Teton Family Summer 2022 Issue No. 37

SUMMER

2022

Issue # 37

e this issue ... sid n I

PA L E TAS d e W Y DA H O Latin-inspired popsicles

WAITING FOR THE LETDOWN Finding grace in the journey to breastfeed

RODEO QUEENS A cultural badge of honor

BEING THE OKAY-EST ATHLETE …

in a mountain culture of overachievers

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Teton Family ¤ Summer 2022

Adventure has a new look.

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307-733-6600 • 405 Powderhorn Lane Summer 2022 ¤ Teton Family

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SUMMER

Issue # 37

Contents

08 — MOUNTAIN STYLE

The power of awe grips both young and old when they experience Teton Valley’s balloon magic

08

Our Teton mountain bike mecca relies on countless volunteers, and the efforts of a few sacred organizations

TABLE TALK

Whether you lead the pack or stretch it out, all athletes—even the “okay-est” ones—have a role to play

IN SEASON

24

WELLNESS WIRED

32

Understanding the complex microbiome (and all the scientific lingo) is the first step to benefiting from supplemental good bacteria

ON THE FARM

The principles of regenerative agriculture are driving a movement to repair barren soils in our own backyards 2

Teton Family ¤ Summer 2022

RODEO QUEENS

Cowgirl ambassadors use their skill, grit, and determination to uphold a cultural stamp steeped deep in tradition

By Christina Shepherd McGuire

15 19

Dutch oven cooking makes for backcountry feel-good memories (complete with recipes)

44

12

SLOW HOME

A musical life is born from community teachings that are nurtured at home

FEATURES

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54

PALETAS de WYDAHO

Latin-inspired popsicles, made from fresh ingredients, satisfy the sweet toothed, while giving a nod to cultural flavors

By Tibby Plasse

44 — 64 WAITING FOR

THE LETDOWN

One local mother finds grace in her complicated journey to breastfeed (plus resources) By Kate Hull On the Cover: Pineapple popsicles sprinkled with Espelette pepper honor Idaho’s Basque immigrants.

Photo by Paulette Phlipot

Photos: Jesse Roberts (top); Paulette Phlipot (center); Meg Potter (bottom)

2022 —

Specializing in Wyoming Specializing in you.

Pictured: Marcia M. Lux, MD

www.stjohns.health

Welcome to

the organizations who make this possible on page 12.) Connecting with nature sure beats hanging out in the McDonald’s parking lot, even if it does come complete with the occasional bear encounter.

If you remember being a teenager, raise your hand!

As a mother of two of them, all the feels of my middle and high school careers are coming back to me. Like, who remembers the cliquey drama of teenage girls in the quest to become the smartest, the prettiest, or the most popular? Well, we all made it through our insecurities and our breakups (with both friends and boyfriends). And as adults, we’re well-adjusted and thriving, right?

Still, I agonize over the issues my teenagers encounter, placing my past experiences onto their current situation. Like this week, so-and-so isn’t talking to my daughter and she’s obviously upset, yet acting like it’s “nbd” (teenage text slang for “no big deal”). I remember how big of a deal it actually was when this happened to me as a teen.

Or, this winter, my son cracked his face open on the middle school playground and had to sit out of several activities for weeks. I recall the insecure feeling of being left out, like the world couldn’t possibly go on spinning without me. (“FOMO”) And when it comes to social media, I can’t even relate my own experiences to theirs, as today’s technological advances have created a deep sense of loneliness in our coined “iGen-ers.”

It’s comforting to know that there are healthy teenage distractions available here in the Tetons. Most that I, growing up in suburbia, didn’t have at my fingertips. For instance, there’s miles and miles of local trails that teens can go “get lost” on, either by foot or bike. (Meet

What about the western art of rodeoing and the thrill of continuing on the area’s heritage? Rodeo queening, in particular, creates a type of inclusiveness for girls— one not always experienced in other teenage environments (see page 44). Then, there are various local artistic outlets, like music camps and programs (page 19), and unique sporting opportunities, like hot air ballooning (page 8).

If I were to go back and give my teenage self some advice, I’d say: Find the thing, YOUR THING, (thanks, Virginia - see page 8)—the one that makes you forget about all of the other seemingly important teenage things—and hold fast to it, no matter how hard the wind blows. You will always be able to turn to your thing—be it hiking, skiing, or creating art—when life throws you a curveball.

And while you might not be able to see it right now (or even care), your commitment to this thing will ease the worry of your parents’ minds. Then, maybe they’ll stop comparing their childhood experiences to yours.

As an adult raising teens, the “comparison trap” is certainly a lesson that I have yet to learn. I find myself turning to @momsofbigs and @never_empty_nest on Instagram for daily advice. This stage of life is not in any way for the faint of heart. Parents, if you can relate, please raise your hand.

Contributing WRITERS Richard Anderson has lived

Christina

A Texas native, Kate Hull moved to Teton Valley in 2012. She is the copublisher and editor-in-chief at Powder Mountain Press, publishers of Teton Valley Magazine (tetonvalleymagazine.com). This past summer, Kate welcomed in motherhood—and is now sharing mountain town living with her new baby boy.

with her husband and five children. She loves to get outside camping, biking, hiking, and skiing, and firmly believes that trail mix is a fraud if it doesn't include M&Ms. Follow her family’s (mis)adventures and check out her helpful gear reviews at talesofamountainmama.com.

Muncaster is an “adventurepreneur,” business consultant, writer, and activist who lives in Victor, Idaho. Her current passion projects include promoting the regenerative tourism movement and @tetonstrong, a collaborative project dedicated to supporting the mental, physical, and spiritual practices of a values-driven outdoor lifestyle.

Fresh, healing recipes continue to connect Paulette Phlipot to her Teton family and friends, no matter how many miles separate them. She shares her passion and knowledge by writing and photographing for a wide range of magazines. Her FoodAsArt® fine art photography collection can be seen on walls worldwide.

Tibby Plasse once moved to San Jose, Costa Rica, to translate for the poet Carlos Francisco Monge, and left with a regular need for comida tipica (traditional food).

Based in Teton Valley, Idaho, since 2009, you can find Tibby’s works in the Jackson Hole News&Guide, Big Sky Journal, Western Home Journal, Civil Eats, and Jackson Hole Magazine.

Virginia Powell Symons is your favorite loud friend, wife, momma to mountain boys, and an eternal optimist whose glass is usually half full of something bubbly. She’s the owner of Vibrant Events, a boutique event planning company, and loves sunsets in wild places, vintage campers, sand between her toes, and Newfoundland dogs.

Jenn Rein is a writer and

Melissa Snider is an elementary teacher/librarian who wants to know what you’re reading. Her favorite adventure companions are her husband and two daughters, who also provide the inspiration for her nonfiction writing. With both Adirondack and Rocky Mountain roots, Melissa’s happy place is lakeside with a great book.

in Jackson Hole since 1992.

He’s a writer and an “arts and entertainment” editor for the valley’s newspapers, allowing him to speak to countless musicians across almost every genre. Richard, his wife, Yana, and their 16-year-old son, Griffen, enjoy a musical household in east Jackson.

Sue

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Teton Family ¤ Summer 2022

content producer living in Teton Valley. Her works appear in Homestead Magazine, Artists Magazine, and Plein Air Magazine.

Jenn’s favorite activities include taking photos of OPD (Other People’s Dogs) and cooking her own food. Read more of her work at jennrein.com.

Amelia Meyer lives in Kelly

Editor photograph by Shannon Corsi

A note from the EDITOR

Join us this summer from July 3–August 27 for our family-friendly outdoor events!

Photo: Cody Downard

FREE FAMILY CONCERT: AN AMERICAN ADVENTURE

PATRIOTIC POPS

Sunday, July 3, 6 PM; Instrument petting zoo starts at 5 PM Center for the Arts Park in downtown Jackson Jerry Hou, conductor Meaghan Heinrich, GTMF education curator/host Explore the sounds and stories of American music.

Fun for all ages—be ready to sing, dance & clap along!

