Crop List: Cosmic Mix, Radish, Kale, Sage, Baby Carrots, Maybe Sugar Snaps, Tomatoes, Summer Squash and or Turnips

I have been looking around at the mountains and I am astounded by the amount of snow still in the high country. In many places they are just little pockets of snow, but they are hanging on for so much longer this year! For me, it is a concrete reminder of how cold June was. It feels odd that some things are just coming on this late in July, but how quickly my human brain forgets the trials of June. Jed was joking that we are lucky to have a garden this year. Even though he was smiling....I don't think he was really joking. While the arrival of warm weather felt a bit more on schedule this year, the very cold snaps were out of the ordinary. We hit 26 degrees on June 9 and 10th. Then we had 2 more nights of frost on the 20th and 21st. The warmest night in June was 49 degrees and most nights hovered in the low 40's. ​When we get frosts past the beginning of June they are usually light and quick, like 2018's 4th of July frost! It will hit 31 for a couple of hours close to dawn. Pockets of the garden will show a bit of frost damage and the plants bounce back. But the night it got to 26 it settled in early and stayed past dawn. It is a bit of a miracle the summer squash survived. Everything that survived made it because it was covered with row cover, little and close to the ground.
After the cold, came the hail. Which is completely normal for June in the Tetons. We did not get much hail this year, but enough to tell the story. We happened to take the row cover off of the summer squash the same day the storms came thru! Oh hindsight, you got me again. Look at your summer squash. Any brown "scabs" on the skin are from a piece of hail hitting it and causing damage to tender young fruits that had just set, before the storm.  Plants can remind us of the weather history for a season. Cool right? Some of the Swiss Chard you received last week had some holes in the leaves, also hail damage. But it all still tastes great!
The squash plants are now huge, green and glorious. And weeded! They look amazing and will be setting lots more fruit in this heat. The squash, tomatoes and sugar snaps are starting to come in. We will be rotating them around the sites until we have enough to give them to everyone at once. We keep very careful records to make sure everyone gets equal amounts!

Workshare Lunch this week: Farm Curry over rice with kale, turnips, tomatoes, summer squash and sugar snap peas (on the Summer Squash Recipe page)
Recipe idea: Sage Tahini Salad dressing or Bread dip with sage

Crop List: Cosmic Mix, Fresh Garlic, Oregano, Turnips, Iceberg Lettuce, Swiss Chard and Maybe Sugar Snap Peas

We are in the strange veggie limbo land where spring crops are done, but the summer crops are not quite ripe yet. It happens every year. The tender spring greens are a thing of the past, but the peas, beans, tomatoes and summer squash are not quite yielding yet. The summer crops are getting very close. The plants are loving the heat...and the irrigation!
Fresh garlic! What's the deal? This garlic has not been cured yet. It will not store for a long time like the garlic we give out in the fall. Keep it in the fridge. It is super juicy and the paper is still forming. You can use the stalks for veggie stock.
Iceberg lettuce, yum! After years and years of eating tender baby greens Jed and I got excited about growing lettuce with some crunch! You can eat all the leaves on the head, not just the ones in the center.
All the plants are loving the heat, including the weeds. We are hiring weeders. If you know anyone who wants work, we have a job! Please email me for more info.

Workshare Lunch this week: Pesto over quinoa with turnips and bok choy. The quinoa is lighter feeling then pasta when it's hot!
Recipe Idea: Super Simple Swiss Chard over a burger or French Chard Tart

Crop List: Cosmic Mix, Garlic Curls, Spinach, Collard Greens, Bok Choy and Head Lettuce

