were able to begin using it on Monday morning. Getting the spuds out will become a quicker process this week and next. So far the potato crop looks great. It's really satisfying to speed the harvesting up after hand harvesting for a month!

For those of you who have signed up and requested one of our new tote bags, we will have them by the end of the season! They arrive on Wednesday (9/30), we can start handing them out this week on Thursday! Thanks for your patience as we change up our merch. We think they are going to be well worth the wait!
​

Crop List: Beets, Carrots, Leeks, Yukon Gold Potatoes, Turnips, Dill, Basil, Head Lettuce, Bok Choy, Kale, Sugar Dumpling Squash, Garlic, Yellow Onion, maybe Shell Peas and/or Tomatoes

​The garden frosted...kind of. The leaves on all the tender things are done. The beans are gone. We had the summer squash covered, so they are still producing a little bit. We have not had a really hard killing frost that decimates the garden. A hard frost wipes all the squash and potato plants out, but they are still struggling to survive! The uncovered winter squash was killed, but the fruits are fine. Just a light frost to slow most of the plants way down and kill a bunch of leaves.
We have shifted to cleaning the garden out. It is time to bring in the harvest! At this time we believe next week (Share #17) will be the last share.

Tuesday the 22nd is the Equinox! The first day of Fall. Night and day are equal. Fall is the time of letting go, reaping all we have sown for the year and turning inward. Quiet nights settle in and chilly mornings greet us. Coaxing us to cook things longer move a little slower, even though we still need to finish the summer tasks and feel the pressure to savor the waning warmth. It's a time of back and forth, being sad summer is over yet enjoying the slowing down; Seeing the "to do" list lessen, but knowing some things are still pressing; Watching the summer growth die, but relishing the fall colors. We are at an equal point in the year...equal dark equal light. Embrace the balance.

Here's an Equinox Prayer by Rebekah Myers I really enjoy and wish for you:

On this day may you be held in the harmony of light and dark
in the balance of life and death.
May you stand in peace believing for one day that all good things are possible
that all opposition has its counterpart
that you will be healed.
May you pause on this day to feel the turning of the wheel
to hear the singing of the stars
to stand in the center and fully know equilibrium.

We are always sad to see the garden end its growing season. Watching our hard work go back to the Earth as the season turns. Knowing fresh tender green treats are many months away. But...I know Jed and I can't sustain the pace we keep in the summer all year. I do look forward to the rest and quiet of winter. The garden is "inhaling" now. Gathering all it wants to process for the winter. Taking the compost we will spread and the remaining plant matter in to rejuvenate itself and be fertile again in the spring, when it exhales.
We are doing the same thing. We are gathering all the beautiful bounty and taking it home to stock our cupboards, preparing to be nourished for the long winter ahead. We are turning in. If nothing else, the change of light in the evening has our adventures and outside projects ending earlier!
The weather for the next week and half are the kind of days we dream of in the fall. Brisk, crisp mornings that make us happy to have heavy crates of carrots and spuds to move so we warm up! Followed by afternoons worthy of a t-shirt and still being able to luxuriate in the sun kissing our skin. The hill behind the farm is gorgeous and the colors are becoming more and more vivid. I hope you enjoy all the beauty of Fall in the Tetons.

2027 CSA Memberships Available!
It's time to reserve your share of the harvest for 2027. By paying for your 2027 share before this season ends, you'll get some cool Cosmic Swag!
We heard you...it was time for something new!
This year we will have our trusty stylish organic t-shirts and onesies for the babes, but we have added a sweet tote bag to the line up! Choice is yours: Tote Bag or T-shirt with the purchase of a 2027 share before the end of this year's shares.
The tees will be available starting this week at your pick up. The bags are not quite here yet. (I'm bummed too! Ordering these things always take way longer then I think) If you want a bag just let your site host know. We'll keep track of everyone we owe Cosmic Swag, and we promise to get you one, at one of our winter markets, meeting you at the farm, or even bringing it to the first pick up in 2027 if we don't see you before then! There is still a chance they may make it here for the last week of shares!
The bags are sweet and high quality! We, of course, had to source organic cotton. They are a nice weight. My favorite part (other then the art!) is the 8" X 8" inside pocket for wallet, keys and phone as you pick up your share or do your shopping! And they have a nice metal snap on the inside to close the bag. They are LARGE. Height 16"X Width 22" with a 6" wide base at the bottom.
Your site host will have paper sign up sheets available at the pick up, or you can print one following the link and finding the "join by mail" button. PLEASE bring cash or check to pay at the site. (No Venmo for shares!!)  You can sign up online also (4% card fee charged), but be prepared to show the receipt to your site host to get a shirt or bag.

