Crop List: Spicy Cosmic Mix, Green Star Head Lettuce, Summer Squash, Cucumber, Tomatoes, Bok Choy, Radishes, Sunflowers, maybe Arugula, Sugar Snap Peas, Yellow Beans, Fillet Beans and/or Shell Peas

We skirted a frost Sunday night. The forecast was in the 40's for the low. We hit 35 degrees at the farm. There were signs of  a super light frost in the grass. So far no damage has presented itself on the plants, although we have noticed the vibrant green of summer is slipping away. The squash plants while still producing, are losing the vibrant green of mid-summer as a paler green with hints of yellow are showing.
The tomatoes and basil are tucked in the greenhouses with heaters and have no clue of what is going on outside. We started the tomatoes in March this year. They are one of the first things we plant. They start in seed trays and are eventually transplanted to 4"cups. Around the last week of April they are transplanted into the ground in a greenhouse. Irrigation tape is hooked up to water them...and then they are off and growing!
By mid-May they need to be trellised and pruned. We have one part time employee who trellises and weeds the greenhouses weekly. Harvest happens 2 times a week.  
We are so glad to be able to deliver precious tomatoes to all our CSA members. We know how these beauties are coveted, and enjoyed.

​Workshare Lunch: Polenta with Sauteed veggies and Tomato Basil Sauce

Crop List: Cosmic Mix, Radish, New Red Fire Head Lettuce,  Summer Squash, Cucumber, Tomatoes, Sunflowers, Maybe Snow Pea, Sugar Snap Peas, Yellow Beans and/or Fillet Beans

We are thrilled with the upcoming weather forecast. The garden will be also. Towards the end of August, I always get a bit giddy when I look at the extended forecast and there is still not a hint of frost to come. The garden is going to keep rocking until it freezes. This week looks hot and dry. So we will keep up last week's mantra...Harvest, water, repeat.
The beans are just starting to come in this year. I am so happy. Last year we lost them to the weeds. I LOVE beans right out of the garden. They are truly one of my favorite flavors of summer.
The sunflowers seem to be peaking this week. To help them last longer, cut the stems short enough so the flower head rests on the edge of your vase. Having something to rest on will keep them from getting droopy too quickly. Keep the water full and fresh and they should last a week.
 Just so you know what is coming....the winter squash is shaping up to be a stellar crop this year. And carrots. Oh. My. Get ready. There are a lot of carrots out there! The garlic is still in the shed curing.
Happy eating!!!​

Workshare Lunch the week: Curried Zucchini Soup (with peas, beans and tomatoes too!)
Recipe Ideas:​ Marinated Zucchini & Green Bean Salad or Beans and Bacon

Crop List: Cosmic Mix, Shell Peas, Romaine Head Lettuce, Summer Squash, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Carrots, Basil, Sunflowers, Maybe Beans,​ Snow Peas and/or Sugar Snap Peas

