It’s February, and the snow is still piling up in the gardens, but we are already planning our summer farm season! As you may have heard, we accomplish our farm tasks with the assistance of farm work shares. As a small organic farm with numerous tasks to be accomplished by hand, we rely on a dedicated group of people to help with the daily garden tasks. A work share commits to working 1 morning a week for the farm, and in return gets a share of vegetables and herbs, and occasionally even flowers.
There are many incalculable rewards in accomplishing the various tasks of a morning—good camraderie and meeting new folks, learning about gardening techniques from planting through harvesting, becoming more educated on what good food is and tastes like, spending time outdoors in an awesome part of Teton Valley, getting stronger… There’s something about getting into the rhythm of a place and task that leads to immense satisfaction.
We invite you to become a part of our farm community. We need both regular work shares who can dedicate 1 morning a week for the season of May 22 through September, and also substitute work shares who could fill in occasionally. Please check out our work share info & application for more info. Give Sue Miller, the farm manager, a call [(307)-413-9115], or send an email if you have any questions.
We had a great plant sale–thank you for stopping by! If you need any last items, we still have some great looking tomatoes (cherry, mid-season, and a few heirlooms), as well as peppers, eggplants, and herbs. You may stop by the greenhouse and self-serve. Otherwise we’ll see you at the first Teton Valley Farmers Market next Friday, June 10!
Hours: 1-6 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. -2 p.m. Saturday
or by appointment that week
Get your certified organic vegetable, herb, and flower starts at the farm! It’s happening at Snowdrift Farms–at the main barn & greenhouse, 3.5 miles SW of Victor. For directions go to the “Directions” page on this website.
Purchase 1 or 100! These vegetable and herb varieties have been tested on our farm, and do well in our climate (ask us for growing tips!). All varieties are started from seed on the farm, and are 100% certified organic. Available for purchase in individual soil blocks* and pots. We have a limited amount of each, so come early for best selection.
By the way, this is your last chance to sign up for our Farmers Market discount program! Becoming a “Friend of the Farm” by purchasing a $100 voucher before June 1st gives you $115 worth of veggies at the markets this summer.
*Soil Blocks are pressed soil cubes that don’t need any plastic pots, and are ready to plant directly in the garden. The plants suffer no transplant shock with soil blocks.
All our pots are reused thanks to Trail Creek Nursery.
Vegetables: in individual soil blocks* or pots
Beets
Broccoli
Brussel Sprouts
Cabbage: red & green, Napa
Cauliflower
Cucumbers: slicing
Edible & cottage garden flowers
Kale:Lacinato, red & green curly
Leeks
Lettuce: red & green Romaine, Butterhead, Summer Crisp
Would you like to learn more about gardening, get your hands dirty, and enjoy a morning a week in a beautiful corner of Teton Valley? You could be contributing to our valley’s sustainable food production–Snowdrift Farms has a few openings for work shares for the upcoming season. In return for a morning a week of garden work you will receive a share of fresh organic vegetables!
We need help getting our veggies planted, weeded, and harvested, so if you’re interested, check out the details on our Work Share Information sheet. Feel free to write us with questions or interest via our website’s Contact page. We have an open application period through the spring until all spots are filled. Thank You!
At Snowdrift Farms, we believe in growing the highest quality food using natural and sustainable methods. Snowdrift Farms practices certified organic farming, and believe this to be a holistic way to interact with the land.
“Organic farming is agriculture that makes healthy food, healthy soils, healthy plants and healthy environments a priority along with crop productivity. Organic farmers use biological fertilizer inputs and management practices such as cover cropping and crop rotation to improve soil quality and build soil organic matter. By increasing the amount of organic matter in the soil, as nature does on a forest floor, organic farmers enhance the soil’s ability to absorb water, reducing the impacts of droughts and flooding. Improving soil organic matter also helps it to absorb and store carbon and other nutrients needed to grow healthy crops which, in turn, are better able to resist insects and diseases.” –Organic Farming Research Foundation
Fall heirloom tomatoes freshly picked
We maintain Organic Certification with the Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA), a third party certifying agency. As an organic farm, we must follow a set of standards defined by the US Department of Agriculture, and we go through an annual inspection and maintain detailed records. The word ‘organic’ is actually a legal term, and may only be used by farmers who are certified as such. We believe that organic certification helps assure that we make good decisions about our farming practices, and gives our customers an assurance of quality in our products. We embrace the intent of the organic rules, and strive to go beyond the minimum standards. Being organic, we never use chemical fertilizers or pesticides, and never use genetically modified seed. We do not want to support the chemical status quo that has dominated the American landscape and food system for the past 50 years.