Free; tickets required

Monday, July 4, 7 PM Center for the Arts Park in downtown Jackson Sir Donald Runnicles, conductor Capathia Jenkins, vocalist Patriotic Pops pairs fireworks and pops music for an Independence Day to remember!

Reserved seats: $25-$50 (children/students $15) Lawn seats: free; tickets required

Photo: Chris Lee

Photo: Chris Lee

GTMF ON THE ROAD GTMF On the Road brings live classical music to audiences in Teton County and the surrounding communities through free concerts performed by Festival Orchestra musicians.

For the 2022 schedule, visit gtmf.org/ontheroad.

This project was partially funded by a grant from the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole and an Arts for All grant provided by the Town of Jackson and Teton County.

Additional funding provided by program sponsors Mary & Don Shockey.

Summer 2022 ¤ Teton Family

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tetonfamilymagazine.com @tetonfamilymagazine

Publisher Kevin Olson Associate Publisher Adam Meyer Editor Christina Shepherd McGuire christina@tetonfamilymagazine.com Art Director Samantha Nock Copy Editor Cherisé Forno Contributing Photographers Shannon Corsi Sam Petri Julie Millard Paulette Phlipot Elliot Nahm Meg Potter Alee Noland Jesse Roberts Advertising Sales Karen Brennan, Tom Hall, Megan LaTorre, Katie Brierley, Tatum Biciolis adsales@tetonmediaworks.com Ad Production Sarah Wilson, Lydia Redzich, Luis F. Ortiz, Heather Haseltine, Chelsea Robinson Distribution Jayann Carlisle, Oscar Garcia-Perez

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Teton Family is published two times a year and distributed at more than seventy-five locations for free throughout the Tetons. To request copies, call (307) 732-5903. Visit tetonfamilymagazine.com for additional content and insightful blogs. © 2022 Teton Media Works, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this magazine’s original contents, whether in whole or in part, requires written permission from the publisher.

w w w .TI NCU P C HAL L EN G E. o r g

15th ANNUAL

Swope’s Mountain Photography

Donate Run Volunteer GIFTS ACCEPTED June 1 - July 22

RUN FOR NONPROFITS • SATURDAY • JULY 16 • DRIGGS CITY PARK 6

Teton Family ¤ Summer 2022

Photograph by Paulette Phlipot

facebook.com/TetonFamilyMagazine

History of helping to build futures

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Summer 2022 ¤ Teton Family

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THE THING ABOUT

BALLOONS

By Virginia Powell Symons

A

s kids, we all have special THINGS we cherish—unique (to us) things, weird things, and things that are even a little fun. There were things we looked forward to, as well as things we rolled our eyes at. Maybe we were proud of these things, or a little embarrassed by them, or maybe we didn’t even see them for what they were.

But these are the THINGS that define the memories of our childhoods.

When I was a kid, I spent a lot of time in the Northwoods of Wisconsin where my dad conducted field research and taught at a wilderness field station. We lived out of tents, took long backcountry trips; we bushwhacked, canoed, and explored. I learned to feel at home in wild places (I still do). It was our THING.

When Margaret—my partner in the balloon magic—was a kid, her uncle flew hot air balloons. They traveled to events and knew other pilots. Margaret learned how to crew and fly. She obtained her pilot’s license before she graduated from college and bought a new balloon, towing it behind her beat-up old Ford. It was her THING.

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Teton Family ¤ Summer 2022

I met Margaret over coffee in February of 2012, upstairs at MD Nursery in Driggs on one of those days when the snow blows sideways. We had an immediate connection, which served us well as we picked up the pieces of a local tradition that seemed to have been dropped on the floor at our feet. We collected the pieces, brought it back to life, and built a new take on a THING that really matters.

• A trail of headlights glowed down Hwy 33 in Driggs at 5:45 a.m., poured onto the gravel road, and pulled up to the field. People peeled themselves out of their cars, coffee in hand, sleepy kids wrapped in blankets, cameras out … . Smiling. Chatting. Ready. When the gentle giants rose around me for the first time—I was floored.

This was someTHING. This was amazing. This was AWEsome.

We planned and hosted the Teton Valley Balloon

Rally again the next year … and the next … and then the next. We collected a family of supporters who— through contributions of time, talent, patience, and dollars—held us up and pushed us forward. We met The 2022 Teton Valley families who returned year Balloon Rally will take after year. Some people had place July 1 through July 4. come to the festival back For more information, visit when they were kids, and now tetonvalleyballoonrally.org. it’s their family tradition.

We met grandparents, who had attended as newlyweds, watching their grandchildren play in the balloon field.

A local kid named Seamus O’Connor volunteered with his family, as part of a crew, on rally mornings. He was focused; he was fun; he wanted to learn. Seamus caught the bug; he felt the tug that comes from being a part of bringing the nylon giants to life. He gave us an idea.

Photograph by Elliot Nahm Summer 2022 ¤ Teton Family

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And there are more.

Every year we talk to a couple of wide-eyed youngsters who are full of questions: How does it all work? What does it take to fly a balloon? How can I be a part of this THING?

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Teton Family ¤ Summer 2022

Photos: Elliot Nahm (top); Alee Noland (bottom)

Four years after I saw that first row of headlights on the highway, we formed a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, created a scholarship with the money we made selling t-shirts and balloon rides, and sent Seamus to the Balloon Federation of America’s Youth Balloon Camp. Seamus was our little organization’s first “balloon kid.”

CAMP. FLY. CELEBRATE. DID YOU KNOW? •

The first hot air balloon event in Driggs landed on Father’s Day weekend in 1982. A local pilot, Fred Reed, attended a famed balloon event in Albuquerque and wanted to give it a try at home.

•

Ira Koplow and the Teton Valley Chamber of Commerce grew the event astronomically, and the festival was moved to the Fourth of July weekend in 1984, bringing thousands of people to the valley.

•

The Teton Valley Chamber of Commerce managed the event for over 10 years, eventually voting to discontinue it in 2012.

•

Margaret Breffeilh, Virginia Powell Symons, and their team of volunteers took over the event in 2012, hosting a small, free affair with pilots who insisted on flying near the Tetons.

•

The Rally transitioned to a non-profit organization in 2015, providing annual scholarships to hot air balloon camps for middle and high school students, and comprehensive oncampus programs for elementary schools.

•

In 2021 the Teton Valley Balloon Rally celebrated its 40th birthday with 25 hot air balloons, hundreds of campers, and thousands of attendees. Attendance is expected to be even higher in 2022.

These are the balloon kids—the future of this magic. Our scholarships and educational programs are designed to make sure kids’ questions can always be answered, and that Teton Valley is a welcoming space for young people who want to take to the skies.

ALWAYS J u ly 4 t h weekend

Teton County Fairgrounds

Driggs, ID NO DRONES!

6:30am launches daily

• Every summer, the folks on the north end of the Teton Valley anticipate the roar of a propane burner, knowing a balloon might land in their yard. After all, hot air balloons in the western skies are synonymous with summer. For many, it’s the way it’s always been.

The balloons matter. But why?

Register to camp + purchase admission passes at

What was it that made the colorful giants tug at my heartstrings?

experience the

Maybe it’s because we live our best lives when we are able to experience awe. I have only begun to discover the depth of this truth. I had the opportunity to experience awe in my childhood, so when I found it as an adult, I knew how to grab it and hold on.

That’s the power of awe. It’s the goosebumps, not from the remnant night’s chill, but from that first roar of flame leaping skyward through the last call of darkness. It’s the way you breathe deeply, feeling the dancing air as the vibrant colors begin to swell.

It’s the rough pull of the rope through your gloves as you restrain a growing giant. This magic is my THING. The sense of awe and wonder—the push toward something bigger. It matters. tf

www.tetonvalleyballoonrally.org

magic!