Harvest, water...repeat! The garden is yielding like crazy right now. We harvested 1130 cucumbers last week. We think it is a new record. It is so much fun to see all the produce coming in. I have to remember to hold my tongue everytime I walk in the wash station because Jennifer (our amazing veggie caretaker) is always in the midst of counting something and I don't want to interrupt her.
What happens in that wash station anyway? The volunteer crew brings in the harvest on the East side of the building. Greens are cooled in big water tubs and then spun dry in a wash machine set to the eternal spin cycle. Roots are unmuddied outside by spraying them off. Squash is counted as it goes into crates. Each crate that is "done" weighs the same as all the others holding the same produce. For example, all the Cosmic Mix crates always weigh 7 lbs. The carrots come in at 15 lbs. And the tomatoes always weigh 20 lbs. Each bucket of sunflowers always has 40 stems in it. After each item is processed (ex: all the Cosmic Mix is in a crates that weigh 7 lbs. each) we tally up the weight of the harvest. The total weight gets written on a dry erase board. The produce then heads into the walk in cooler to cool down even more.
Jed comes out of the field at some point around 11:30 to do the numbers. He looks at how many shares are going out on a given day, then takes the total pounds harvested and divides the weight by the share number. That's how we decide how many pounds (or counted #) of an item you get. 
Then the higher math begins. Jennifer (the aforementioned veggie caretaker, aka "wash station manager") pulls the veggies out of the walk in and begins to divide them by the numbers Jed gave her. Knowing how many shares are picked up at the farm, Wilson or Jackson she divides the veggies onto pallets destined for each pick up site. After they are divided they head back into the walk in.
Lots of math. Lots of weighing. Lots of moving produce in and out of the walk in. And lots of love. I love walking into the wash station and seeing all the produce as it is moving through this process. It is hard to remember to let Jennifer concentrate when I want to talk about how beautiful something looks! And the amazing smells. I love being in the wash station when the herb of the week is coming out of the spin cycle. The scent of the mint last week was the most refreshing scent I could imagine on a hot day, and the whole building smelled wonderful.
At 3 pm the truck driver arrives and the veggies are again pulled out of the walk in, then rolled out the West side of the building onto the truck to get to you!
This is just a small part of the veggie process, but at this time of year there is a steady stream of produce moving through the wash station on its way to you!!

Collecting questions!! What things do you want to know about the farm? Any topics that are of interest to you...veggies, animals, people, soil? Chances are if you are wondering about it someone else is too...but one of you has to ask me! Please email me ([email protected]) your questions and I will write about them in upcoming newsletters!

Workshare Lunch the week: Summer Sauté over pasta (on the Summer Squash page)
Recipe Ideas: Summer Squash Ribbons, Tomato Basil Zucchini Boats Recipe or Grilled Summer Squash

Crop List: Cosmic Mix, Swiss Chard, Mint, Napa Cabbage, Tomatoes,
Summer Squash, Garlic, Cucumbers, Maybe Snow Peas, and/or Sugar Snap Peas 

Tuesday will be (or was if you are a Thursday shareholder) a big day on the farm. We are going to get our annual garlic harvest in! Jed is currently hooking up the mower to the tractor. He will mow the tops of the plants leaving about a 5" stalk on them. Then he will come thru with our old school potato digger. This has a metal blade on the front shaped like a scoop. It digs just under the garlic and lifts the garlic out of the soil onto a conveyor belt. Most of the soil falls thru the belt. One of our kids, an employee or volunteer will ride on the digger keeping it unclogged. The garlic is then deposited on the ground behind the digger. 
This is where the hands come in. We work our way up the bed picking up all the garlic and doing a quick clean on the roots. Getting the big clumps of dirt off. We have 10 beds that are each 500' feet long to harvest. After the dirt is wiped off, the garlic is then stacked in piles. When it is all stacked we drive the trusty old blue pick up with the trailer up the beds. The garlic is stacked on the trailer. We then drive it up to our old horse barn where it will be carefully laid in rows so the curing process can begin. To cure, air must be able to circulate and the garlic must stay dry. The stalks dry down, essentially sealing the cloves so no infection can get in and rot them. We are lucky in the Tetons, the air here makes it easy to dry garlic. We do not have to invest in expensive circulation fans and climate controlled buildings. Rot and fungus are not a big concern. High altitude desert air is great for garlic. 
The garlic you are getting in your share is not yet cured. Use it up. Keep it in your fridge. The garlic later in the season can be stored long term on your counter after it is cured.
We love garlic here at Cosmic Apple. I have been in awe of this plant since I started farming. I have also written more about it in the recipes. Follow the link below to the garlic page to learn all about the plant!

Workshare Lunch: Zucchini cakes!
Recipe Ideas: ​Yogurt, mint and cucumber dressing, Kimchi, Or last week's workshare lunch: chili mint stir fry with Napa cabbage!