In substituting labor and intensive management for chemicals, our prices more accurately reflect the true price of growing food. Unlike many commodity crops, our vegetables are not supported by government subsidies.
Local Produce is the Best!
Ellen helping out at the Jackson Square Farmers Market
We know that local food is fresher and tastes better. We also believe that as a community we should work towards a future of more local food availability. It increases our resiliency in the face of crisis, and decreases our dependence on a fossil fuel driven national food system. We feel our local community will be healthier and stronger if it can feed itself. We encourage all our customers to consider the value of locally sourced food.
While we produce seasonally and do not grow during the long winter, we do grow many vegetables that can be preserved and stored. We urge people to learn how to preserve the fall vegetable bounty from us and other area farms, so as to enjoy fresh, frozen, and canned local produce throughout the winter, as we do here at the farm.
Members of the Community
Small visitors weeding the garlic
As a strictly local farm, we offer many things to our community. Not only are we dedicated to healthy food production for our inhabitants, we are always available to school groups and interested parties who would like to learn more about our organic and intensive growing practices. We donate our time to give tours and talks to these groups and value the opportunity to educate our friends and neighbors. We have a work-share program for those who want to learn from a whole season of farming with us. We donate extra produce to the Teton Valley Food Pantry.
We plan to keep our farmland open and undeveloped, preserving water and land resources for wildlife, and providing open space in a valley that is increasingly subdivided. Farmland and open space contribute to the overall well being of our community. We invite you to become part of our farm.
2015 was a highly productive year at Snowdrift Farms; in many ways, our best ever. We wanted to share some of the year’s highlights with you.
While there were a few scares with the weather early season (hot weather in early June, combined with a break in the Trail Creek Irrigation system main line), the summer was largely benevolent. Many crops really loved the mild weather and good rains throughout the main growing season. We had massive amounts of broccoli, onions, potatoes, and snap peas. On the other side of the equation, the meadow vole population exploded, leading to somewhat chowed crops of carrots and beets. The autumn was the opposite of last year (when we had 2 early, severe frosts), as it was mild late into fall, and hoophouse tomatoes and some field greens and brassicas (broccoli & brussel sprouts) continued to produce well into October.
Tomato starts for the plant sale
Our farm sales got off to a good start with our first annual “official” plant sale in late May. We enjoyed providing organic veggie & herb starts to folks, and will continue our plant sale in years to come.
Carrots & turnips at the Jackson farmers market
The farmers markets that we attend in Driggs and Jackson had a banner year, thanks to our loyal returning customers as well as new shoppers and enthusiastic visitors. Some of the favorite market crops were salad mixes, heirloom and cherry tomatoes, broccoli, snap peas, spinach, and basil. Some folks just liked the diversity, seeing what was new from week to week at the market. Other favorites that we will grow more of next year include brussel sprouts, cucumbers, and beets.
We started a weekly on-farm pickup option for customers who couldn’t get to the markets, and found that these farm sales were well received.
Our wholesale program continued to thrive. We have had two very long-term restaurants whose chefs we love working with—Scratch in Victor and The Spur Restaurant and Bar in Teton Village. We were delighted to have a more regular presence at Barrels & Bins, the local grocer in Driggs.
Sue Heffron loved the garlic harvest!
Behind the scenes at the farm, our Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday field crews were a dedicated group of folks, happy to embrace the numerous duties of farming, for which we are eternally grateful. They carefully planted and watered all the thousands of plant starts, from broccoli to zucchini, into the gardens. We hoed, hand weeded, and did battle with prickly thistles to keep our veggies happy. Dedicated individuals mastered the various tasks of harvesting and washing every crop, transforming each vegetable into a clean, beautiful, yummy looking treat to bring to the markets. These are not easy things—we had work shares who made a 4 month commitment, arriving early each week for a 5 hour morning stint , in exchange for learning the craft and receiving some of the vegetables produced.
Harvest time
We have observed and modified our farming process over the last 7 years. We are utilizing our garden space more efficiently each year, and becoming more adept a the timing of weeding, harvesting, and other crop needs. Farm work is physically demanding, and also involves careful observation and response throughout the season. The weather is what it is, which meant at different times rain, baking sun, biting insects challenged us. Cool, serene and quiet early mornings were a gift that lent grace to our rhythms.
We at Snowdrift Farms are thankful for the good year, and are appreciative to all our employees, helpers, friends, customers, and supporters for your contribution to our endeavors. We’re looking forward to 2016!
It’s happening at Snowdrift Farms–at the main barn & greenhouse, 3.5 miles SW of Victor Come see the greenhouse and check out our selection of starts on May 30 and June 6. (Directions: From Victor, head west on hwy 31, turn left/south on 2000 W at the Animal Hospital, and look for signs near the end of the road).