We love our volunteers register online today!

presented by

Summer 2022 ¤ Teton Family

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DIGGING DIRT PATHS (A roundup of mountain biking volunteer efforts)

By Amelia Mayer // Photography by Sam Petri

F

rom young children on tiny push bikes to adults tackling singletrack trails, the challenge and joy of dirt pedaling is infectious. And, mountain biking in the Tetons has come a long way from the hike-a-bike days of old. Today, our robust cycling community is fortunate to have access to many trails on both sides of the hill, suitable to all ability levels. However, trails don’t build themselves.

They are, in fact, the product of countless hours of work from various organizations and dedicated volunteers. If you and your family members enjoy the trails—from the forest-filled paths up Cache Creek to the undulating singletrack in Horseshoe Canyon—it’s a good idea to be aware of where and with whom you can help this summer.

Mountain Bike the Tetons (MBT) mountainbiketetons.org | @mtnbikethetetons

Mountain Bike the Tetons advocates for outstanding mountain bike resources in both Teton County, Wyoming, and Idaho.

While they have their own dedicated trail crew, they also welcome volunteers for their seasonal Trail Work Days (food provided!) and are open to weekly volunteers who just want to come help. This spring and All organizations are summer, Mountain Bike the Tetons constantly sharing will help lead the charge on Phase upcoming events and 1 of the Victor Bike Park revival. projects on their websites, Goals for Phase 1 include creating via social media, and new and longer jump lines for all through newsletters. ability levels, building a familyfriendly skills area, and updating park fencing and signage. While MBT plans to hire a professional bike park builder, the volunteer force during the Victor Bike Park 12

Teton Family ¤ Summer 2022

build days will be crucial to the success of the project. Dates TBD. Want to help with more than manual labor? MBT is always looking for volunteer coaches for their youth program, Sprockids, which introduces mountain biking to kids ages six through eleven.

You can also volunteer as a timer for mountain bike races held throughout the summer.

Friends of Pathways friendsofpathways.org | @friendsofpathways Friends of Pathways builds and maintains mountain biking frontcountry trails in and around Jackson, and they help with paved trails, too. This organization is pivotal in spreading awareness for bike path safety and respect. Friends of Pathways hosts a large volunteer effort on National Trails Day every first Saturday of June (June 4, 2022). They also work regularly with groups looking for volunteer hours or just wanting to give back to the community.

Become a trained ambassador for Friends Of Pathways and help spread good etiquette when you are out and about.

Teton Valley Trails and Pathways (TVTAP) tvtap.org | @tvtapidaho Teton Valley Trails and Pathways promotes a connected community via trail systems on the Idaho side of the pass. They have a goal of continuing to expand a trail system for both recreation and transportation, and to further enhance the active community lifestyle.

TVTAP hosts numerous trail days throughout the summer months to work on trails in the national forest. Interested people can sign up on their website under the “Events” tab. TVTAP also welcomes feedback from the community on ways to further their mission.

GET YOUR PEDALS READY! After the final construction commences early summer, the long-awaited 2.6-mile Centennial Trail will be finished. This 10-foot-wide asphalt pathway will be open to walkers and cyclists alike, including Class 1 and 2 e-bikes, helping further connect the community to public lands. The pathway will begin just southeast of Moose Creek on the Idaho side of Teton Pass and will run along much of the former roadbed of the Old Jackson Highway. Two underpasses will allow bikers to access the Southern Valley/ Mike Harris mountain bike trails, as well as the Trail Creek Campground.

Teton FreeRiders tetonfreeriders.org @tetonfreeriders Teton Mountain Bike Alliance ridetetondirt.com | @ridetmba Teton Mountain Bike Alliance is comprised of a group of people passionate about biking in the Tetons. They put a special focus on backcountry trails, and they serve the Greater Yellowstone area, including Teton Valley, Idaho, all the way

up to Bozeman, Montana, and west to Salmon, Idaho. The alliance encourages riders to simply be ready to clear a downed tree or debris on the trail they are riding, especially during the early season. More organized volunteer events are announced on their website and via Instagram, including the Dirk Diggler fundraiser at Citizen 33 in Driggs in late May.

This “OG” organization created the first user-specific trail network in the United States Forest Service in Teton County, Wyoming. Singlehandedly (well, it actually takes a village), they designed and constructed the downhill “gravity trail system” that exists on Teton Pass today.

The Teton FreeRiders welcomes public support to build and maintain trails, and can be contacted through their website. tf

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Teton Family ¤ Summer 2022

“Okay-est” Athlete. .

ON BEING THE

Table TALK

By Melissa Snider // Illustrations by Julie Millard

I

f you’ve ever stood on a podium and accepted an award for first, fastest, highest, or any other superlative, congratulations! To those remaining—the less-thanextreme dog walkers and rec-league players of the world—I congratulate you on your participation.

As a seventh-grade transplant to Jackson Hole from upstate New York, with little athletic experience, I haven't always embraced my average athletic abilities.

Summer 2022 ¤ Teton Family

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learned to downhill ski. This was partly due to the cost of the sport, and partly because I have zero need for speed. Sophomore year of high school, a friend convinced me to join the nerd-alternative to downhill skiing, the Nordic team. I reluctantly agreed, terrified of the “dryland training” descriptions I had heard through the grapevine. Little did I know, this decision would be an athletic turning point in my life.

As a newbie to the team, I understood the classic ski basics, thanks to family adventures. Skate skiing, however, was an entirely new concept and not one that my body adapted to willingly. I found myself shifting weight and nailing the glide, only to spasm into a flailing starfish and pitch sideways off the trail. All feelings of humiliation fell away (no pun intended) as my teammates became actual friends who laughed with, and sometimes at, me and always offered a hand to help me out of a snowbank.

At first, I hesitated to use the word “athlete” to describe my recreational pursuits.

“Athlete” seems reserved for people equipped with all the gear and the knowledge and experience to use it—those who summit a peak before I’ve finished my morning cup of coffee. However, I now come equipped with my own experience and knowledge: Whether you lead the pack or stretch it out, we all have a role to play; we, the “okay-est” athletes, can inspire in our own right.

I am a driven person who likes a good challenge, but I am not a competitive person. During Nordic races, I would sing as I skied, waving people past as they approached me—snot streaming down their faces as they maxed out their anaerobic activity, gasping “Track!” from behind. “Here comes the sun,” I’d sing to the forest, “Do, do, do, do.” I crossed the finish line serenely, nodding at my collapsed teammates, secure in the knowledge that I had done little to nothing to increase our team’s standings.

Despite growing up in a town known for its vertical feet, I never

Participating in Nordic not only benefited my fitness and

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Teton Family ¤ Summer 2022

physical health, it provided me with new confidence and a community who didn’t care that I wasn’t a winner. This was a critical lesson to learn: I could participate at my own pace, but still be appreciated as part of the team.

Fast-forward to life in graduate school in Boston, Massachusetts. I balanced a full class load while cobbling together enough work to pay my rent—the stress was real! I deeply missed the ease of heading out my back door and up a butte. I needed to be outside; I needed to be in motion, and my only good option to get my heart pumping was something I really preferred not to do— running. When my library teacher—my mentor—invited me to run a half marathon with her, I recoiled in horror. The thought of running for that long didn’t seem possible, or fun. Still, I said “yes.”

Training included long runs with other women, crunching through leaves on wooded trails outside of Boston. This was the thing I had been missing—time in nature; time with friends. It wasn’t about the running; it was about the community, the air, and the discovery of what lay beyond the next bend in the trail. I mapped city routes that took me to every reservoir and anything resembling a dirt path within 10 miles of my apartment. Exploring the city on foot made me forget life’s pressures for a while, and it felt amazing.

The half marathon circled two laps around New York City’s

Central Park. I returned to Boston stiff and sore but filled with the glow of completing a goal. That was my first and final running race, but it came at the exact right moment for me.

When I met and married my husband, he thought I should give downhill skiing another chance, so we swapped disciplines.

I taught him how to cross-country ski, and he taught me how

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Giving Season August 12-September 16

to downhill. There were many times when I sat down out of pure frustration while he effortlessly tore down a run.