Share #4! This is always the week it seems to all come together. Everyone seems to get the big picture of how the farm "works". The harvest goals become clearer, shareholders (that's you!) know how to get their veggies, the employees are getting comfortable in their roles. Long gone is the first week when we just had to jump into it and train everyone as we went.
We have a great crew this year. I have been enjoying getting to know our new employees, and reconnecting with all the returning ones. This year our "crew" is:  a Workshare Manager, a Wash Station Manager, a Market Manager, 4 market harvesters, 2 chore helpers, a truck driver, a tractor driver (she helps get a lot of weeding done!), a tomato caretaker, about 25 workshares and 6 site hosts. And they are all great people.
Jed and I feel like the people attracted to work at the farm is one of our greatest blessings. Truth be told...we don't get out much. It is incredibly convenient that our social life comes to us. The farm draws in people with interesting stories, kind hearts and big smiles. It does quickly weed out those who don't love some hard work or a commitment to show up. Some folks come to the farm with a background in farming, some have never been in a garden, some are looking for a life change and some just got manipulated into it by a friend! We never know who is going to keep at it. Some of our volunteers have gone on to have their own farms. Jed and I both started volunteering on other farms as starry eyed youngsters.
Our crew every year gets to be like family. They see Jed and I laugh, stressed out and tired. We all get to share in the joy of a big harvest and a daily meal together. They see our kids when they are as cute and curious as can be and when they are exhausted, unreasonable and just want to go home. Just like family, sometimes they get the real deal!
Like I said before, the people who help us feed our community are one of the greatest blessings Jed and I could ever receive. Thank you to all, who do the hard work the to feed the People of the Tetons. Thanks for showing up everyday. Thanks for all you teach us! If you see any of these folks, they deserve gratitude that is hard to convey in a newsletter! 

Workshare Lunch this week: Super stir fry over rice with Garlic Curls, Collard and Bok Choy
Recipe Idea: Roasted Garlic Curl hummus

Crop List: Cosmic Mix, Spinach, Arugula, Bok Choy, Australe Head Lettuce, Kale, Spicy Mix, Garlic Curls, Maybe Turnips and Broccoli Raab

Summer has arrived. The garden is growing fast right now! Last week I could only find a hint of a garlic curl on a garlic plant, and this week they are ready to harvest. Garlic curls are one of the oddest veggies we give out every year. But they have also become one of the most anticipated by returning members. Please follow the recipe link to the garlic curls page, and you too may fall in love with this veggie. The garlic curls always seem to ready by July 4th, no matter the spring weather. 
Some other things are still playing catch up. Sugar snap peas are a bit later than usual this year, but they are growing!
We have begun irrigating the fields. It is amazing how fast things began to dry out as soon as the sun started shining. I love watching as the last bits of snow yield to the heat. We are lucky at the farm to have such a connection to our water source. We watch the snow fall all winter and then in the spring watch it melt and fill our creeks, rivers and irrigation systems. Pure Teton snow melt. What could possibly make veggies taste better?!
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Workshare Lunch this week: Burritos, with sauteed Bok Choy, radish, turnips and garlic curls.
Recipe Idea: Grilled Garlic Curls, perfect for the 4th! 

​The coolers at your site are stocked with Lifeline cheese and a selection of the beef and pork listed below. If you know you want something, please email me or tell your site host and I will make sure it is in the cooler, reserved for you. I don't send every cut every week, they simply won't all fit!
Beef Available: Tenderloin, New York Steak, Sirloin Steak, Round Roast, Liver, Ribs, Ground Beef, Patties, Hot Dogs, Bratwurst and Heart
​Pork Available: Pork Chops, Shoulder Roast, Spare Ribs, Breakfast Sausage, Chorizo, Grandpa Restuccia's Sausage, Canadian Bacon and  Fat

WASH YOUR VEGGIES!!
​
Bring Bags to pick-ups!