These vegetable and herb varieties have been tested on our farm, and do well in our climate (ask us for growing tips!). All varieties are started from seed on the farm, and are 100% certified organic. Available for purchase in individual soil blocks* and pots. We have a limited amount of each, so come early for best selection.
Also, your last chance to sign up for our Farmers Market discount program! Becoming a “Friend of the Farm” by purchasing a $100 voucher now gets you $115 worth of veggies at the markets this summer.
*Soil Blocks are pressed soil cubes that don’t need any plastic pots, and are ready to plant directly in the garden. The plants suffer no transplant shock with soil blocks.
Given the wacky warm weather of late, it’s easy to start thinking of spring and planting! We’ve been seeding a few early onion starts in the greenhouse this past week. We will slowly begin planting more seeds, but as we need to remind ourselves, many things only need to be seeded a month before transplanting in the garden. Starts kept in pots too long become spindly and unhealthy, and if transplanted out too early can risk poor growth or death by frost. We usually don’t plant too many annuals outside until about mid-May, and then keep those well covered until it decides to be warm for good.
Leek seeds planted
If you have the time to grow a few transplants from seed this spring, I came across a good read. This blog post by Margaret Roach on A Way to Garden is very helpful and well thought out, and will help you seed and grow your starts right the first time.
For those of you who’d rather skip this stage and just buy starts ready for the garden, we are having a plant sale in late May/early June! Stay tuned . . . we’ll have vegetables from Broccoli to Zucchini, along with our heirloom and regular tomato collection!
Shannon & Lars cutting braising greens for the market.
Want to learn more about gardening and contribute to our valley’s sustainable food production? Snowdrift Farms has a few openings for work shares for the upcoming season. In return for a morning a week of garden work on Thursdays or Fridays, you will receive a share of fresh organic vegetables! We need help getting our veggies planted, weeded, and harvested, so if you’re interested, check out the details on our Work share Description. Feel free to write us with questions or comments via our website’s Contact page, or call us.
Snowdrift Farms is all wrapped up for the season. The last garden has been fertilized and cultivated, the garlic has been planted for next year, and the last Brussel Sprouts have been harvested. It’s time to reflect on some of our accomplishments and adventures of the year.
In the gardens this season, the Snowdrift Farms crew:
-Transplanted 420 Broccoli seedlings into the gardens.
-Hoed and weeded 840 feet of Lettuce Mix rows.
-Harvested an average of 49 pounds per week of Salad Mix(!)
-Watched a pocket gopher’s rampage of eating 12 cauliflower/broccoli plants in one night. (He got trapped)
-Harvested a total of 190 pounds of Braising Mix, and over 200 pounds of Kale.
-Picked, washed, and bunched 450 bunches of radishes for markets.
-Pulled 30,421 Canada thistles. (just an estimate. . .)
-Spent countless hours washing carrots.
-Worked together, ate some good lunches with our garden harvests, and enjoyed each other’s company.
Phew! This couldn’t have been done without the help of our workers, workshares, substitutes, volunteers, and guests who tirelessly showed up and put out. Thank You!!
At the farmers markets in Driggs and Jackson this year, we:
-Sold 5,418 bags of Lettuce Mix. . . and a similar quantity of Spring Mix.
-Brought 143 pounds of Pickling Cucumbers to market, a new record! We’ll plan even more next year.
-Managed to wake up on Saturday mornings at 5 (or before), load and drive over Teton Pass, all while having ZERO breakdowns or mechanical problems for the first time ever!
-Sold 243 pints of ever popular and tasty Cherry Tomatoes.
-Enjoyed bringing some great herbs, including a new one, Chervil, and flowers to market!
All this was clearly not possible without our customers and farm friends. Thank you for showing up, rain or shine, to lend us your enthusiastic support and enjoy our fresh organic veggies!
It’s February, and the snow is still piling up in the gardens, but we are already planning our summer farm season! As you may have heard, we accomplish our farm tasks with the assistance of farm work shares. As a small organic farm with numerous tasks to be accomplished by hand, we rely on a dedicated group of people to help with the daily garden tasks. A work share commits to working 1 morning a week for the farm, and in return gets a share of vegetables and herbs, and occasionally even flowers.
There are many incalculable rewards in accomplishing the various tasks of a morning—good camraderie and meeting new folks, learning about gardening techniques from planting through harvesting, becoming more educated on what good food is and tastes like, spending time outdoors in an awesome part of Teton Valley, getting stronger… There’s something about getting into the rhythm of a place and task that leads to immense satisfaction.