If you’re like me—an “okay” athlete—who also has an overactive apology reflex, you might feel like you’re holding the casually-gifted athletes in your life back from achieving more. I was often tempted to ski alone or not go at all, but enough people, who are both amazing skiers and genuine friends, led me patiently down the mountain until I started to understand why people enjoy this sport. Now I am one of those skiers who whoops when carving turns through the deep snow, but who prefers a sit-down breakfast to first tracks every time.

Just when I thought I had mastered athletic mediocrity, I experienced the joys of pregnancy and childbirth. Does taking a shower count as exercise?

Run Day

Saturday, September 10

We had two daughters in three years, and I entered a blur of time during which my body expanded, contracted, leaked, and hurt in new ways unrelated to vigorous exercise. My husband and I have had mixed results getting our kids outside and moving, while still finding time to be active ourselves. And it’s easy to compare us to the exceptional parent-athletes who still manage to train and compete at an elite level, and whose children now follow in their prodigious athletic footsteps. Rather than sit on the sidelines and pout, we have learned to celebrate our own victories of short destination hikes, brief ski excursions, and sometimes just playing outside on a sunny day.

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Teton Family ¤ Summer 2022

“At first, I hesitated to use the word ‘athlete’ to describe my recreational pursuits.

‘Athlete’ seems reserved for people equipped with all the gear and the knowledge and experience to use it—those who summit a peak before I’ve finished my morning cup of coffee.”

Now a 43-year-old mother of two, my body is different from that of the young woman who ran a half marathon all those years ago. What does this stage of athletic “okay-ness” hold for me?

First, I take nothing for granted. I know many people who have physical limitations, injuries, illness, or other issues that prevent them from exercising in the way that they would most like to. I take that gratitude and channel it into self-compassion if I feel discouraged by my lack of speed, strength, or even motivation on any given day. Second, I feel at peace with whatever activity choice I make. I don’t compare my neighborhood walk to another person’s summit. Good for them, and good for me! I’m in it, but not to win it.

When I consider my motivations for being active right now, it comes down to community, stress relief, and rejuvenation. Sometimes it’s “forced family fun,” and sometimes it’s “me time.” I’m not without goals, and I’m willing to try a new trick here and there, but I’m really content to participate and not excel in a variety of activities.

So, whether you sing your way through a race or collapse across the finish line, there is a place for you in the pantheon of people who move their bodies. So, get out and recreate to whatever degree possible, and in whatever way brings you joy. tf

Slow HOME

TUNING IN Family music-making nurtures child development

By Rich Anderson // Photography provided by Targhee Music Foundation

W

ith more than 25 years under my belt interviewing musicians—classical, folk, rock, jazz, and anyone else playing a gig in the Tetons—one question I ask nearly every musician is, “Did you grow up in a musical household?”

Sneed, mandolin player, director of the Targhee Music Camp, and staff member at the nonprofit Targhee Music Foundation. “Just having instruments around the house is irresistible … [kids] want to play and touch them.”

The answer is almost always “yes.” Maybe their mother, father, or siblings all had some kind of musical habit. Or, maybe their uncle collected volumes of records, their mother sang while cooking dinner, or their father messed around on a beat-up guitar he had since college.

When you take the next step and teach them a simple song they enjoy, “they’re off and running,” he says.

Giving children a musical life begins by providing them a musical household. And, it doesn’t take much to spark interest—an interest that needn’t lead to a career in order for music to have beneficial effects.

“It takes just a little bit of exposure,” says Thomas

Developing Musical Brainwaves A large and rapidly growing body of science studies the neurological effects of listening, learning, and making music. Daniel Levitin, author of This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession, says music affects and activates every part of the brain, from the areas that hold memories, to the parts that regulate emotion, to the zones responsible for motor coordination. It fires up the left and right hemisphere, Summer 2022 ¤ Teton Family

19

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Teton Family ¤ Summer 2022

the front and the back, and the inside and outside of the brain. Music can actually change the structure of kids’ brains, too, increasing neural connectivity, which aids in problem solving and creativity. And, because music can express emotions for which we otherwise have no words, the act of hearing, and subsequently playing music, fosters empathy and sensitivity, leading to a richer emotional life.

But we don’t need an MRI machine to see just how good music is for childrens’ brains (or for anyone else’s).

“There are a billion benefits,” says Joe Rudd, a multiinstrumentalist, music producer, and teacher at the Teton Music School in the Jackson Hole Center for the Arts.

“One thing I notice, as we get into the digital world is that having something cool to do as a child that isn’t [related to] a screen is massive.”

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But making progress in music takes patience and discipline.

“There are not many kids I run into who just naturally have discipline,” says Rudd. “A musical practice can be a fun and engaging way of instilling it. It helps [children] understand that you have to show up; you have to put time into it for results. That’s a huge, huge component of what you can take away from music lessons.”

“I’m happy if students gain knowledge; I’m happy if they understand the concepts. But community skills are the best! They lead to success in the real world, whether they go into music or not.”

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— Meaghan Heinrich, education curator for the Grand Teton Music Festival

A Melodic Collective Another way to make music fun for kids is by playing with other people. Meaghan Heinrich, the education curator for the Grand Teton Music Festival (GTMF) and an elementary school music teacher in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, describes the way music has been taught for decades: “You teach standards and objectives—the musical concepts we want students to learn. … This is how many beats are in a quarter note. … These are the names of the notes on the staff.”

She says that learning about music in this way is neither easy nor interesting.

“But if you start by making music together as a group … singing a song together … you start with the actual music,” she says. “This gives [kids] the opportunity to learn things.”

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Playing or singing as part of a group also reinforces the sense of community involvement needed to make any group activity succeed. And it gives every youngster the feeling of being a part of something bigger than an individual making music.

Summer 2022 ¤ Teton Family

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just lying around the house. Together, the family enjoys live music, loves a good outdoor festival, and patronizes restaurants that host musical performers.

The family often discusses what they’re listening to.

Music brings up “memories of the past,” says Striegel, “stories about loved ones” and about the first time you were introduced to it. It even provides an entry point to conversations about big issues.

She and Grayson recently watched a documentary about the rock band Queen, which led to conversations about sexual orientation and drug use.

“I’m happy if students gain knowledge; I’m happy if they understand the concepts,” says Heinrich, “but community skills are the best! They lead to success in the real world, whether they go into music or not.

We want them to be able to work with other people, to be able to collaborate, to use their imagination, to be patient and wait their turn. All those skills make you a better person to be around and more creative in your job, no matter what that ends up being.”

Improv for the Real World Music has been a part of the lives of Jackson local Jennifer Striegel’s two sons, Rhys (fourth grade), and Grayson (third grade), since birth—or even before. Striegel played music to her pregnant belly, and her husband Scott made a special playlist for them to listen to during her labor. Today, Scott makes his own instruments, and there are sound bowls, drums, and shake bracelets

“Why can’t [music] be the way we [teach] diversity and inclusivity?” she adds, recalling another documentary on Sam Cooke that taught the kids “more than some revised history book.”

This music-intensive environment has, naturally, fostered new ways for each boy to relate to music. Grayson now takes singing, songwriting, and ukulele lessons through the Teton Music School. And, for Rhys, it’s a little different.

“Music has its time and place [for him],” says Striegel. “If he needs a

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Teton Family ¤ Summer 2022

respite, he puts on his headphones. … I see Rhys being more like a record collector. Maybe he’ll have a piano in his home or a guitar hanging around.”

Geneva Chang’s seventh-grader Bard didn’t take his first formal music lesson until 2020. He wasn’t getting music in school at the time, due to the coronavirus pandemic, but he could take telelessons through Teton Music School. He selected the cello.

“He loves it,” says Chang. “We don’t even have to make him practice.” Sometimes Bard’s grandparents listen via Zoom for Sunday evening “concerts.”

Even before he started cello lessons, there were plenty of musical opportunities for Bard at home. Bard went to preschool at the Mountain Academy, which had an “amazing music teacher,” says his mother. His father played flute through middle school and can still read music. And the family’s own ukuleles put music-making at everyone’s fingertips. The Changs regularly attend the Grand Teton Music Festival together, and Bard went to cello camp where he played with some of the GTMF musicians.