If you can't make it to pick up your veggies, send a friend!
Missed shares are forfeited for the week. 
Members get 20% off at the Farmer's Markets!
The People's Market: Wednesdays 4-7
The Driggs Market: Fridays 9-1
Jackson Saturday Market: Saturdays 8-12
Questions? Comments? Recipes to share? dale@cosmicapple.com

Crop List: Cosmic Mix, Radish, Marjoram, Bok Choy, Pirat Head Lettuce, Spinach, Swiss Chard and Maybe Turnips

We hope you all enjoyed the bounty of the first share. It was a good one! As you all know, it has been cool this past week in the Tetons.  ​This has caused the veggies to take a break from growing, but the weather this week looks warm and perfect for the plants to take off! They have been slowly establishing their root systems this spring. With the forecasted sun and heat they will grow quickly! I am ready to feel the warmth of the sun too.
The garden is mostly planted. At this point we will only be adding Cosmic Mix, head lettuce and bok choy. We have to keep planting these few items all summer to get a continuous harvest. N With the spring planting done, we will turn our energies to weeding and harvesting.
We had fun getting the first share out last week. It went very smooth! I actually texted Jed to ask if his phone was broken, since he was not calling me with questions! It just all worked out. Last week also included starting the People's Market and Saturday Market. Please note! All members get 20% off at the farmer's markets. If you have guests coming, need a special ingredient or just a bit more come see us!
On Sunday we had our annual Organic/Biodynamic inspection. Rest assured, we passed! We spent Sunday in the office pouring over seeding records, butcher receipts and harvest records with an inspector. The inspection takes about 1/2 a day and finishes with a walk around the farm. We managed to have every slip of paper, note or receipt he needed to see. It always feels good to know a third party agrees we are farming with the best practices.
Thursday Shareholders!!
July 4th pick up will be happening at the regularly scheduled time 5-7 pm on Thursday, July 4th at your pick up location. We cannot take a day off of our harvest schedule once it starts happening. We have asked the garden to yield to holidays and it just laughs at us.


Workshare lunch this week: Dale's Mint Quinoa with Veggies. This week with Bok Choy, radish and turnips (recipe on Mint page)
Recipe idea: Blistered Radishes with Parsley (on the Radish page)

Crop List: Cosmic Mix, Spicy Mix, Spinach, Arugula, Green Onions, Chives, Basil and Radish

Welcome to Cosmic Apple Garden's 2019 Community Supported Agriculture program. We are excited to start passing out veggies to the People of The Tetons! 
Spring has been more average this year at the farm. The last two years of early warm days have us all a bit jaded. Starting the CSA in mid-June is much more normal. We even had one year when the first share started on June 30th! Starting anywhere from the 10th to the 20th feels completely and wonderfully average. This year it feels great to have gotten some weeding done in the first weeks of June and to have gotten all caught up on our planting. Mother Nature seemed to hand us some time to tend to the weeds and some projects as we anxiously waited for the plants to grow. Things just don't feel as rushed. It feels nice to be part of a gentle slow spring. This first share seems to be coming together a bit smoother, or maybe as I'm typing this I am falling for the calm before the storm.
This is our 23rd year of farming in the Tetons. After 23 years, one would think we'd have all the kinks worked out. But I always make some typos, put someone at the wrong pick up site, something gets forgotten or we miscommunicate information. The good news is for the most part, we get it right! Kicking off the CSA means organizing over 275 people (this does not even include all the folks splitting full shares!). This first week of shares can be a bit of a mental feat, but gosh, we sure do love seeing you all again!!!
We are grateful to have 4 of our 6 site hosts returning again this year. Returning volunteers always helps things go smoother! Get to know your site host, these folks love veggies like we do. They also know how to cook the veggies we give out, it is actually in their job description! If you have any questions please ask. Site hosts will relay any information or questions you may have to us. If you want more information about a particular crop or recipes please check out our recipe pages. Follow the link below, I will put it in all newsletter so it is easy to access. It is organized by vegetable. Need a spinach recipe, just find spinach in the list and voila, 7 pages of spinach recipes will be at your fingertips! Some of the pages even have nutritional info. If you make something you love, I would love to share your recipe! Please just pass it along to me.
Thank you for joining us on our journey the year. Spring is always full of anticipation, newness and dreams at the farm. We hope you can taste that in these early tender greens. It is now time to wake up your taste buds from a long winter's rest! Happy Spring!! 

