Crop List: Tomatoes, Summer Squash, Cucumbers, Pickling Cucumbers, Green Beans, Sugar Snap Peas, Kale, Radish, Carrots, Maybe Shell Peas, Cosmic Mix, Basil, and/or Sunflowers

There has been a definite shift in the air since last week's newsletter. Last week started out hot, dry and on par for this summer's weather. Wednesday and Thursday's rain was much needed and a relief. Gratefully it was warm while it rained. Temps in the high 50's with rain are so much easier for dexterity then rain in the low 40's. Spirits on the farm stayed high with the temperatures! 
The greenhouses never heated up without the solar gain last week, so they slowed down a bit. Everything should bounce back with all the warm weather in the upcoming forecast.
Coming out of the rainy weather, has the farm feeling different. Fall is creeping in. The longer nights are causing things to slow down a bit. The mornings have a crispness to them. A light coat was desired to walk the dog the other night. I've given up on my game of trying to keep the house from heating up during the day, the nights are now long enough that it sufficiently cools down. I may have even put on a pair of slippers...there could be no clearer sign of fall, then cold feet!
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This is about the time we all start to wonder how many more weeks of shares will we have?! We don't know! Our goal every year is to make it to 16 weeks. This year week 16 will be easy-peasy thanks to our earliest start ever on June 3rd! The garden is still packed with produce and it will take us some time to get it all harvested. There is no frost in the forecast (YAY!) so we will just keep enjoying the summer treats until they are no longer. It's pretty easy to say we will at least go until week 17 or 18 right now. There is always the disclaimer of less shares then anticipated depending on the weather, I know...I'm so non-committal! But, I'm not in charge, Mother Nature is. This nifty blog is the best place to get your info about our schedule! I promise to let you know dates as soon as we know.
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We did have a marvelous first on the farm last week. Our mama cow Star, had Cosmic Apple's first ever twins! All mamas and babes are healthy and we now have 5 calves total to watch frolic and grow.

​Lunch on the Farm this week: Pitas with Tzatziki, hard boiled eggs and tomato; Ginger beef stir fry 
Recipe Ideas: Kale Dip with Snap Peas; Wilted Greens and Basil (Kale page); Tomato Basil Chicken; Panzanella Salad; ​Tomato Basil Salad 

We have lots of extra goodies available at your pick up. If you want something specific, please email me and I will make sure it is in the cooler, reserved just for you. Dinner just got easier!
The coolers at your site are stocked with a selection of Lifeline Cheese and Cosmic Apple Pork and Beef (listed below). I don't send every cut every week, they simply won't all fit!
​Pork Available: Grandpa's Sausage, Breakfast Sausage, Pork Chops, Shoulder Roast, Spare Ribs, Boneless Loin Roast, Hock, Leaf Fat, Tenderloin and Back Fat
Beef Available: Stew Meat, Sirloin Tip Roast, Round Roast, Flat Iron Roast and Beef Fat
Hunters and Huntresses: We have pork fat for your wild game sausage making. Let me know if you want to order any and I can send it to your pick up location.
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WASH YOUR VEGGIES!!
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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. 
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Members get 10% off at the Farmer's Markets!
​Farm To Fork Market: Saturday, October 4th, 2-5, Center for the Arts
The Driggs Market: Fridays 9-1 (ends 10/3)
The People's Market: Wednesdays 4-7 (ends 9/24)
Jackson Hole Farmer's Market: Saturdays 8-12 (ends 9/26)


Questions? Comments? Recipes to share? [email protected]

Crop List: Green Beans, Cabbage, Fennel, Summer Squash, Tomatoes, Pickling Cucumbers, Cucumbers, Sunflowers, Turnips, Sugar Snap Peas, maybe Cosmic Mix, Radish and/or Shell Peas

The Cosmic Mix is taking a bit of a hiatus this week. Our new crop had poor germination because of the high heat. The old crop needs a bit of a break to regrow...so we are inbetween! For some items the garden has crossed over the peak. Tomatoes, sunflowers, squash and cucumbers will slow down a bit although the sunflowers, squash and cukes will keep producing until a frost. The tomatoes are tucked in the greenhouse and will keep going until we shut off the propane! The shorter days are starting to affect how quickly the plants grown. Many of the late summer treats are starting to appear...beans, fennel and cabbage! These things are ready earlier then usual thanks to an incredible growing year.