“He’s not afraid to mess around with the cello, and some of the sounds that come out of it are amazing,” says Chang.

Heinrich compares that kind of improvisational music exploration to science: An experimenter does something, observes what happens, and then studies the results.

Kids are good at listening and experimenting—“they’ve been listening all their lives,” says Heinrich. But some come from backgrounds where music-making isn’t part of the fabric of home.

For those kids, it can be very uncomfortable exploring music in school. Heinrich considers it a win when kids take what they learn in school back home. She loves when a student tells her, “Hey, my sister knows this song!”

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“Suddenly kids are singing these songs from music class with the family at home,” she says. “And if the siblings are singing at home, maybe that’s encouraging the parents to sing along, too.”

This thrills her because a music life is born from a musical community, not only in school, but also at home. tf

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In

SEASON

T

o some people, camp cuisine likens visions of flavorless freeze-dried dinners or cold, canned chili. To others, like myself, camping is just another opportunity to outdo yourself by filling the bellies of family and friends with warmth, nourishment, and love after a hard day of adventuring. Mastering the timeless method of Dutch oven cooking over a fire fills a primal need to connect with our ancestors. It’s an art that makes 24

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us believe we haven’t become too soft in our civilized world to still thrive in the ‘ole Wild West.

Virtually anything you would bake at home can go in the Dutch oven: Main dishes can resemble your favorite onepot dinner at home. Cheesy bites that come in layers, like lasagnas and enchiladas, never disappoint. With Dutch oven baked goods—like cakes, cobblers, quick bread, biscuits,

DUTCH OVEN COOKING FOR CAMPING ENTHUSIASTS

By Sue Muncaster // Photography by Paulette Phlipot

and muffins—the sky is the limit. And there is no shame in shortening the learning curve by practicing with boxed mixes or canister cinnamon buns.

My all-time favorite backcountry food memory includes a gooey-caramelly pineapple upside-down cake flipped over onto a cutting board and served by a costumed river-nymph on Day 16 of a river trip through the Grand Canyon. Now, that was living!

The Heat Dutch oven cooking and baking involves creating a makeshift oven by surrounding your pot with charcoal on the top and bottom. The sealed vessel needs to maintain a temperature of 350° F to 400° F inside. Cast iron is ideal for spreading and maintaining heat, so food doesn’t burn in one spot—eliminating the need for stirring.

Summer 2022 ¤ Teton Family

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PRO T IP NO. 1 :

ou do with Anything y can also charcoal you but it , d do with woo ill and sk e or requires m ce. an n te n ai m

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ONE POT CHEESY PASTA FOR A CROWD Serves 6 to 8

— Think of this one-pot dish like a pizza— virtually any ingredient can be added or substituted, like mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, Italian sausage, or sliced red onions.

—

1 ½ 2 1 ½ ½

½

2

3 16

1 2 12 ½

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

PRO T I P NO. 2:

Never put a cast iron Dutc h oven in the dishw asher.

6.

pound angel hair pasta cup extra virgin olive oil tablespoons dried Italian seasoning teaspoon red pepper flakes, crushed teaspoon black pepper, ground cup Kalamata or another gourmet olive, pitted and halved cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped tablespoons pepperoncini, pickled and chopped (optional) Kosher salt (optional, as olives may be salty) cups water ounces mozzarella cheese, sliced or torn into pieces cup Havarti or Gruyere cheese, grated colored peppers, sliced thinly pepperoni slices cup parmesan cheese, grated (plus more for serving) Fresh basil leaves, torn

Start 25 to 30 charcoal briquettes in your fire pit.

Grease a 12-inch Dutch oven with vegetable oil. Add dry pasta, olive oil, spices, red pepper flakes, black pepper, olives, sundried tomatoes, and pepperoncini (if using). Add up to ½ teaspoon of salt, if your olives are not too salty. Gently toss the mixture with your hands or tongs.

Add the water and gently toss once more.

Add the mozzarella and havarti cheeses in a single layer, and top with the bell peppers and pepperoni. Sprinkle with parmesan.

Place the Dutch oven over 10 to 12 coals, and then place 15 to 18 on top.

Bake for approximately one hour, or until the pasta has absorbed the water, the cheese has melted, and the peppers are lightly charred. Don't worry if the edges of the pasta are crisp, or even close to burnt; the center will be full of deliciousness.

Blot any residual oil with a paper towel (or not!) and serve.

* Recipe adapted from Half Baked Harvest

by Tieghan Gerard

VERY BERRY COFFEE CAKE Serves 6 to 8

TIP:

usel at Make the stre pastry home with a ing it br blender, and bag oc pl Zi a along in . in the cooler

—

I’m an early riser, so starting a fire, enjoying a cup of coffee, and baking a cake while watching the sunrise is a treat. When the gang gets up, they’ll have missed the solitude but will be graced with a hot coffee cake.

FOR THE CAKE: 2 ½ 1

½ 1 2 ½ 1

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

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cups all-purpose flour teaspoon baking soda teaspoon baking powder cup sugar cup sour cream eggs, lightly beaten cup butter, melted cup fresh summer berries (like huckleberries)

Start 25 to 30 charcoal briquettes.

Grease a 12-inch Dutch oven with vegetable oil.

Combine all the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, and sugar) in a mixing bowl.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan and cool. Add the sour cream and eggs, and mix well. Fold the butter mixture into the dry ingredients, stirring only until moistened. (Do not overmix!)

Fold the berries into the mixture, and pour it into the Dutch oven.

—

FOR THE STREUSEL: 1 ¼ ¾ 1 ½

1 ½ ¾

6.

7.

8.

9.

cups all-purpose flour cup brown sugar teaspoons ground cinnamon teaspoons Kosher salt cup unsalted butter, cold Whipped cream (optional)

Using a fork, cut in the butter with brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl. It’s okay to use your fingers to fully break down the butter until the streusel resembles wet sand.

Sprinkle the streusel over the top of the cake.

Place the Dutch oven over 8 to 10 coals, and place 12 to 15 on top.

Bake for approximately 40 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream.

The Equipment • • • • • • •

Cast iron or aluminum Dutch oven with legs, a solid handle on the lid, and a strong, easily movable carrying bail Large channel-lock pliers (for lifting the lid) Large oven mitt (leather is best) Pan scraper or stiff nylon scrub brush Charcoal and lighter fuel or “match light” coals Long metal tongs or a shovel for moving coals Chimney-style briquette igniter to help heat coals faster and more evenly (optional)

The How-To • Get yourself a cold beverage and start the coals in a firepan. (The size of your oven and desired temperature will determine the number of coals. Add a few extras, just in case.)

• Grease the Dutch oven and prepare the recipe.

Place the ingredients in the pot and seal it with the lid.

• When the coals are almost white, create space in the firepan for the Dutch oven. Use your tongs, or a shovel, to spread out the appropriate number of coals for the bottom; place the oven on top. Then, spread coals evenly over the top of the lid.

Oven Size

Oven Capacity

Persons Served

8 in.

2 Quarts

2-4

10 in.

4 Quarts

4-8

12 in.

6 Quarts

8-12

14 in.

8 Quarts

12-16

16 in.

12 Quarts

16-20

• •

•

Get yourself another cold beverage and relax.

Use the approximate cooking time in the recipe to guide you, and then wait until you smell baked deliciousness before taking a look inside (being careful the ash doesn’t fall into the food). You’ll be tempted to look sooner, but trust me on this one.

Be prepared to serve food piping hot. (No one wants to wait for a cake to cool and be frosted, and they will love you even more for the melted frosting).

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PRO T I NO. 3 P :

Soaking your du tc oven to clean it h is a recipe fo r rust.

30

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Very Hot

Coal Chart 19

14

20

450ºF

6

Hot 6

Medium

16

Low

8 in.