Workshare Lunch this week: Veggies and Peanut sauce over Rice ​(on the Bok Choy page)
Recipe idea: Bok Choy, spinach and Ginger soup (on the Spinach page)

Crop List: Carrots, Basil, Onions, Red Onions, Specialty Basil, Parsley, Fennel, Leeks, Garlic, Kale, Daikon Radish, Red Norland Potatoes, Purple Viking Potatoes, Maybe Watermelon Radish, Beets, Broccoli, Turnips, Green Tomatoes
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The last share!!! This is it. The garden has handed over its bounty. We have reaped all we have sown for the year. Now we will begin planting next year's garlic, cleaning out the garden, tilling composting and spreading the biodynamic preps. It has been our pleasure to grow for you this year. We hope you feel nourished. Please sign up for 2019 and high five your site host!
The Cosmic Dance!
I got to witness it in the garden this fall. It was one of those September mornings when I was feeling grateful for the warmth of the rising sun, and was cutting sunflowers. The dog followed me out and was making his rounds. Olivia was harvesting Swiss chard 25 feet away and Meghan was harvesting dill about 30 feet the other direction. We were in a line all working. A magpie swooped in, followed by a raven. Both were flying so low. The magpie not too concerned about it's chaser. They came so low over the sunflower stumps that the dog barked and tentatively jumped upwards. The raven was relaxed enough and low enough that it had to pull its feet up to avoid the dog...who was also unsure of what to do. I don't think big birds get that close to him very often!
The magpie momentarily alighted on a t-post that held the pea trellis, before It flew off with the raven in pursuit. It circled around Olivia and came back on the other side of me, before flying past Meghan and out of the garden. They came into the garden and did a figure 8 around us before leaving! They were close. Ravens always astonish me. Their size, the endless black of their color, the knowing eyes, they are territorial and mate for life. The beauty of magpies enthralled me when I moved west. 
I keep coming back to the fact that the magpie choose flying around us as a safety maneuver to get away from the raven. And that the raven was also unfazed by us and followed the magpie. Those 2 birds most likely live at or near the farm. They know our routines and how we behave in the garden. Just like I know the magpie probably picks thru our compost and eats the leftover grain out of the pig trough. We dance around them, and they dance around us. All of us existing in the same space. I like to think we honor the wildlife that surrounds us at the farm. Even if we are not conscious of it every moment. I like to think we are taking their needs into account, and that we would hear them, notice them and listen if we weren't.
I like to think we (all beings) are dancing together, sometimes leading, sometimes following, sometimes solo-ing, sometimes sitting out and taking care of ourselves. It has become an analogy of mine for stumbling (dancing sounds better right?!) through this life. It is so easy for me to forget these other beings are all around, doing the same thing. But if we stay kind, open and truthful these other beings show up to let us know they are dancing with us too. Sometimes I have to dig deep to even notice what is going on around me. Sometimes other beings dance around me awakening me to the moment, reminding me of all the beauty in the world, in every moment! Sometimes I don't know those other beings are there, but I still need to stand up for them, give them voice and trust them. I believe if we do that, they will trust us, find us as safe spot and show us their beauty while they dance with us. When I am blessed with their presence, I am responsible for acknowledging the world is a more beautiful place because of them.
 I hope the food we grew for you allowed you to take care of yourself while you are dancing through life. I hope you have your magical moments with ravens and magpies! I hope you found yourself surrounded in beauty this summer and it continues this winter. When it didn't feel so beautiful,  I hope our food gave you the strength to change it.  My prayer for all the food that leaves Cosmic Apple is that it gives people the energy to make the world a better place. Thanks for dancing with us this summer!!!
2018 Garden Review
We are happy about all the produce the garden grew this summer. Each year holds its treasures and growing pains. It was a challenging growing year. It was so hot, we thought it would have been one of the best years ever! But many plants were stunted by the heat like the broccoli, cabbage, kohlrabi and cauliflower. The weeds of course were going gangbusters. We also spoke to many home gardeners, with LOTS of experience and they expressed having an "off" year also. We can't put our finger on it, but some things just seemed off this year. Every year in the garden can't be "bigger and better", Mother Nature rules and she brings balance. I'm grateful for this. Off years happen, but overall we still feel like we fed a lot of people and grew top quality produce.
We were happy about the carrots this year! We experimented with a late season planting of peas which we were happy with too. The peas all year were great! The tomatoes! YUM! They did well this year too. The spring plants, turnips, spinach and arugula did great before the heat came on! The kale also was a star this year!
We were lucky to have an amazing crew of dedicated, kind, fun and hardworking employees. We felt grateful to be surrounded by the people we were working with.
We are also happy about our switch to Tuesday or Thursday share pickups. It seems to work better for you, the CSA members, and we are happy about that!