Recipe Ideas: Vichyssoise (On the leek page);  Carrots, Potatoes Roasted with Onions & Garlic; Dale’s Oven Fries; Colcannon; Butter Lake Root Bake; Beet Salad with Carrots; Baked Carrot Fries; or ​Roasted Carrot and Tomato Soup with Basil

Crop List: Cosmic Mix, Fingerling Potatoes, Carrots, Radish, Shallots, Garlic, Summer Squash, Fennel, Maybe Bok Choy, Tomatoes and/or Sunflowers

Veggie update! Remember me telling you this next crop of Cosmic Mix would be a bit more bitter with more hearty leaves? I was wrong. Jed decided to cover it to protect it from the deer and chilly nights after it started growing. I had no idea. It is INCREDIBLY tender and delicious! Holy fall treat!
We received a frost on Tuesday morning, but at the time of writing this, I don't know what the results are.
This is the second crop of fennel and it looks great! If you are not sure about jumping on the fennel train try the fennel/potato gratin below. It converts many skeptics. If you are not ready to use your fennel right away, take the greens off and store the bulbs in a bag in your fridge. They will last a few weeks.

This might be a good newsletter for the kids! Photos included!
It's been and exciting week on the farm.
I was headed home from the People's Market on Wednesday, Jed called as I rolled into Victor. He told me Ms. Moo Moo Face had a calf and he needed my help to bring calf and mama in from pasture. First of all...yes our children named the cow.
Second, we like to let the moms have a calf where they are most comfortable, and then bring them into the shed area so we can keep an eye on them. The calves also like to wander under the electric fences and get confused about getting back, which is stressful for mom and babe, the shed area alleviates this issue.
Before I left the house he called back to say she had twins!
 So exciting! In 30 years of farming, we had never had twins until our first set in the fall of 2025. The twin rate in cows is about 1% in beef cows and 4-5% in dairy cows. Our cows are mixed breeds of beef and dairy, so I guess we are somewhere in the middle. 
I quickly changed out of my "town clothes" and headed out to the farm ready to help with cows. We got the threesome back to the sheds and settled. By Thursday afternoon both girl calves were nursing and seemed to be off to a great start.
Friday afternoon we noticed Penguin (again the kids with the names!) was in labor. I was able to spend some time sitting in the sun watching her steadily progress. It was a beautiful day. I was also able watch one of the hawks that have been at the farm leisurely circling overhead and land nearby. It was just a magical 30 minutes of being able to sit still and joyfully take it all in. I don't quietly sit at the farm very often. As far as things I "should" do, I need to put this higher on the list.
Penguin was progressing slowly and I had to cook dinner, I headed home. Jed ate quickly and headed back to the farm. No calf yet. 
He called back around 9 to say she had a calf, and he needed help bringing them in. The calf was already on it's feet and moving around quickly! I was out to the farm and we were on our way to her, about 15 minutes since he saw her.
We walked out to pasture, and again found twins! Our last 3 births on the farm have been twins. It seems we are getting 30 years worth of twins delivered in a year. We have learned that many old timers think twins are determined by the bull. We are pretty happy with our neighbor's current bull!! Renamed by us: "The Giver of Twins"!
As Jed lifted the first calf into our cart, he noticed it had a broken leg. Devastating. It must have gotten stepped on when Jed went to get his phone to call me. The mom could have done it as she darted between calves or one of the other nosey cows, who were too fired up to be around newborns. We should have been more aware. We never had a broken bone in a critter. My mind immediately went to every old western I watched and I thought we'd have to "put it out of its misery". I didn't think it was possible for it to survive. Darn the human mind always jumping to the worst. I was fighting tears as we brought the three of them back to the sheds. It was healthy and perfect when born...and then it wasn't. I was so sad!
