Share #13 August 30th and September 2nd

​Crop list: Cosmic Mix, Bok Choy, Carrots, Kale, Parsley, Maybe Sunflowers, Summer Squash, Peppers, Tomatoes or Cucumbers

The number of babies at the farm this year is astounding. Pigs, calves, chicks, kittens, puppies and humans! Before my extended family gets too excited...let me clarify. The number of newborn babies coming to the farm with their mama's for a veggie pick up is awesome! There are so many newbies I want to hover around the wash station to catch glimpses. There are many growing bellies and babes making appearances at the Wilson and downtown sites too! Congrats to all of you, it is an honor to feed you and your children and to watch them grow! It is one of the things I love about the CSA model. I get to know your families and see you year after year. I'm grateful to be growing food for you instead of wholesale accounts feeding nameless faces! 
Ok, farm babies. Our first new critter this year is Cosmo the dog. He is a Golden Retriever/Australian Shepard mix. We lucked out. He is a great pup, who LOVES people and has absolutely no interest in chasing animals...except other dogs to convince them to play with him. We have not had a farm dog of our own in 7 years. Stop by and say hi if you want, be prepared for puppy jumps and lots of love.
On June 15th we got 75 new chicks. The layers we have now are 1 1/2 years old and as you egg lovers have noticed, they have really slowed down the egg production. This is the normal life cycle. We usually replace our flock every 2 years, but we are upping the game. We hope to have a more steady supply of eggs, although it will always ebb and flow. The new hens should be laying in November, so lots of eggs this winter!!!
Our sow had piglets in June. 4 of them are doing great and growing quickly!!! These 4 will be organic since they were born on farm. 2 weeks ago we purchased 15 pigs from another farm. We will sell those as whole and half pigs. They will not be certified organic because their mom was not treated organically for the last third of her gestation, nor were they when they were born. After they arrived at our farm, we have been and will continue to treat them organically, but they will never be certified. They still taste great and I feel good feeding them to my family. 
Then came the kittens. Zedd and Dumbledore came from the Teton Valley Animal Shelter. We needed mousers! I promised the kids they could have kittens. I never thought I'd have kittens and a puppy at the same time, but our cat Gandalf passed away at 14 this past spring, right after we got Cosmo. Both cats are EXTREMELY tolerant of being worn as scarves and going for stroller rides. Zedd is not convinced Cosmo is an ally yet. Dumbledore has warmed up to him. Cooking lunch is always exciting this year as I often find myself in a 10' X 12' space with 3 kids, a puppy and 2 kittens.
On August 23rd Rosie had a calf. We named him Smokey, since it was the day the Tie Canyon Fire really took off. We didn't think the calf was going to make it. He was stuck in the birth canal with one leg forward and one back. When calves get in this position it is common for the umbilical cord to get pinched, cutting off oxygen before they can breathe on their own. The Victor Vet sent Grace to help. She pushed the calf back in (ouch!) and pulled the other leg forward. He was born quickly after that and started breathing like a champ. I was amazed and grateful! Usually calves start standing and nursing a few hours after birth. He was born at 1 and still was not standing, or really trying at dinner time. We were concerned about him, he had a rough birth. At about 8 Jed bottle fed him some colostrum from Rosie and lifted him up to stand. By 9 am the next day, he figured out how to go under the panel and escape his confines to join the herd! Non-walker to escape artist in 13 hours.
We are awaiting one more calf in mid-September, and then that should be it for farm critters for a while!

Pork Available!
Sausage! Yes! Grandpa Restuccia's and Chorizo Sausage are the flavors we have now. "Grandpa's" is Jed's grandfather's recipe from Italy. Fennel and black pepper, a real simple, delicious, classic Italian sausage. Chorizo is a classic Mexican sausage, mildly spice and vinegar. Check the attachment on your email for prices. Available cuts are: Sausage, Boneless Loin Chops, Spare Ribs, Neck Bones, Bone in Shoulder Roast, Heart and Liver. 

Beef Available! 
Check the coolers at your site. I attached a list of prices and cuts to your email. If you know you want something, please email me and I will send it over for you. You can also tell your site hosts you have a request and I will send it the next week. We purchased 2 cows from Lifeline. They are packaged with our label because we brought them to the butcher live and for us to sell them they needed a label...and well, we are Cosmic Apple! It is really just the legalities of selling USDA inspected meat. More info then you need, but we want to be completely honest about what we have!

Find recipes for this weeks share here: www.cosmicapple.com/recipes.html
Bring Bags to pick-ups!
Wash Your veggies!
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 is Fridays 9-1.
The People's Market is Wednesdays 4-7.
Jackson Market is Saturdays 8-12.​​​​