Share #15 September 11th & 13th

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.

Recipes

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!!
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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 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]