We got the calves in...amazed at how our 3 legged friend kept trying to walk, and how he was actually doing it. I think he was in shock and the birth hormones were still surging through him. After a quick internet search, I found out the prognosis was in reality pretty good, especially for the back leg. Relief washed over me and a purpose to take care of our calf became the drive. We learned how to make a splint out of PVC pipe and called the kids to raid the medical kit at home to bring more gauze and wrapping material.
I'd like to take a moment to cheer for technology and the amount of times I've used it during an animal emergency to gain knowledge. Having access to the internet when standing next to an animal in need is amazing. Jed and I did not grow up as farmers. This is not knowledge we absorbed when young. Even when Jed started farming, he had to leave the farm to go home and call someone because there was no phone at the farm and cell phones were not that common yet. Leaving a hurt animal is a really terrible feeling. Most importantly cows ONLY get sick or in trouble late at night or on the weekends when the vets are not available. Guaranteed. Every time.
We splinted it, got some colostrum in it and made sure it was settled on some fresh straw. We went home at 11 pm to come up with a plan for the early Saturday market and impending cow needs.
Saturday morning Jed called his mentor Ernie, up at Lifeline Farm to get some advice. We weren't sure if a splint would do it long term or not, even if we kept replacing it with a bigger one. On Ernie's recommendation, we ended up taking the calf to the vet, who met us specially on a Saturday. Calfie was X-rayed and inspected, with our daughter by his side assuring him he'd be okay.
Our calf now has a green cast! Calves heal quickly because their bones grow so rapidly. The vet said I even did a pretty good job setting the bone...so you know...call me if you need me! He is up nursing and moving around and seems to be doing well. We are giving him comfrey to help mend him. His brother is also doing great. 
I know cow expressions don't really change, but I've learned putting a cast on a calf just makes them look sad. Awww, little guy, I can't help but personify you. The cast will be on for 2-4 weeks, and then he will be uninhibited to be a spunky calf!
We haven't had much time to pick names yet, we are thinking about it. The 4 of these calves are so cute! It is going to be fun to watch them grow up together. If you come to the farm this week, ask the site host to direct you, and maybe you'll be able to catch a glimpse.
Photos: #1: Twin girls nursing on mama Ms. Moo Moo Face.
#2: Mama Penguin and the little steer with a broken leg.

Recipe Ideas: Fennel and Potato Gratin; Fennel Soup; Carrots, Potatoes Roasted with Onions & Garlic (sub shallots for onions!); Fall Fennel and Potato Roast; Summer Vegetable Tian (summer squash page, use 2 cups of squash total, it doesn't matter what color!); ​Greek Stewed Zucchini

Crop List: Basil, Rainbow Carrots, Carrots, Radish, Cabbage, Summer Squash, Yellow Onion, Huckleberry Gold, Potatoes, Maybe Sunflowers, Tomatoes and or Broccoli

The Cosmic Mix is on pause right now. We have another crop coming. It always slows down this time of year, and begins to taste really different. The leaves are more hearty then the early spring crops and it is a bit more bitter, maybe like all of us as we say goodbye to summer??
Good thing the carrots fulfill the craving for sweetness! Taste the difference of a Cosmic carrot from anything in the store, and you won't go back to the supermarket! The cool Teton nights encourage the carrots grown here to produce more sugars, and the contrast is stark from those California grown imports.
There may be a potential frost in the forecast early next week. We'll have to see what the weather does. Fall is in the air...even if we have until the 22nd for the actual Equinox. I've noticed some of the leaves have begun changing. The yellow crates are getting really heavy with all the root crops! And...my slippers had to come out for the cool mornings in the house.