12 21

25 8

13

32 11

16

19

23

6

7

10 in.

14

21 7

22

34

17

21

10 5

Use this chart to determine how many coals you will need to maintain a given temperature.

9

7

15

12 18

14

16 5

24

36

27

7 11

325ºF

10

23

6

13

29

8 11

38

19

25

17

350ºF

10 17

18

25

31

9

6

375ºF

21

27

12

400ºF

40 14

11 18

19

26

33

10 13

425ºF

22

29

20

30 10

12 in.

14 in.

Coals on top Total number of coals needed

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Coals underneath

The Coals There’s a very imprecise science to generating heat for your Dutch oven. Here’s a general rule for a 375° F cast iron oven: Plan on two coals per inch of the oven’s diameter with three extra on top and three fewer underneath. For a 12-inch oven, this calculates to 27 coals—9 for the bottom, and 18 for the top. The variables include the material of the oven (aluminum ovens heat up faster than cast iron and can have hot spots), how much food is in the oven (biscuits versus a 4-inch-tall lasagna, which will take longer to cook), how big and hot the coals are, and the temperature desired. You can adjust the temperature by approximately 25° F by adding or removing two coals.

The Finishing Fussy cast-iron aficionados will have you believe clean-up and seasoning is a complicated art form. Not true! You can use mild dish soap to clean cast iron, along with a scrub brush or plastic scraper. For stubborn, stuck-on food, simmer a little water before scrubbing. After the pan cools, the caked-on gook will come right off. Dry with a towel, or dry over low heat on the coals, and then rub a small amount of cooking oil onto the surface of your oven using a paper towel to ensure no residue remains. tf

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Wellness WIRED

ORGANIC VEGETABLES

GOOD BUGS Pre-, Pro- and Post-biotics

Written and photographed by Paulette Phlipot

B

acteria is often sensed as harmful—associated with dirt, germs, and other microorganisms that can make you really, really sick. And this can be true.

Certain pathogenic bacteria can make you sick, but not all of these bugs are harmful. In fact, we’ve been told that optimal health is equated with the number of good bacteria that reside in our guts. These “good guys” encourage proper digestion and absorption of nutrients, while helping ward off disease.

Beneficial bacteria is not only found in our guts (aka, “the gut microbiome”), it is also found on our skin and in our mouths. Eating processed food and sugar can reduce and weaken the number of good bugs in our microbiome, allowing the bad bugs to take over and health issues to creep in. Some health professionals

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CULTURED BRINE

FERMENTED TEA

SOURDOUGH BREAD

KIMCHI

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believe that an unbalanced microbiome can lead to all sorts of chronic health problems such as asthma, eczema, autoimmune diseases, autism, ADHD, anxiety, and depression. Harnessing the power of beneficial bacteria—in the form of fermented foods and supplements—(while not new news) can help outnumber the bad bugs in and on our body, helping us achieve ideal health.

Grocery store shelves are lined with products proudly and colorfully claiming “probiotic” properties on their labels. And with a well-known track record of benefits, it’s no wonder why major manufacturers are wanting to capitalize on this success. Even big-brand boxed tea companies have started to add good bacteria to their tea bags. If only being healthy was as easy as just sitting back and drinking a cup of tea …

In order to truly benefit from adding good bacteria to your diet, it’s important to understand the whole picture (and the scientific lingo that goes with it). What do the terms probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics really mean? And how do you know if you’re getting the right bacteria strain?

Put the Pre- Before the ProWell, it’s common knowledge that the word “probiotics” refers to good bacteria. Probiotics are present in many foods, primarily those that are fermented, like yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, and kefir. In Jackson, Poa Jacobsen Van Sickle’s entire business, Daily Roots, is based on probiotic foods. However, new to the spotlight is the concept of feeding the good bacteria already residing in our gut. To do so requires including “prebiotics” and “postbiotics” in our diet. This is not something you need to worry about, however, as you are probably consuming pre- and postbiotics already. And if not, it’s easy to incorporate them.

Non-digestible carbohydrates (named prebiotics) can be found in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Good bugs thrive on this type of dietary fiber derived from food. This means eating more prebiotic fiber 34

Teton Family ¤ Summer 2022

can aid in the growth of beneficial bacteria. Dr. McKenzie Steiner, a licensed Naturopathic Medical Doctor (NMD) weighs in with some guidance.

“Prebiotics include foods, such as berries (especially blueberries), bananas, apples, onions, garlic, mushrooms, cabbage, beans, like chickpeas and lentils, and whole grains, like oats, flax, and wheat,” says Dr. Steiner. “Also, [most] quality probiotic supplements usually include prebiotics, too.”

Some practitioners believe that if you eat a diet rich in fermented foods and prebiotic fibers, supplementing with pre- and probiotics isn’t really necessary. But Dr. Steiner notes that most of the packaged fermented food sold in the grocery store undergoes pasteurization at high heat, killing both the beneficial and non-beneficial probiotics.

“I recommend fermenting your own food or finding a reliable source locally at a farmers market,” she says. “Some companies also add in probiotic strains after pasteurization.“ If fermented foods aren’t your jam, there are many forms of supplemented probiotics to choose from. So many that it can get really confusing. Most probiotic supplements contain bacteria from two genera: lactobacillus and bifidobacterium. These specific probiotics strains are helpful for addressing specific health conditions.

Therefore, choosing the right type—or strain—is essential to combating your own specific health concern.

“Saccharomyces boulardii [also known as baker’s yeast], is helpful in preventing the antibiotic associated diarrhea related to clostridium difficile [a bad guy] infection,” explains Dr. Steiner. “I always recommend taking a probiotic that contains saccharomyces boulardii while taking antibiotics, and it’s important to take the probiotics and antibiotics at separate times of the day, in order for the probiotics to have the most benefit. … After finishing an antibiotic prescription, I also recommend taking a high potency probiotic, with multiple beneficial strains, for three to six months afterward to help your microbiome recover.”

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Akkermansia muciniphila, a new keystone species (a species which has a disproportionately large effect on its natural environment) has created a lot of hype and excitement. It is said that low akkermansia levels can cause gastrointestinal distress, as well as fundamental issues with metabolism, inflammation, and immune response. Getting a stool test is the best way to discover what strains of bacteria you may be low on. Replenishing levels of akkermansia has been known to pivot many health issues, allowing the healing process to begin.

But What About the Post-?

Postbiotics are compounds created when the beneficial bacteria flourishing in our digestive tract leaves behind waste from digesting prebiotics. This beneficial waste includes things that enhance our health, like cell components, peptides, and short-chain fatty acids.

Prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics all interact together; they need each other to complete the successful digestive cycle. You can think of it like this: prebiotics are the power for the probiotics (the workhorses), which create the postbiotics, an end goal for optimal health.

Postbiotic supplements that contain these vital “end products” are marketed and available, but early-stage research has not yet confirmed supplementation is even necessary. Eating fermented foods should assure their consumption, as foods containing probiotics also include postbiotic byproducts. Examples of postbiotic rich foods include oats, flaxseed, sourdough bread, seaweed, kimchi, tempeh, and yogurt.

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Spores from the Earth So, eating fermented foods is the key to capitalizing on good bugs, right? But what about the times when you need an additional boost? Maybe you’ve been traveling or eating on the run and your gut just needs a little reconditioning.

and the brain. So, when we ingest a supplement, it has to first make it to the destination, and then it has to have the correct ingredients to give the desired effect. That said, not all supplement and nutraceutical companies are created equal.