​2019 Memberships are now available!
We are taking sign-ups for 2019!! Your site host will have a signup sheet for you this week or you can follow the below link and print one out. If you sign up and pay at a pick up location by the end of this season,  you will get a free Cosmic Apple hat or T-shirt! Both made with organic cotton. Note: we don't have a lot of shirts left, sourcing purple organic cotton shirts has gotten tough, but we have lots of hats! Cash or checks accepted, you can pay online...but then you don't get the gear, and get charged a card fee.
Signing up now guarantees you the pick up location of your choice, gets you early season pricing and free gear!

​The coolers at your site are stocked with a selection of the beef and pork listed below. If you know you want something, please email me or tell your site host and I will make sure it is in the cooler, reserved for you. I don't send every cut every week, they simply won't all fit!
Beef Available: Tenderloin, Sirloin Steak, Sirloin Tip Roast, Bottom Round Roast, Liver, Ground Beef, Patties and Heart
​Pork Available: Bacon, Pork Chops, Shoulder Roast, Loin Roast, Shank, Spare Ribs, Breakfast Sausage, Chorizo, Grandpa Restuccia's Sausage, Neck Bones, Fat and Heads

WASH YOUR VEGGIES!!
​
Bring Bags to pick-ups!

If you can't make it to pick up your veggies, send a friend!
Missed shares are forfeited for the week. 
Members get 20% off at the Farmer's Markets!
The Driggs Market: Fridays 9-1 (Last one 10/5)
Questions? Comments? recipes to share? dale@cosmicapple.com

Crop List: Russian Banana Fingerling Potatoes, Purple Majesty Potatoes, Carrots, Onions, Leeks, Maybe Sugar Snap Peas, Summer Squash, Turnips, Tomatoes, Peppers and/or Cauliflower

Funny how when we start to lose things we become so much more appreciative of them. The nights are not summer nights anymore, so when the sun hits the farm in the morning it is so very welcome. I love pausing and letting the warmth wash over me as it rises over the hill. The power of it astounds me. It is exciting to witness the start of a new day, and feel the rush of gratitude in the moment. The aspens on the hill are turning yellow, I saw a flock of bluebirds in the yard the other morning getting ready to migrate. There was barely enough light to tell what they were. These birds bring me so much joy when they show up in the spring. I have never seen them "flocking up" (my invented term!) and it was nice to bid them farewell for the winter. The crops are warming as well. Getting out early and digging potatoes feels much better on the body right now then the delicate work of cutting greens. (We still hope to have one more crop of salad mix!) Digging and lifting heavy things warms us up quick.
Check out the Purple Majesty spuds this week! They are purple all the way through! Purple mashed potatoes are fun! ...just be careful about putting to much excitement into purple food. One year I thought I was making purple potato and leek soup... it came out a really depressing grey. Mashed are a safe bet though!!
We still have no frost in the forecast....amazing! What a lovely spell of weather we have had!
2019 Memberships are now available!
We are ready to start taking signups for 2019!! Your site host will have a signup sheet for you this week or you can follow the below link and print one out. If you sign up and pay at a pick up location by the end of this season,  you will get a free Cosmic Apple hat or T-shirt! Both made with organic cotton. Note: we don't have a lot of shirts left, sourcing purple organic cotton shirts has gotten tough, but we have lots of hats! Cash or checks accepted, you can pay online...but then you don't get the gear, and get charged a card fee.
Signing up now guarantees you the pick up location of your choice, gets you early season pricing and free gear!

