This is my first blog post as a “Farm Fellow” for the Jackson Whole Grocer. I have been working for Dick Shuptrine at Mountain Meadow Farm for two and a half months. These past weeks have taught me a lot; about patience, about control and what really goes into that salad I ate for lunch. After years of programming and administrative work the switch to gardening has been a very different kind of challenge. Growing food here in Jackson does not grant instant gratification, social outlets or any other reward that I was used to. In the first weeks we encountered many obstacles; cold temperatures, deer, hale, mice, aphids and rain, rain and more rain. Each problem does not grant an obvious solution, sometimes there is no “fixing” what is wrong but simply letting go and starting over.
And than there is Dick the man who has been gardening in this valley since 1972 and been running Mountain Meadow for 10 years. Up until now he has worked the garden primarily by himself. His love of fishing, mushroom hunting, rivers and wildness led him to seek out an assistant of sorts so that he could get away. Bob Arndt from the Jackson Whole Grocer saw an opportunity when he heard Dick’s desire for some help- hire someone to work for the store at the farm, the perfect link between production and distribution. I am consistently impressed by Bob’s forward thinking when it comes to sustainability, community and the connections that lay within.
As I mentioned earlier this season has not been simple but today we are harvesting arugula, salad mix, basil and other herbs, tomatoes, radishes, turnip greens, collard greens, and bok choy. Now I can taste the reward. What I have learned beyond the basics of growing food in this climate and at this elevation is an extreme appreciation for the farmers in this area. It’s not easy, it’s barely profitable, it demands an incredible amount of time and effort and yet the growers here do it because they care about soil and water, about community, conservation and providing good, clean food. Next time you visit the store and see the local offerings, go to the Wednesday People’s Market or the Saturday Farmer’s Market, see these people, thank them and enjoy their delicious food.
The VertBlog 
I’d love to know more about the farm, how produce is sold and/or distributed and what is planned for the future? Do you need volunteers? MMB
Hi Molly,
Sleeping is what “elders” and most plants do in the winter 🙂 As always I have more questions: 1. Thank you for the tips on what to do with annuals/vegetables when winter comes, but how should I deal with perennial flowers? Do I simply wait for the frost to do their job and then rake them up or do I cut them back? If cutting back is the answer how much and when should I do the cutting back? Is it important that one removes everything from the vegetable garden once the plants are done for? Can I just turn the dead plants into the soil? Isn’t that similar to composting? Isn’t it possible to give the left-overs from the farm to a local food shelf or create a way for the unsold produce to be given or sold at a lower place to low-income people? I do find it unsettling that people have no choice but to buy junk food simply because it is the cheapest way to feed a family.
The leaves are starting to turn here in Vermont, and it’s beginning to feel a bit wintery all of a sudden. Hope all is well in WY. MMB