I heard a podcast the other day that resonated with me. Being interviewed was Charlotte Smith, a bit of a farm guru, who helps farmers with marketing, pricing, time management and so many other things that if done improperly can be the difference between a successful farm and one that fails. I usually listen to her podcast...but this time she was being interviewed by another podcaster. 
The interviewer was trying to understand why anyone would want to pay more for locally produced food...and also...WHY is it more expensive?
Smith made some great points in support of local food around health, that I've shared here before. What really got me thinking is...why is local food more expensive?
I have said that I wish I could feed the world for free, but my family also deserves a home, vacation, clothes, a retirement and other things standard in this country. We have examined our pricing and know we can't sell for less then we do...so how is it possible that grocery stores undersell us? Especially since much of the produce is coming from half way around the world? And Cosmic Apple has no middle people (grocery store employees, long distance truck drivers, wholesalers) so it really should be cheaper, right??? Wrong. Smith took the time to explain some of these reasons...I'll summarize!

Huge cooperate farms have economy of scale on their side. They may be farming 1000's of acres and pay the same in government fees and licensees that we pay to farm 50 acres. When purchasing supplies they have more buying power and can buy in bulk. We pay retail for everything, while they are having semis or pallets delivered at a discount.
#2. Grocery store food is kept at an artificially low price. Cooperate farms are getting subsidies, so they can sell products below production cost. After the Depression, Roosevelt said no American will ever stand in line for food again. He pledged to keep food cheap. This was the end of the average American family farm making a good living.  Before this moment farmers were very esteemed in society, farmers fed people...kind of important! Farmers were respected and treated like doctors and lawyers. Things began to change. Food subsidies began and targeted 7 big commodities, instantly making it hard for diversified farms, making a living became harder on the farm. To this day big commodity farms get checks every month from the government to subsidize food production. Small diversified farms aren't eligible for the breaks the big ones get. Policy changes are long overdue.
Her third point is something we rarely acknowledge...because the truth can hurt, and none of us want to face the fact we could be contributing to slavery. Slave labor is still used to produce food. It has been proven that we are sold food grown with slave labor in American grocery stores. Tomatoes are a big culprit. (Do a simple internet search or see these sources here, here and here.) I truly believe everyone would rather pay the true cost of food then admit to be benefiting from slaves...cooperate food doesn't think so. They don't advertise "grown with slave labor", but they sure don't put an end to it either. They are guilty of benefiting from slavery. We have to vote with our dollars to shut this system down. Human lives depend on it. It's atrocious and I don't want that energy in my food. I don't want humans suffering so I can eat a tomato in January.
The final point is a good reminder...many countries in Europe spend 50% of their income on food. Americans average around 4%. Spending just 10% of our household budget on food in America is considered crazy. We have been trained to believe food should be cheap. We have to change our thinking. Cheap food has long term costs, environmental, social and human health are all jeopardized by our dependence on cheap food. Environmental- it's cheaper to spray LOTS of chemicals then it is to pay humans to weed. Social- slavery is still happening. Human health- you can pay your farmer now (thank you!) or pay your doctor later.

When you buy from a small farm you are paying what food really costs. You are paying a local farmer, a member of your community, to make a living, pay a mortgage, send a kid to college or replace an old car.
I know you are here because you have already chosen to support local food, and you know it's more expensive but worth the cost. YOU are the change we need in this world. I'm here because I believe in local food too! I share this info with you, even though you are already here, because it's good for all of us to continue our education around food. We eat everyday! Sharing why we care about local food with peers is important to do when folks ask why it matters or roll their eyes at a "spendy" tomato.
Thank you for being here, caring and playing a part in making the world a better place one bite at a time.