The coolers at your site are stocked with a selection of the beef and pork listed below. If you know you want something, please email me or tell your site host and I will make sure it is in the cooler, reserved for you. I don't send every cut every week, they simply won't all fit!
Beef Available: Tenderloin, Sirloin Steak, Sirloin Tip Roast, Bottom Round Roast, Liver, Ground Beef, Patties and Heart
​Pork Available: Pork Chops, Shoulder Roast, Loin Roast, Shank, Spare Ribs, Breakfast Sausage, Chorizo, Grandpa Restuccia's Sausage, Neck Bones, Fat and Heads

WASH YOUR VEGGIES!!
​
Bring Bags to pick-ups!

If you can't make it to pick up your veggies, send a friend!
Missed shares are forfeited for the week. 
Members get 20% off at the Farmer's Markets!
The People's Market: Wednesdays 4-7 (Last one 9/19)
The Driggs Market: Fridays 9-1 (Last one 10/5)
Jackson Saturday Market: Saturdays 8-12 (Last one 9/22)
Questions? Comments? recipes to share? dale@cosmicapple.com
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Crop List: Carrots, Parsley, New Red Fire Head Lettuce, Russian Banana Potatoes, Maybe Sugar Snap Peas, Summer Squash, Sugar Dumpling Squash and Tomatoes

I always do a little happy dance when we make it to September 1st without a killing frost. Today is the 11th and there is nothing in the forecast  below 40 for the next week! This is great news for the garden. The fall crops are continuing to put on the poundage and we are still seeing summer squash! Tank tops and bare feet are still my go to with all this warm weather. Our family made it into the high country this weekend. I was shocked by the yellows and golds. The warm weather really has me forgetting fall's approach. 
Jed is going to mow our potatoes today. Traditionally farmers waited for the green part of the plant to die in a frost. After this happens the potatoes "subarize". All of the spuds we have been giving out so far have been "new" potatoes. They have not subarized. Subarization is a fancy word for the process of the skin toughening. Naturally it will happen after the green part of the plant dies in a frost cold enough to kill the plants, but not so cold the roots are damaged. It is part of the curing which allows us to store potatoes long term. Thanks to our mower, we can kill the green parts of the plant and get the potatoes out before a damaging frost destroys the whole crop. Some years the first killing frost can be cold enough to damage the roots (we get concerned below 23 degrees). We like to get the potatoes out before we are challenged by really cold weather. Top killing or vine desiccation on chemical farms is done by using an herbicide. After they apply it, a skull and crossbone sign is displayed by the field to keep humans out of the area. We love having a mower to use instead of chemicals!!!
We have been getting lots of questions at the pick up sites about signing up for next year and how long the season will go.
Our goal every year is to distribute 16 shares. That is next week, wooohooo! We will keep sharing veggies until the garden is emptied out. It generally takes us until at least the first week of October to get all the crops in, depending on weather and how many hands are working. We will keep you posted through this newsletter, plan on coming to the pickups until you hear from us or your site host!!! It will also help if you bring additional veggie moving devices (bags, containers, boxes). The shares get BIG towards the end and we run out of bags.
Conversations at the pick ups have also included questions about signing up for next year! We LOVE your enthusiasm!  Your site host will soon have sign-up forms for next year to hand out. If you sign up at a pick up site before the end of the season, you will be able to choose a Cosmic Apple hat or t-shirt. We will also let you know when we are ready to start passing out Cosmic gear here! I'm hoping to start the last week of September. I have updated all the info on the web page, but to get the hat or shirt you must sign up at a pick up.