The cooler temps have me bringing more proteins back into my diet. My body craves it as it gets cooler. We are getting low on some of our cuts of meat, but I would love to get them directly to you if you are interested. I love packing up special orders to send to a veggie pick up site, just send me an email if you want to get any of these cuts! No obligation if they get there and you change your mind. I can't get the whole selection in the cooler each week, but like I said, special orders rock! You can email me, or ask your site host to write an order in our notebook.
Also, I'm happy to share recipes if you are curious about something!
Roasts- the all day slow cooker meal that goes so good with fall veggies! We have Beef roasts: Tri-tip, Brisket, Round Roast and Sirloin Tip Roast. For pork I have Shoulder Roast and Boneless Pork Loin...which I have a really easy recipe for if you are ready to try one! Again...email me for it!
Organ Meat- I have beef and pork heart, liver and kidney! If you are in the know about how to use organ meats, we have them! If you want to spoil your pet, buy them some organs! I thaw them, chop them up (you can even use a food processor for this) into an amount I can feed in a week and freeze them in small containers. I just add about 2 tablespoons to our dog's dry food each night. Did you know dogs in the wild eat the organs first when they kill something? Organs are the most nutritious part of an animal! I can absolutely feel a difference in my energy level when I eat organ meat.
Primal Blend! New product Alert!- Speaking of organ meats, curious how to get them into your diet without committing to studying a new skill? We had our butcher blend beef heart, liver and kidney into some ground beef. Ours is 90% beef and 10% organs. I make it into things for my family and they don't notice. I made meatloaf with 2 packages of regular ground beef and 1 package of the primal blend. No one noticed. I've slipped it into sloppy joes, chili and stir fry's without complaint, I usually mix in regular ground beef too. It feels great knowing my kids are getting some organ meat. AND...if you see my kids--do not tell them!!!
Stew Meat- Fall veggies love a stew! We have beef cut and ready to be added to your favorite one.
Hunters and Huntresses!- We have pork fat for your game processing. You work so hard to stock the freezer with high quality meat, finish the job by using high quality fat for your sausage making.
Pork Hock- mmmm....again with slow roasted meaty goodness.
Steaks-Tenderloin, New York, Rib Eye, Sirloin, Eye of the Round
Ribs- We have some pork Spare ribs and some beef short ribs
Bones- I love making bone broths, and believe I can make it through the Zombie Apocalypse if I have enough bone broth in the freezer. We have beef marrow bone and knuckle bones available.

Recipe Ideas: Fermented Ginger Carrots; Morning Glory Muffins; Carrot Ginger Dressing; Scallop Potatoes and Carrots; ​Potato Leek Gratin

Crop List: Dill, Basil, Carrots, Broccoli, Garlic, Head Lettuce, Summer Squash, Tomatoes, Maybe Cosmic Mix, Green Beans, Beets, Cilantro and/or Sunflowers

A shift is in the air at the farm. The sunflowers have petered out. The Cosmic Mix has really slowed down. The longer nights and cooler night time temps are slowing the garden down. The fall crops are still ripening and we have lots of produce in the garden to look forward to!
It sounds like much of Teton Valley received a frost on Monday morning. We did not! The warm breezes blew off of the pass all night and the farm was protected. This weather phenomenon is one of the reasons Jed sought farmland in our area of Victor. The "canyon breezes", good irrigation and some of the deepest soil in Teton Valley is why South East Teton Valley is one of the best micro climates for growing in The Tetons!
We had some hail last week. The lettuce and summer squash can tell you all about it if you look for the marks left by the storm.
The first week of September is always when folks start to wonder how many more shares we will have. Truth is, we don't know. It depends on the weather. We'll keep harvesting all the yummy summer treats until we freeze and they are no longer viable. Items like summer squash, herbs, lettuces and the like. We will start digging some of the fall root crops slowly and then after the frost it depends on how fast we can empty the garden out! Rain and snow slow us down. We always dream of those crisp fall mornings that warm up into beautiful afternoons. Perfect harvest weather while we get to savor the sunshine, drink in the fall colors and hopefully listen to elk bugle!
I promise to keep you posted about the fall schedule as we figure it out...really, as Mother Nature lets us know!