​Lunch on the Farm this week: Peruvian Quinoa Stew; Polenta with Tomato Balsamic Sauce
Recipe Ideas: Turnip, Radish, & Fennel Sauté; Salmon with Cabbage, Cucumber, & Fennel Salad; Caramelized Fennel with Beans, Carrots & Chile Soy Drizzle; ​Cabbage with Indian Spices

Lunch on the Farm this week: Tomato Zucchini Stew; Farm Curry
Recipe Ideas: Sweet Carrot Raita; Creamy Carrot Tomato Soup; Tomato, Garlic and Summer Squash; Classic Gazpacho or ​Mangiatutto al Pomodoro (on the tomato page)

Crop List: Cosmic Mix, Collards, Napa Cabbage, Green Beans, Pickling Cucumbers, Summer Squash, Tomatoes, Sunflowers, Basil, maybe Sugar Snap Peas, and/or Head Lettuce,

So much goodness is pouring out of the garden right now! The crew is hustling everyday just to keep up with harvesting produce. It has been a wonderful growing year. The temperatures have stayed consistently warm, making life easier on the plants.
We are incredibly grateful for our irrigation system. We are still watering regularly with gravity fed snow melt, straight out of the Tetons. Clean water is precious, and one of the reasons we think our produce tastes so great.
I hope you've been enjoying the sunflowers. It's fun to grow a crop just to bring people joy. No pressure to make sure it tastes good...or to give you a recipe! It's just a bright sunny flower to brighten your home. Sunflowers astound me. And they remind me how cool my life is. I get to go out into the field and gather up beautiful things to bring to people! I have to pinch myself to really believe this is my job.  Sunflowers are gorgeous, showy, statement flowers while being basic, common and chunky at the same time. For me, they are a flower of happiness and brightness. My mama-in-law gave me a great book called the "Secret Life of Sunflowers" by Marta Molnar. It was about Van Gogh and his paintings of them. People questioned why he would waste his time on such a common flower...which I'm guessing grew like a weed where he was. I now have a print of "Sunflowers" next to my computer!
Here are 2 quotes I loved from the book...Both quotes sum up my favorite flowers and some of my favorite ideals in people!
"Sunflowers are adaptable, for one. Seventy species. You plant them somewhere and they'll figure out how to grow... They're scrappy as hell, but they always look like stars."
"Fear no storms, turn in gratitude toward the light"​
I hope the flowers I harvested go out into the world and bring joy and brightness to those who receive them!

How to help your sunflowers last in a vase
Strip off any leaves, stems or buds that will be in the water. It helps keep the water clean if there is not plant matter rotting in it.
Cut the flowers so the head of the flower rests on the edge of the vase. Sunflowers are heavy and if they are propped up by the edge of the vase you won't see the effects of gravity as quickly! Gravity really gets us all in the end!
Keep the water fresh! Change it every 3 days or sooner if it gets murky looking.


Lunch on the Farm this week: Summer Pasta Sauté' and Curried Zucchini Soup
Recipe Ideas: Green Beans with Tomatoes and Herbs; Basil Beans; Tomatoes, Basil and Beans; Steamed Collard Greens with Miso-Tamari Seasoning; ​Napa Cabbage Salad

Crop List: Cosmic Mix, Summer Squash, Pickling Cucumber, Tomatoes, Radish, Swiss Chard, Bok Choy, Sunflowers, Maybe Sugar Snap Peas and/or Shelling Peas