“Probiotics are extremely sensitive to their environment, pH in particular,” she adds. “Spore-forming probiotics are soil-based Babette Melka, Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) and women’s microorganisms that possess the ability to surround themselves health consultant based out of Teton Valley, Idaho, supports the with durable coats of protein, allowing them to survive in hostile use of spore-based probiotics (soil-based microorganisms that environmental conditions. … This results in the delivery of more are formed from spores found in dirt and vegetation) for an extra viable probiotics to the small boost. Spore-base probiotics intestine where they then revert are introduced to the gut in to active, growing bacteria.” the form of dormant bacteria spores. This delivery method In Melka’s perspective, the “Research is showing that even makes them extremely stable objective is to recondition the and resistant to stomach if we have a ‘bad gut,’ that doesn’t mean gut instead of reseeding it with acid’s low pH, resulting in probiotic strains that may not our own gut flora is gone. It just hasn’t better proliferation. survive the digestion process anyway. She touts a spore“Research is showing that been allowed to flourish.” forming bacillus blend from even if we have a ‘bad gut,’ — Babs Melka, PharmD MicroBiome Labs, as it’s been that doesn’t mean our own gut thoroughly researched and flora is gone. It just hasn’t been proven to recondition the gut. allowed to flourish,” says Melka.

“Re-inoculating [the gut] with a blend of good probiotics isn’t Eating habits, stress, and antibiotic use can negatively necessarily the key. Rather, the ‘bad’ needs to be downregulated. affect the microbes in our gut. Replacing the strains through The optimal therapy to accomplish this is with the correct blend of fermented food, and working with a health professional to spore-forming bacteria to give the best results.” supplement correctly, can get you on the path to feeling better.

Make time and room on your plate every day to integrate more Melka reminds us that 70 percent of our immune system resides good bugs. tf in our gut, and that there is a strong correlation between the gut

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Support community conservation. Join WYLD. 36

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37

On the

FARM

REWILDING YOUR WORLD Regenerative landscaping for earth-friendly backyards

By Jenn Rein // Photos provided by MD Nursery

M

ending the soil that encases our beautiful planet is a modern trend. Activities like heavy tilling and chemical spraying zap the earth of valuable microorganisms and transform fertile soil into unproductive dirt. The principles of regenerative agriculture are driving a movement to repair such barren soil.

If you’re curious about what can be done in your own backyard, revamping the way you look at your landscaping should take center stage. By using regenerative methods, a property owner can aid in the health of the surrounding ecosystem and transform what may have been previously overfarmed land or a hazardous dumping ground, no farming experience required.

The Root of the Solution Teton Valley residents Tim and Julie Morley have owned their share of degraded properties, creating a mindset to nurture the land on which they live. Four years ago, they purchased ten acres in Tetonia, Idaho, a parcel previously used to graze cattle and stripped of soil nutrients. Julie remembers the sheer amount of unproductive dirt before her, describing the landscape as, “a few sparse grasses, with thistles and dandelions, but no shrubs or trees.”

Their soil revitalization plan was augmented by a workshop hosted at the Teton Valley NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership) branch. The guest speaker, Ray Archuleta, a conservation agronomist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, educated the group on soil health and the principles of agroecology. Using philosophies found in the of management of sustainable agriculture systems, Archuleta offered the Morleys advice on the specific needs of their property.

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“Whatever notion you may have,” says Julie, “just know that it’s okay to have weeds. You need biodiversity to initiate the shift to healthier soil.”

A cultivated seed mix made especially for their location contained not just ground cover, but weeds, as well. Referred to as “pioneering plants,” the weeds serve to offer structure to the spent soil.

“We need to take a hard look at what we think is beautiful,” says Tim. “Connecting to the property that surrounds you doesn’t mean grooming it within a certain perception. It means understanding what the land needs to thrive.”

A Community Proposition Robb Sgroi, of the Teton Conservation District, frequently addresses soil erosion control in his job as a land resources specialist. He reminds us that residential properties in the region may suffer from the depletion of healthy soil simply due to a new build, which is happening all around us. Sgroi encourages homeowners to consider limiting their landscaped footprint in favor of allowing undisturbed vegetation to perpetuate.

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Teton Family ¤ Summer 2022

“Many of our residential landscapes have experienced disturbance and are populated with non-native plants,” he advises. “The topsoil may have been removed in leveling a home site, and the landscaping may consist of species that were not originally part of a web of flora and fauna that previously interacted on the site.” “[Additionally,] a property may not have optimal characteristics, such as the ability to hold water and nutrients,” he explains. “Allowing for plant root growth aids [the soil] in holding carbon from the atmosphere.”

Fostering ground cover allows plants to pull carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, transforming root exudates (a mass of cells) in the ground. Sgroi recommends planting native species and crops like common vetch, crimson clover, sunflowers, and golden flax, to help recondition the soil in areas that were previously disturbed. Planting a few of the noted species results in microbial diversity, one of the vital components to soil regeneration.

Friends of the Teton River (FTR) works closely with farmers and ranchers in Teton Valley, Idaho, to implement regenerative land practices through the large-scale Teton Valley Soil Health Initiative.

FTR’s Executive Director Amy Verbeten reports, “I’m excited that our valley’s agricultural producers have taken the bull by the horns, and we are seeing an ever-expanding adoption of these techniques.”

She says that each acre managed using regenerative practices—whether its purpose is for agriculture or backyard landscaping—is “an effort in improving overall soil health, water quality, and ecosystem function.”

RESOURCES •

Mountain Roots Education will host a “Rewilding Your Yard: Small Scale Land Regeneration” workshop on July 23 conducted by Tim and Julie Morley of Meadow Lark Farm. mountainrootseducation.org/workshops

•

The University of Idaho Extension Program offers courses in improving the practices of horticulture and small farming.

They provide training, experts, and articles to help you reach your goals. uidaho.edu/extension

•

Learn about the work of Ray Archuleta and the Natural Resources Conservation Service by viewing the documentary Kiss the Ground (2020), available on Netflix. kisstheground.com

•

The book Dirt to Soil by Gabe Brown recounts his family’s journey from ranching to regenerative agriculture. A former practitioner of the industrial agricultural model, Brown is now considered a pioneer of the soil-health movement. chelseagreen.com/product/dirt-to-soil Summer 2022 ¤ Teton Family

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Sowing the Benefits The team at Intermountain Aquatics specializes in habitat restoration and can help you understand the landscaping potential on your property. Co-founder and fisheries scientist Katie Salsbury breaks down the Tim and Julie Morley benefits to a holistic approach. revitalized their desiccated land (top photo) using principles found in the management of sustainable agricultural systems (bottom photo).

“Healthy native plants naturally store carbon in their root systems, are drought tolerant, and provide pollinator, bird, and wildlife habitat,” she says.

Salsbury mentions weed mitigation as an option in regenerative landscaping, but only if done thoughtfully.

“To get started, identify the noxious weeds on your property,” she says. “Then, hand pull them, seed native grasses in their place, and repeat annually for three to five years until the native plants have displaced the weeds.”

Photos by Julie Morley

MD Nursery in Driggs is seeing increased interest in regenerative landscaping practices, as well. Retail Manager Carrie Baysek echoes the principle of the time investment needed in order to witness results.

“Start small and be patient,” she encourages. “You don’t have to redo your whole landscaping. There are little changes you can implement each year that can make a difference. Try top dressing with compost instead of traditional fertilizer in your gardens, plant a few pollinator plants each summer, or add mycorrhizae to [recolonize] new plantings.”

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Teton Family ¤ Summer 2022

MD makes it easy by offering cover crop seeds, certified organic compost, organic fertilizers that are phosphorus-free, and straw guard rolls and landscape fabric that help to retain moisture and prevent erosion.

Embracing the methods of regenerative landscaping is an integral piece of our conservation puzzle.

Employing less tilling, implementing cover crops, and even utilizing plats that may have an unsightly reputation are all steps toward soil renewal. A revolution in agriculture is literally underfoot, propelled by a critical understanding that the health of our planet’s surface affects the health of its inhabitants. tf

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Lily Wilcox, 2021 Miss Teton County, Idaho Fair and Rodeo Queen, fires up the crowd on a July evening at the Teton Valley, Idaho rodeo.

