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Crop List: Russian Banana Fingerling, Rose Finn Fingerling, Red Norland Potatoes, Peppers, Red Onion, Yellow Carrot, Green Tomatoes and Maybe Tomatoes We will have one more share after this week! Your last share will be on October 2nd or the 4th depending on your pick up day! We had our first hard frost Tuesday morning. It got down to 25 degrees on the 25th of September, that is a late arrival of frost for us! We are working as quickly as possible to empty the garden and greenhouses out. Now that we are pulling root crops here are some storage tips for you: Carrots: Remove the green tops, put in a plastic bag, or a damp towel that you keep re moistening and keep in your refrigerator. If you can't fit them in your fridge, you can pack them in a large container layering carrots/sand, carrots/sand. Making it so you can't see any carrots when done. Put them somewhere they won't freeze!! Ideal temps would be 34-45 degrees. Potatoes: Leave the soil on them! Do not wash them, dryness is key. Spuds also do well in the fridge in a bag. Darkness is also important. You can keep them in a box where they will not freeze. Preferably between 34 and 40 degrees. They need to be in something (if they are not in your fridge) that can breathe. A box with a blanket for darkness works great if you can keep it at the suggested temps. Less is more!!! We are so happy to have members who care so much about reducing plastic use. 20 years ago when we started farming, we were constantly given plastic bags to reuse and always had enough at the pick-up sites for veggies. We talked about purchasing t-shirt bags to have at the pick ups if people needed them...but I refused to buy bags. (One of Jed and my first disagreements happened at Barrels and Bins in 2002. Our goods were bagged and I said we didn't need a bag, but he wanted the bag to take and use at the farm! WHO was I dating?! Luckily our relationship survived...and he now uses less bags!!) About 5 years ago people started bringing us less plastic because they had less they were bringing into their own homes. BUT I would still get the call from Jed at the market to find bags to bring because they were out!! The truck driver would get back to the farm and say we needed more. I would hit the recycling center and grab what I could. Then I started to not find as many bags there either. This year things really changed. I never once was told we needed more bags! Our members are pushing the change in how food is distributed and we could not be happier. Your commitment to treading lighter on our earth is evident. So many of you are using things other than single use plastic to carry your garden goodies. When you do use plastic it is getting reused over and over. Supporting a CSA is one way to get single use plastic out of the food system. Even purchasing in bulk at the store involves plastic...the food is usually shipped in a box lined in plastic. So...THANK YOU!!! Thank you for pushing the food system in a better direction. Thank you for returning bags, and baskets to us at the market. Thank you for rocking the canvas bag, the mesh bag or the strawless drink. Farm history comes full circle... Back in 1997 when Jed began farming his friend Josh Bogle told him he needed to meet his dad, Jack. Turns out Jack is a tractor wizard. He has been involved with every tractor we own and has helped us with most of our implements too. I saw Jack last week while I was getting some treasures for the farm. He was excited to tell me what Josh is now up to. He is getting ready to embark on an ocean journey with the crew of Eat Less Plastic to bring attention to what plastics are doing to the ocean. Some of you may know Josh, or you may have seen his Tedx talk he did in Jackson some years back. I think I can say life has not been easy for Josh (he would most likely argue!), but his positivity and passion for our world is a wake up call for us all. He is leaving today, Tuesday, to join the crew of Eat Less Plastic!! If you want to help shine a light on what plastic is doing to our world, this is a great cause. You would be supporting someone who grew up in the shadow of the Tetons as he works to make the world a better place for us all. I've included links to Josh's Ted talk so you can get to know him, a link to the story of Eat Less Plastic and a link to donate. We can also get checks or cash to Josh's dad for donations. I'll put a jar for collections at each pick up site this week. If each of us threw in 10 bucks we could raise over $2500!!! I love that the organization's name is "Eat Less Plastic". I believe all of you are doing that by supporting the farm, how much further can we take it?! 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? [email protected]
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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? [email protected] 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. 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? [email protected] Crop List: Basil, Rose Finn Apple Fingerling Potatoes, Carrots, Kale, Maybe Sugar Snap Peas, Cosmic Mix, Cucumbers, Summer Squash, Cilantro, Tomatoes, Red Cabbage or Kohlrabi We have sustained a few light frosts. The first one caught us by surprise. The low was 32 degrees, but the plants were holding so much moisture from the rain that they froze a bit. It was not a killing frost and the cucumbers were the only crop to show damage. The summer squash right next to it has no signs of frost! The cucumbers are slowly fading away... The garden has gotten the message that fall is now iminent. The plants are scrambling to ripen the last bit of fruits. The yields from the tomatoes have slowed down. The wasps and bees are getting a bit more aggressive as they try to prepare for the colder weather. The current forecast (on Monday afternoon) looks like the fall weather everyone loves! 70's with no frosts predicted.The dust is down, the smoke is gone. We still have lots of things to come out of the garden! Leeks, onions, potatoes, turnips, carrots, broccoli, another crop of Cosmic Mix, head lettuce, fennel, kale, swiss chard and winter squash. The crop list has many "maybes" right now as we switch between summer and fall crops. Some things are on the way out and some are just starting to come in, which can make share distribution a bit tricky. When we only get a little bit of something we send it to one site, and then rotate it around as it becomes more abundant. This is one of the reasons we keep really accurate records of harvests and who gets what! The other reasons for our record keeping are for organic certification and seed ordering for next year! Workshare Lunch this week: Curried Zucchini Soup. Although I barely had a summer squash to cook with, so I sauteed the onions, ginger, garlic, added the spices and water, then just filled the pot up with a mix of veggies (potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, kale and squash...actually anything in your share this week would taste great in this soup!) pureed half of it and added some tomatoes. I'm calling it curried veggie soup! But that is the name the recipe is under, and it is on the summer squash page! 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? [email protected] |
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Victor, ID 83455 |