Did you know Cosmic Apple Gardens is Certified Biodynamic? Maybe you did...but what does it even mean and why do we do it?
There are entire books written about Biodynamics. Attempting to sum it up in one newsletter is just going to touch the surface of it!
Biodynamics is a type of agriculture based on a series of lectures by Rudolf Steiner given in 1924. He envisioned agriculture that incorporated scientific understanding and spirit in nature. It has been evolving since 1924 and is practiced all over the world.
We recognize that Cosmic Apple Gardens is a living organism. It is made up of fields, forests, plants, animals (wild and domestic), soils, compost, people, and the spirit of the place. We are responsible for making sure all of these things are treated with respect and know that each is interconnected to make the organism whole. Each element must be cared for to support the health and vitality of the whole.
Another key component of Biodynamics is generating on farm fertility. Biodynamic veggies grow in living soil, providing a quality of health and nutrition unattainable with chemical fertilizers or hydroponic growing. One of the main reasons we incorporate animals is because they provide manure to create the most amazing compost. By composting we are replenishing the nutrients in the soil each year, seeking a more closed loop system by raising animals who are giving back to the land. We are not purchasing off farm fertilizers, even if they are approved for organic production. We also cover crop to stimulate healthy soil structure, create diversity and improve nitrogen.
When we make our compost pile each spring we add six biodynamic preparations to it. Here is a more concise explanation then I could ever provide from the Biodynamic Association:

"Biodynamic compost is enhanced and enlivened through the use of six preparations made from yarrow, chamomile, stinging nettle, oak bark, dandelion, and valerian. Each of these medicinal herbs is transformed through a unique process that brings it into relationship with the animal kingdom, the earth, and the cycle of the year. Bringing these elements together magnifies their healing qualities, fosters the growth of beneficial bacteria and fungi, and creates powerfully concentrated substances to guide the development of the compost. A small quantity of each preparation is added to the compost pile just after it is built, and again after it is turned. Biodynamic preparations strengthen the quality of the compost by stabilizing nitrogen and other nutrients, multiplying microbial diversity, and bringing more sensitivity to the composting process. Biodynamic compost helps attune the soil to the whole farm organism and wider influences while increasing soil life and stable organic matter. Biodynamic compost also brings more carbon into the living realm, helping to restore balance to the climate."

We also spray special biodynamic preparations over the whole farm at different times of the year. Again, the Biodynamic Association explains...
"In addition to the compost preparations, several biodynamic preparations are applied as potentized liquid sprays to bring healing, vitality, and sensitivity to the farm and garden. Horn manure enhances the life of the soil and the relationship between soil and plants, and is made from cow manure buried inside a cow horn during the winter months. Horn silica increases plant immunity, strengthens photosynthesis, enhances ripening, and is prepared from ground quartz crystals buried in a cow horn over the summer months. Horsetail tea helps prevent fungal diseases and balances the watery element in plants and soil. Together, the biodynamic spray and compost preparations bring plants into a dynamic relationship with soil, water, air, warmth, and cosmos to help them develop in a healthy and balanced way, access the full spectrum of nutrients they need, and become more resilient to pests, diseases, and extreme climate conditions."

One of my favorite statements about Biodynamic farming is:
Biodynamics seeks to heal the Earth through agriculture.
​We are not just farming, we are actively seeking to tend our farm in a way that constantly makes it healthier, and more alive. We know the soil is in better shape then when we started growing here in 2002. We also know there is more work to be done for future generations. 

And the BIG WHY? Other then healing the Earth...the taste is why we believe in Biodynamics. I was talking with an employee today. The Tomato Queen to be exact. She knows how to grow tomatoes. She takes care of all of ours, by herself. In the spring she gets some plants started by us to grow in her greenhouse at her home. She swears the tomatoes grown at the farm taste better then the ones she grows in her greenhouse. Even though we started the plants! She attributes it to the care we have put into building the soil through Biodynamic practices, especially the influence of the critters. We gratefully hear it all the time..."your produce tastes amazing!" Cosmic Apple Gardens is so enlivened from treating the whole. The Biodynamic preps make a difference! They support a living system. The fields, forests, plants, animals, soils, compost, people, and the spirit of the place are all honored, integrated and nurtured, for great taste and to heal the Earth.