Recipe Ideas: Foolproof Cheesy Garlic Spread; Zucchini-Basil Muffins; Basil Marinade; Creamy Dilled Carrot Slaw; Easy Zucchini, Butter and Dil​l

Crop List: Cosmic Mix, Arugula, Summer Squash, Green Beans, Broccoli, Cabbage, Fennel, Basil, Sage, Sunflowers, Tomatoes, and Carrots

This week's crop list is starting to look a bit more like early fall, to me at least. Jed says "summer".  We're pulling the fennel in. It's not our best crop, but it was starting to bolt so we decided to go for it. We have another crop coming that currently looks better. No point in wasting this week's fennel because it doesn't look perfect. The flavor is still there!

The broccoli, beans and arugula have been beautiful. I hope you are enjoying them.

We are in the middle of our annual organic inspection. I'm typing at the computer in the office. Jed and the inspector are at the kitchen table going through the records. Jed and I take turns with different "departments" of the farm. I've written many years about why we choose to do this and why we think it is important. If you are curious, check out this great video Oregon Tilth made of our farm. The goal of the video is to get more farmers to be certified organic. It is geared towards livestock farmers. But if you want to geek out a bit, have at it! There are amazing shots of the farm if you've never seen it! 

Cool farm video here! (short version, 2 minutes, fluffy and concise)
More farm video here! (long version, 15 minutes, more intensive for other farmers)
And, yes, I'm horrified at how much I say "um" when I'm nervous.

Last year many of you told me you'd like me to write more about how the farm works. Last night (while going over a paperwork checklist in my head instead of sleeping) I had the idea of sharing with you all the records we have to keep and share with our organic certifying agency. It does give you a good view of the farm and the thoroughness of an inspection. We look at all this paperwork after the inspector walks around the farm asking questions and making notes.

• Number of Eggs produced
• Air quality records of chicken coop
• Milk produced
• Animals born and butchered
• Meat sold and inventory
• Eggs sold
• Plant starts sold records
• Veggies sold
• Seed Labels/packets
• Seed receipts (including statements from each company we purchased from regarding Non GMO and Non treated seeds only)
• Planting Records
• Transplanting Records
• Harvest Records
• Distribution Records (each and every CSA delivery and market. Each veggie to leave the farm must be traceable back to a seed receipt)
• All feed purchases for animals (Cows, pigs, chickens) And the organic certificate from the origination
• What animals ate and amounts (to make sure it matches our feed receipts)
• Animal ID log
• All bedding records (straw for cows, has to be certified organic)
• All medical records for animals (Homeopathic, herbs, etc. If we have an animal get sick that becomes non-certified because of meds, we have to show how we track it, to make sure it does not get sold as organic. Luckily this has not happened in many years)
• Healthcare/welfare animal records (housing, water access, access to feed, outside access for chickens)
• Animal sanitation and pest management records
• Biodiversity Observations
• Buffer Zone details (we are required to have a buffer between our growing area and our non-organic neighbors to prevent chemical drift)
• Cleaning records and what soap we use
• Examples of all Labels we use (meat, eggs, tallow, Cosmic Mix...)
• All inputs for compost pile and soil (manure, biodynamic preps, how much compost we spread)
• Time and temperature log for compost pile to ensure it is properly composted
• Pasture seeding records
• Origin of water used for irrigation
• Soil test records
• Cover crop and rotation records
• Tallow balm sales
• Tallow balm batches and yields
• Tallow balm ingredient purchases (and organic certifications from all companies)
• Suet rendered into tallow, butcher receipts and Animal ID log to prove I use organic suet (all tallow balm must be traceable back to the cows birth on our farm or ingredient purchase)
• Application of Biodynamic preps (timing, amount, which ones)
• Biodynamic Prep storage
• Gross Organic Revenue

I'm sure I'm missing some. Our certifying agency can also ask for anything else at any time as long as it pertains to organic certification. A lot of work? Yes. Worth it so you don't have to wonder about it? Absolutely!

