Share #13 September 7th & 9th

Crop List: Cosmic Mix, Fingerling Potatoes, Fennel, Holy Basil, Dill, Summer Squash, Cucumbers, Maybe Tomatoes, Sunflowers, Green Beans and/or Sugar Snap Peas

We had a very light frost at the farm on Saturday (9/4) morning. The cucumbers look pretty sad, but they may bounce back. The summer squash looks a bit better and also may still produce. Any day in September without a killing frost feels like a gift in the Tetons! The garden is still growing wonderfully and there is no more frost in the forecast as I type this.
Once September hits folks start asking: How many more weeks of veggies are there? We don't know, Mother Nature is in charge. Our goal every year is to make it 16 weeks. Some years we go longer. At this point I am confident we will make it at least 16 weeks! (In 25 years there was only one year that went 15 weeks, 24 years of shares have been 16 weeks or more!) It really depends on the weather and how fast we can get the garden cleaned out. If the summer squash keeps going, we will keep harvesting it and put off pulling in the carrots and potatoes until we need to. Once we get a killing frost and loose the summer crops we put all our energy into cleaning out the garden. Right now we are just in a holding pattern. Savoring the summer bounty until it's gone and we lean fully into the fall crops.
The cold nights do wonders for the carrots. The longer they stay in the ground, the sweeter they will be when you get them! Cold nights stimulate sugar production in veggies...which is why Cosmic carrots are way better then any you will ever get from California!
Keep checking the newsletter and I promise to update you about how long the shares will go.
We are starting to dig small samplings of the potatoes. What we are distributing now are "new potatoes". The "new" means that they have not cured for storage. The skins are really tender and peel off easily...your fingernail will do the trick. These spuds are meant to be eaten on the quicker side and kept refrigerated until you do so. 
Getting storage potatoes harvested involves a killing frost! After the above ground green vine part of the potato plant freezes it sends a message to the tubers to "suberize". This process toughens up the skin and is what makes a potato "cured" or storable for the long term. If we don't get a timely frost, we mow the vines to kill them and encourage the beginning of the suberizing process.
In non-organic production if the plants do not die naturally from a frost they are desiccated or vine killed with an herbicide.  After a field is sprayed the farmer puts up a lovely skull and crossbones sign to keep people from walking in the field. After the vines are sprayed, farmers are instructed to refrain from feeding them to livestock. The earth has been rendered toxic and dangerous...but in 14 days it turns into food for humans! Potatoes are one of the crops on the Dirty Dozen list of the most sprayed fruits and veggies. 
We put our potato seed in the ground, water and weed them. We treat them with some Biodynamic applications of quartz crystal spray, bison field spray, red tourmaline and horn manure. At some point we may mow them. They are clean real food, and we will never hang a skull and crossbones at the farm...unless we become pirate farmers.

Recipes

Lunch this Week: Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese, Farm Curry (Summer Squash Page)
Recipe Ideas: Fennel Potato Gratin, Fall Fennel and Potato Roast, Dill butter Potatoes, Dill Walnut Sauce.
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 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!
Lifeline Beef Available: Tenderloin, Ribeye, New York, Sirloin Steak, Eye of the Round, Brisket, Ground Beef, Patties, Sirloin Tip Roast, Tongue, Marrow Bones, Heart, Stew, and Kabobs
​Pork Available: 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 (Ends 9/22)
The Driggs Market: Fridays 9-1 (Ends 10/1)
Jackson Hole Farmer's Market: Saturdays 8-1 (Ends 9/25)
Farm to Fork Festival, Saturday 10/2 at The Center for the Arts
Questions? Comments? Recipes to share? [email protected]