Lunch on the Farm this week: Burritos w/ Idaho Salsa, Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese
Recipe Ideas: Curried Zucchini & Swiss Chard; Summer Squash Boats; Lentils with Sausage & Swiss Chard; ​Mint, Yogurt, Cucumber Dressing

Crop List: Cosmic Mix, Sugar Snap Peas, Shelling Peas, Kale, Bok Choy, Summer Squash, Basil, Fresh Garlic and maybe Sunflowers

The garden exploded with produce last week. We weren't looking and the squash was ready. Also, the sunflowers surprised us by opening to the sun and smiling at us. At the farm, this is the big season. The season of fullness, heat and abundance of produce... all sprinkled with a hint of lack of time.
The harvests are big. Sorting the veggies takes longer. Loading a pallet on the truck takes muscle. We've been waiting for this season all year. It's amazing. And it TASTES SO GOOD.
This Saturday we reach Lammas. August 2nd is the day smack in the middle of Summer Solstice and Fall Equinox.  A day traditionally calling for pause. A time to give gratitude for all that has been harvested so far, while acknowledging there is not enough yet, to get through the winter. It is a time to realize the Earth gives SO MUCH, but there is still work to be done. It's a time to pause and really understand what crops are thriving and what needs help. Traditionally communities came together to evaluate how the fall harvests were looking. They also celebrated all they had, and figured out how to help each other with the work that was yet to come. Plans were made to trade for what was needed, be it labor, produce, meat, tools or herbs. A mid-summer gathering was a celebration and a chance to network.
Now, we all live lives of leisure. I'm pretty stoked on running water, my refrigerator and the computer I am typing on. But I still see humans celebrating Lammas. It's in our nature to follow the cycles of the seasons. I love seeing people connect at live music, farmer's markets or CSA pick ups. A huge hug for an old friend. Witnessing the growth of a child not seen in 6 months. People's conversations start to gently turn to what the season changes will be...school? New job? Off season travel plans? And what gear someone needs that a friend has! How's your garden? We share special things we have managed to preserve with dear friends. Recipes are exchanged. Lammas is a time of giving, of sharing abundance.
We are still called to gather with friends this time of year and share the harvest. We still commune with those we cherish and revel in a warm summer night, while catching up and talking of the future.
As we dig in to celebrate all we have harvested so far, and look towards the abundance yet to come we hope you do the same, with the people you love. Savor the flavors and feelings of this time of year. Summer is still here, we get to live in the Tetons and it's a great time of year to eat food!
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Lunch on the Farm this week: Summer Squash stir fry with homemade Hoison Sausce; Zuchinni Cakes
Recipe Ideas: Bruschetta and salad for dinner; Summer Squash Ribbons, Tomato Basil Zucchini Boats; Sugar Snap Peas with Basil and Lemon; Panzanella Salad (Kale page); Kale Tomato Brown Rice Bowls​

Crop List: Cosmic Mix, Sugar Snap Peas, Collards, Turnips, Bok Choy, Head Lettuce, Tomatoes and Parsley