Recipe Ideas: Caramelized Fennel with Beans, Carrots & Chile and Soy Drizzle; One Pan Summer Eggs (summer squash page); Greek Stewed Zucchini; Summer Squash Ribbons​

Crop List: Cosmic Mix, Radish, Green Bean, Basil, Cilantro, Lovelock Head Lettuce, Bok Choy, Garlic, Tomatoes, Sunflowers, Maybe Broccoli and/or Summer Squash

The summer squash is still bouncing back from last week's cooler weather, so the yield is down a bit this week. The weather looks warm and fairly consistent for the next 10 days, so I'm confident we'll have more coming soon! We've been getting consistent rain which has been a nice treat. The garden is in great shape with the temps, precipitation and a big weeding push! Many of the fall crops are sizing up beautifully! I'm pretty excited about how the cabbage looks.
You are getting to know the veggies at the farm pretty intimately. Who else resides at the farm?
We have cows, pigs, chickens and 2 farm cats.
Our animals are an integral part of the farm. The cows provide manure which is scraped up after the winter to create our compost pile. The compost is spread in the fall so the garden can incorporate the nutrients and be fertile for spring planting. We have 13 cows. Star, Ms. Moo Moo Face, Soley, Penguin, Rusty, Sloppy, George, Pumpkin, Cassidy, Latte, Jellyfish, Sugaree and Sugar Magnolia . The breeds vary from Jersey to Angus and Brown Swiss.
We turn the girls out in the fall to "visit" with the neighbor's bull. Because of the timing we choose, our calves are born in the early fall. We are hoping for 3 calves by the end of September this year.
We have 2 parent pigs- Waldo and Waddles. They had a litter of 6 offspring in April this year. The "teenagers" are now on their own growing until January.  The pig's pasture is rotated through the farm, it moves every year when a new litter is moved to fresh grass. The pigs dig and turn pasture for us before we turn it back into garden. They eat the weeds!
We also have chickens. About 75 laying hens. They are also out on the pasture. They do amazing things for the grasses. After they are in an area it looks decimated. Everything green is gone. When we move them, water the ground and give the earth a little time what comes back is astounding. The grass is twice as lush and twice as green. The chickens fertilize and rejuvenate an area before the cows get back in there and graze. The difference is visible.
We also have 2 cats that reside at the farm, Artemis and Bigfoot. They are responsible for mouse slaying, cuddling...and maybe annoying Jed. (Please behave Bigfoot!)
Other then the cats, the farm animals help us take care of the soil and provide nutrition. We love how diversified Cosmic Apple is. There are so many moving parts, projects and food coming from the land. While we are in the middle of "high veggie season", it's good to remember the critters are part of us getting those veggies to you too! ...and I can't survive on salad all year long!

Recipe Ideas: Speedy Tomato-Cilantro Sauce; Mangiatutto al Pomodoro (Tomato Page); Tomatoes, Basil and Beans; 5 Minute Salsa (Tomato Page); Basil Beans; Sesame Green Beans and Bok Choy ​

Crop List: Cosmic Mix, Arugula, Summer Squash, Radish, Carrots, Napa Cabbage, Head Lettuce, Turnips, Kale, Basil, Sunflowers, Tomatoes and maybe Shell Peas

Thank you to everyone who was part of our 30th Anniversary Party. Jed and I had so much fun. Our hearts are all filled up. We ate, danced, hugged and smiled so much. We infused the farm with love and celebrated our beautiful community connection.
An extra big special thanks to the Jackson Hole Farmer's Market and Jenny Shervin for making it all possible. Amazing. Thanks Jenny.
Cheers to the Chef Brad Ledo and Chef Eric Wilson along with their crew for bringing the Cosmic offerings to life! Dang...that tasted good.
Gratitude to the Deadlocks and Jeremy Hoenig for delighting us with beautiful music to bring joy and inspire dance! We had a real stage at the farm! Unbelievable. The music sounded so good. I don't really know how to write about how good it was.
3 cheers to our family members who helped us get ready and have always been cheering us on.
Love to all of you who made it, or didn't. We wouldn't have hit this milestone without you!