What does a day on the farm look like and how do we get the most flavorful veggies picked at the peak of ripeness to you?
Each CSA harvest is divided into 2 days. Monday/Tuesday and Wednesday/Thursday. Our whole workweek is set up around getting you your veggies. We put the CSA first, markets and projects second. The crew meets at 7am. Jed lays out the morning tasks. We always harvest first thing, because the cooler temps are easier on the produce. Mondays and Wednesdays start out with Cosmic Mix first thing every time. We use sheep sheers to cut the mix, and then place it in 5 gallon buckets lined with a mesh bag. When the bag is full it is put into a yellow crate on a garden cart. We keep repeating until the whole 500' row is cut.
After the Cosmic Mix is done, we move onto head lettuce or bok choy. Each head is cut and counted as it goes into a crate, then to the garden cart.
Items like collards, kale or Swiss chard are cut leaf by leaf into a crate.
When we are done harvesting an item the full garden cart is pulled into our processing building, and handed off to our veggie caretaker. For Cosmic Mix, the mesh bags are dunked in 2 big cooling tanks. The tanks are filled with cold Teton well water. Dunking cools the mix quickly after harvest to help preserve it. Then it goes into our large salad spinner! Sounds fancy...but we actually use a top loading washing machine set to a perpetual spin cycle!
The Cosmic Mix is then poured out of the bags onto our tables, mixed by hand and put into yellow crates. Each crate is adjusted to weigh 7 pounds exactly. When we have the total weight of our harvest, we divide the weight by the number of CSA members picking up on each day. That's how we determine the share size!
The lettuce and bok choy comes in with a set number of heads in each crate, so they are just dunked and the number of crates are totaled. The collards and such are also dunked and then the crate weights are all adjusted so they weigh the same.
At this point in the morning...the crew is ready for a break! Coffee, tea and/or a snack happen quickly. And then they are back at it!
Harvesting usually happens until about noon each day depending on the size of the crew and how fast we can get it done. After lunch, we sometimes finish up pea picking or mostly move onto weeding! Wednesdays and Thursdays the field crew turn to market harvest as soon as the CSA is done.
Whatever was not harvested Monday (or Wednesday) morning is the first thing on the list for Tuesday (or Thursday) morning. We spread the harvest out over 2 days to ensure we can get it done during the best temps for the veggies.
After the harvest is complete on Tuesday and Thursdays it is time for a lot of math in the processing shed. A pallet is placed for each pick up site. Our wash station manager then begins confirming all the weights and putting the correct amount of veggies on each pallet for each pick up site.
We break for lunch at 12:15-1:15. The afternoon feels short while getting the shares ready. The goal is to be done dividing the veggies by 3 o'clock. 
When the veggies are all on the pallet destined for you, the signs need to be written. This can sometimes feel daunting...there are 10 whiteboards to write out...and mistakes have to be triple checked for!
While the boards are being written, our truck driver arrives at 3 and begins loading the truck. She leaves the farm at 3:30 sharp with all the veggies, whiteboards, scales and all the other things needed for your veggie delivery!
By 5pm your veggies are waiting for you at your pick up location. We love how close we all live to each other. Being able to get you produce picked at the peak of ripeness and delivered so quickly is a difference you can taste. Some of the items you get were in the field 6 hours prior! Most produce in the stores is harvested well before ripeness so it can handle long truck rides and time in refrigerators before being put on a shelf to purchase.
We keep a tight schedule on the farm. It feels a bit overwhelming early in the season and the crew does not know which way they are moving. But! As the season moves on, the flow becomes second nature and harvests run like a well oiled 1965 tractor.
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Lunch on the Farm this week: Summer pasta with garlic, swiss chard, turnips summer squash, tomatoes and basil.
Recipe Ideas: Spare Ribs and Collards; Chimichurri Sauce; Tomato Salsa with Sugar Snap Peas or Creamed Collard Greens  

Crop List: Cosmic Mix, Swiss Chard, Bok Choy, Sugar Snap Peas, Head Lettuce, Tomatoes and Dill

The sugar snaps are here. Real, sugary and sweet, fresh snappy peas! Not the kinda limp ones in the grocery store. Sugar snaps are one of the veggies that remind us how flavorful food picked at the peak of ripeness and quickly delivered to you is supposed to taste. Good luck getting your total share home. You'll probably need to eat a couple as soon as you weigh them. And …they taste really good as you are driving. If you have kids in the car with you, you might get home completely empty handed. You've been warned.
Picking peas is labor intensive, and could be a love language! Our crew of 6 spent 2 1/2 hours picking one 500' row. We have a row to pick for Tuesday and a row for Thursday. Harvesting will happen at least twice a week for the next few weeks. Our second crop of two more rows is close behind. We stagger our plantings so the pea season is extended. Once the peas come in, they take so much time to harvest...we get behind on our weeding. But the peas are calling and we must go.
Pea picking is a "minds-on" harvest job. Each pea has to be looked at and a decision made. Perfectly ripe? In the bucket. Too small and not plumped up yet? It needs more time to ripen...next pea! And the dreaded...over-swollen. Over-swollen and pale green means overripe. As tempting as it can be to toss a big plump overripe pea in the bucket, it will be stringy and have lost its sweetness. It also means it was probably missed the week before. Learning to pick peas takes some time and practice. Doing it well, means an easier harvest job the next time we go through the row. No one on our crew wants to find overripe peas that were missed the week before!
The crew emphasized how juicy and ripe the peas are right now. They were so dedicated to getting them harvested, they put lunch off for an hour to finish. If you want a group of people to get to know each other...put them in the pea patch for a couple hours. Stories and jokes are shared. Today's topic turned to marriage advice...what's the secret to success? In case you are wondering..."learn to fight productively" was the advice given. Wisdom abounds in the pea patch!
There have also been many moments of belly laughs...one year this video was created by the crew. Here's a laugh that might make you pea! Hardee-har-har.

Lunch on the Farm this week: Garlic Curl Pesto over Quinoa with turnips, bok choy and kale; Chili Mint stir fry with Bok Choy, sugar snaps and tomatoes
Recipe Ideas: Chilled Shrimp and Sugar Snap Pea Salad with Tangy Ginger Dressing; Sesame Roasted Snap Peas; Bok Choy, Swiss Chard With Noodles; ​Yogurt Dill Dressing

Crop List: Cosmic Mix, Kale, Radish, Turnips, Butterhead Lettuce, Bok Choy, Maybe Spicy Mix, Arugula, Sugar Snap Peas and/or Tomatoes

​Let's talk "maybes" and why it is on your crop list. The spicy mix and arugula are on the way out for now and the tomatoes are just starting to come in. We don't know how many pounds we will actually have until we harvest. Sometimes we don't get enough to give the whole CSA enough to make it worth it. Try dividing 25 pounds of tomatoes by 100 shares...and then half shares. We would have to cut tomatoes in half so the weights would work! We may give a crop to just one pick up site, and then the next week the other sites get it. We keep very careful records to make sure it all evens out to the best of our abilities as the season progresses.
But YES! Tomatoes are starting to ripen! ...and maybe you'll get some this week! Or next! But in the next week or two our harvests should be big enough for everyone to get them each week for many weeks!

We get asked a lot how many people work on the farm. We are now at our peak season and fully staffed. We have 14 people on payroll and 6 volunteer site hosts along with some other volunteers who work about 20 hours/month. Jed and I do our best to keep it all organized and running smoothly.
Our field crew is made up of 5 full time employees. Jacy is our crew manager. Eloiza, Gregoria, John and Sergio are there M-F, 7-4. Aspen (5th year on the farm!), Tucker and Laura each work 1-2 days a week also on the Field Crew. The Field Crew is responsible for planting, weeding, harvesting, washing veggies, prepping for markets and all the other random projects that come up on the farm. These folks work hard, everyday in all the weather. They are kind and care about the produce they grow.
Deb has carved out a very special job at the farm in the 10 years she has worked with us. Her official title is Tomato Queen. She lovingly prunes, trellises, weeds and harvests the tomatoes. Deb takes care of 3 20' X 100' greenhouses on a weekly basis. She also works at the People's Markets on Wednesdays. She knows how to cook anything and is always excited to share a recipe!
Forrest is our Wash Station Manager, a.k.a. Veggie Caretaker. Forrest receives all the veggies from the field. He then weighs, inventories and divides the produce so we get the proper amounts to each site for you to pick up. It is a job that requires a lot of math and organization in a hectic environment. 
We have 2 new positions we created this year! An evening and a morning chore person! Kirsten works mornings and Rachel works evenings, M-F. Each shift requires moving irrigation pipe, feeding pigs, chickens and cows. Collecting eggs, checking water troughs, opening/closing greenhouses and soon (when our cows calve) milking our family cow. This change in staffing has been a wonderful break for Jed. It has given him 6 extra hours in the day to oversee farm operations and work on his tasks. We are glad we made this change...and bonus: We now know Rachel and Kirsten!
Saturday and Sunday mornings we are incredibly grateful to Kelli. She does the morning chores so Jed can make it to the Saturday markets and sleep in on Sundays. Kelli has been a smiley fixture at the farm for 12 years starting out as a volunteer.
All you Jackson folks know Roberta! This is her 5th year driving the truck for us. She safely gets those veggies over the pass to Wilson and Jackson each Tuesday and Thursday. She can also be found doing evening chores for us 2X a week all winter.
Tucker and Laura each mentioned above on the Field Crew also work markets for us! Tucker, who is working his 9th season at Cosmic, also is at the Driggs Market with the amazing Emma. Laura in her 2nd year farming with us helps Jed at the Saturday Market. Rachel our evening chore person has Wednesdays off from chores so she can work at the People's Market!