We've had some significant weather at the farm!
On Monday July 27th, a big ol' hail storm rolled through. You may have noticed injury to the sugar snap peas and leafy greens. Things got beat up, but nothing was decimated. Jed and I were in the wash station when it happened. The crew ran in from the field and found refuge in the greenhouse. We've been blessed over the years. A really big hail storm could wipe out the garden in 20 minutes by shredding all the growth. I always see the farm under a big bubble protected from hail storms and staying a bit warmer then the surrounding lands.
Notice your veggies. They are telling you a story. See if you can see any residual hail damage.
On Tuesday, August 4th, we woke to a surprise frost. We joke about the "first week of August frost" as a yearly occurrence, because it's pretty regular. We skipped it the last 2 years...but it's back. Everything seems to have survived. The veggies took a definite pause last week. The squash seemed to question the need to bother moving forward with life but by the end of the week it was growing faster then we could harvest it.
We have some cooler weather in the forecast starting on Wednesday this week. The people will be happy. The veggies may slow down a bit. There are so many great things growing, you may not notice a difference in the pace of things!

This is the time of year we dream about in the middle of winter when we are cruising the seed catalogs. It's a good time of year to eat food. Dig in. Savor it.

Recipe ideas: Dale’s Basil Sesame Vinaigrette; Stir-fry of Napa Cabbage and Carrots; Summer Squash Boats; or ​Roasted Carrot and Tomato Soup with Basil 

Crop List: Cosmic Mix, Turnips, Radish, Romaine Head Lettuce, Tomatoes, Swiss Chard, Basil, Parsley, Summer Squash, Maybe Sugar Snap Peas, Shell Peas and/or Sunflowers

It's here! The week of our 30th Anniversary Party! We are excited, have a lot to do and are feeling sentimental. I've been going through every farm photo we have to create a slideshow. When I go to bed at night my head is spinning thinking about how the kids have grown, all the changes on the farm and (of course) all the smiling faces we've been around over the years. It's truly amazing. The hundreds of volunteers, the thousands of CSA members and the thousands more market shoppers. We love you all.
I'm already prepping myself for the fact that I won't have the time I want to truly catch up with each person who comes to the party. I'd be happy to sit down and have a cup of tea with each of you. I'm a people person and I love hearing updates about lives that continue to be lived.
This celebration is about the whole community. If we weren't growing for you...there'd be no 30 years. It's also a celebration of the tenacity of us all to make it here, in the Tetons, where the living is amazing...but it's not always easy. Let's take a moment and celebrate that we are here and that we have all grown together. Let's dance and infuse the farmland with love and gratitude.
Let's laugh. Someone asked Jed how we made it 30 whole years...he said it's simple..."we're just stubborn enough to keep going". He might be right. It's become our party's tagline...
30 Years- Just Stubborn Enough!
Looking back there are so many funny stories to share. Some heartbreak. Many moments of learning to do better. And just so many amazing people. The smiling faces are rocking my world right now. The time given to the farm, the care for growing food, the financial support from customers who believed in us and bought our goods. All of it. All of you. 30 years worth of love, food, dedication and stubbornness while being surrounded by the coolest people on Earth.
​The Earth! The farm is my favorite place in the whole world. The bounty it provides for us all is astounding. I'm excited to see you all there, at the farm!
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​My life feels full. I'm living my dream. Thank you for being part of it.

Free music! The Deadlocks will take the stage at 6:30. Hope to see you there!

Recipe Ideas: Chimichurri Sauce, One Pan Summer Eggs (summer squash page); Greek Stewed Zucchini; ​Grilled Steak with Chard, Tomato and Balsamic Vinegar Reduction;