Cosmic Apple is a diverse operation with lots of moving parts. We could not run this farm without our amazing employees and volunteer site hosts (please give your site host a high-five tonight!). Jed and I feel so lucky to be surrounded by the amazing folks the farm draws in. Our employees quickly become family (farmily?). I truly cherish the conversations we have and the things I learn from them. They make me laugh, show me new perspectives, are full of great ideas and hope for the future. Each of them is at the farm because they care about growing food for their community. They see the value in the work we do together. The good energy they bring to work each day is part of the reason the veggies taste so good!
If you see one of our crew members out and about, let them know a veggie you like and give them a hearty Thank You!

Lunch on the Farm this week: Burritos with Garlic Curl, Cilantro, Lime sauce. Coconut Soup with Kale and Bok Choy over Rice Noodles
Recipe Ideas: Garlicky Greens with Kale; Kale with Bacon; Bok Choy Peanut Noodle Salad;  Radish or Turnip Greens with Miso Sauce 

​We have lots of extra goodies available at your pick up. If you want something specific, please email me and I will make sure it is in the cooler, reserved just for you. Dinner just got easier!
The coolers at your site are stocked with a selection of Lifeline Cheese and Cosmic Apple Pork and Beef (listed below). I don't send every cut every week, they simply won't all fit!
​Pork Available: Grandpa's Sausage, Breakfast Sausage, Pork Chops, Shoulder Roast, Spare Ribs, Boneless Loin Roast, Hock, Leaf Fat Tenderloin and Back Fat
Beef Available: Tenderloin, Rib Eye, Sirloin Steak, Patties, Stew Meat, Sirloin Tip Roast, Round Roast, Flat Iron Roast, Beef Fat and Liver
Hunters and Huntresses: We have pork fat for your wild game sausage making. Let me know if you want to order any and I can send it to your pick up location.
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WASH YOUR VEGGIES!!
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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 10% off at the Farmer's Markets!
The Driggs Market: Fridays 9-1
The People's Market: Wednesdays 4-7
Jackson Hole Farmer's Market: Saturdays 8-12

Questions? Comments? Recipes to share? [email protected]

Crop List: Cosmic Mix, Green Onions, Collards, Bok Choy, Turnips, Garlic Curls and maybe Radishes

This newsletter is going to be short and sweet! I have time blocked out on Monday afternoons to write the newsletter. Truth be told...I got sick. The kind of sick that demands sleeping from 1-4:30, getting up to drink water, sleeping on the couch from 5-8 and then just going to bed for the night. It is now Tuesday morning and we are on a delivery day! I need to get out to the farm to do the delivery things. I feel much better...I just need to rebuild my strength and get some food in me. I'm in recovery mode!
We've had a week straight of truly summer weather. The garden is growing so fast right now. The sunflowers have jumped in size, the peas are starting to tease us and there are hints of red things ripening (tomatoes!!) in the greenhouses!
We wish you a fun and safe 4th of July weekend!

​​Lunch on the Farm this week: Roasted Garlic Curl Hummus on Build your own sandwiches with sliced bok choy, turnips and radish. 
Recipe Ideas: Collard wraps, but saute green onions, turnips and bok choy for the inside; Easy Collards; Roasted Hakuri Turnips with Israeli Couscous Salad; Tangy Turnips