RODEO

QUE A cultural role steeped deep in heritage 44

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ENS

By Christina Shepherd McGuire // Photography by Meg Potter

Summer 2022 ¤ Teton Family

45

A

s dusk approaches on a hot Friday night in July, pickup trucks pour onto the grounds of the Teton County Idaho Fairgrounds north of Driggs. I pull my Toyota FJ Cruiser into a dusty parking space, sandwiched between a few of the trucks, grab my camp chair, and proceed to find my friends on the north end of the arena. I swing my sandaled foot over the tailgate of my friend Katie’s rusty green 1978 Ford F-150 Supercab and settle in among friends dressed in cowboy boots and faded jeans for a frontrow seat to the action.

“You look like you’re dressed for a wine tasting,” says Katie about my white linen shirt and flip flops (not exactly rodeo attire, as, after 25 years living in the valley, I still can’t ditch my East Coast roots).

Then, Rex Hansen’s voice comes over the loudspeaker as the local rodeo girls make their grand entrance into the arena on breathtakingly beautiful, cantering horses. Dressed in felt hats, sashes, and sparkling belt buckles, the royalty circles the arena and forms a line with their horses in front of the audience. Little girls swoon, and I, recognizing my dear friend and neighbor Sydney Mitchell, Teton County, Idaho’s Junior Rodeo Queen, am overcome with a sense

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Jordan Lutz, 2021 Miss Teton

of pride for the heritage of our County, Wyoming Fair and valley. We bow our heads for the Rodeo Queen and a first Cowboy Prayer as I stare in awe generation cowgirl, started at the cowgirl ambassadors before queening when she was eight. me and realize the knowledge, skill, grit, and determination it takes to uphold this cultural stamp steeped deep in tradition.

BEYOND THE DRESS Some liken the experience of rodeo queening to that of a beauty pageant, as the auditioning process involves modeling a gown. Yet, “putting on formal wear is just one small part of the process,” says Donnie Wackerman, Teton County, Wyoming’s Fair Board Royalty Director. “Rodeo queening involves a lot of knowledge and horsemanship skills. It's based off of many different things.”

Wackerman outlines the royalty auditioning process, which includes a segment on formal wear, horsemanship, an interview, and a speech. The modeling portion of the audition involves dressing up in your best (and fanciest) outfit that is judged both on style and western flair. Next, the older girls, ages 14 to 24, are asked interview questions on current happenings in the rodeo world, as well as basic rodeo facts.

“Questions can include things like ‘What’s the name of one rough stock event?’or ‘How does the barrier system work in team roping?’” explains Wackerman. “[The girls] are Teton County Fair and Rodeo’s ambassadors—our face to the public. So, they need to be able to educate people about all things rodeo.”

After that, the girls each present their speech on a predetermined topic (last year in Teton Valley, Idaho, the topic reflected the theme of the fair: “Good ‘Ole Summertime).

Then, the girls change into their riding attire and perform a basic reining pattern with their horse. The younger girls, ages 8 to 13, are asked simple questions and compete in the horsemanship category, as well, conducting rail work around the arena fence and demonstrating the basics of the walk, trot, lope, and stop.

Next, the judges compile their results and award the participants with the role of Rodeo Queen (ages 18 to 24), Lady-in-Waiting (in Wyoming only), Junior Queen (ages 14 to 17), Princess (ages 11 to 13), Pee Wee Princess (ages 8 to 10), and Mini Princess (ages 4 to 7, Idaho only).

Queens and Junior Queens are expected to attend most rodeo events, participate in the Grand Entrance, carry the state and American flags, and wrangle the small livestock during the events. They are also present at the Teton County, Wyoming, and Idaho Fairs, handing out prizes and educating attendees.

“They have to be able to get down and dirty on their horse to help things run smoothly,” says Kelsey Smaellie, Teton Valley, Idaho, Fair and Royalty Committee board member.

“It’s a responsibility to be trusted to gather animals, as needed, and to help with all the events at the fair, including pig wrestling and horse pulls.”

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NEWS

Smaellie’s daughter Maddie Rae, age 5, carried out the duties of Mini Princess last summer by attending the Fourth of July parade in Victor, walking the grandstands while her bio was rehearsed, and giving treat bags to the kids in the rodeo stands.

SIN

1909

Come stay overnight in Teton Valley!

Photo credit: Paul Allen Summer 2022 ¤ Teton Family

47

JORDAN LUTZ 2021 Miss Teton County, Wyoming Fair and Rodeo Queen

LILY WILCOX 2021 Miss Teton County, Idaho Fair and Rodeo Queen

SAMANTHA THOENIG 2022 Miss Teton County, Wyoming Fair and Rodeo Queen

QUEEN FOR MUCH MORE THAN A DAY Jordan Lutz, 2021 Miss Teton County, Wyoming, Fair and Rodeo Queen, is a first-generation cowgirl and started queening when she was 8.

“I heard about [rodeo royalty] through the grapevine when I was in 4-H, I we signed up,” she says. “My first title was Pee Wee Princess Attendant. I went to almost every

Teton County, Idaho’s Mini Princess, Maddie Rae Smaellie, holds the flag during the cowboy prayer.

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Teton Family ¤ Summer 2022

rodeo and thought I was the coolest thing ever to call myself a ‘Rodeo Princess.’”

Lutz dreamed of being a rodeo queen ever since she worked as a summer trail guide at the A-OK Corral in Jackson.

Growing up, her parents never owned horses or participated in rodeo, but her mom, originally from Cheyenne, would

Sydney Mitchell, 2021 Teton County, Idaho’s Junior Rodeo Queen, shows off her skills by racing her horse RJ around the barrels.

Summer 2022 ¤ Teton Family

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©JULIE MARTIN

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Visit tetonvalleyfoundation.org for 2022 dates.

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The intricate chaps are

take Lutz to the Cody rodeo a celebrated adornment of where she’d see the queens the “Rodeo Queen” title. in action; she even met the Australia’s Rodeo Queen at the Cheyenne Frontier Day event. These experiences instilled in her a drive to go for the title.

“I was always an attendant. Then, I tried out for Pee Wee Princess, Junior and Senior Princesses, and Lady-in-Waiting. I didn't [actually] get my first title until my second year running for Junior Princess,” she explains.

Lutz says her role of Rodeo Queen has furthered her knowledge of western heritage, helped her become a better horseback rider, and taught her how to speak in public.

“It has opened my eyes to my future career,” she says. “I'm going to school for animal science, agriculture, and equine studies. I've been thinking about going into an equine nutrition role. I also want to explore equine massage and chiropractic work, or just be an ag vet on farms.”

Samantha Thoenig’s (2022 Miss Teton County, Wyoming, Fair and Rodeo Queen) path is a little different. In the 70s, her grandpa, a local jeweler,

crafted the queen crown for the county, complete with Wyoming jade and diamonds. She’s participated in the rodeo—as a barrel racer and team roper—since age eleven and used to ogle over the queens. This season, she decided to try it out for a chance to wear her grandpa’s crown.

“Before I [decided to audition], I thought all rodeo queens had to do Pee Wee Princess (Second was sit there and look Runner-Up), Yaretzi Perez pretty carrying the Cortez, holds the American flag,” she says. “But, it's flag, alongside two of the Mini not just about looking Princesses, Itzae Perez Cortez pretty. Horsemanship and Odelie Klein Cruz, at the is the biggest part of Teton County, Wyoming Fair. the [competition]; it’s where you get your points to win. I probably wouldn’t have won if I didn't have solid horsemanship skills.”

Thoenig chased her dreams to Arizona this winter to “get her name out there” on the pro circuit as a barrel racer. She’s hoping to land sponsors and fulfill her goal of riding professionally. Still, she looks forward to returning to Jackson and her queen duties this summer.

Lily Wilcox’s mother Michaele, former Teton Valley Idaho Rodeo Committee Chair, says Lily

Teton County, Idaho’s Mini Princess, Lainey Boren, gets help adjusting her hat in preparation for the Teton County, Idaho rodeo.

Summer 2022 ¤ Teton Family

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A TRIBUTE TO REX …

April 3, 1953 - November 21, 2021 Rex Hansen (aka “Cowboy”) used his “gift of gab” to entertain audiences as an announcer for the Teton Valley, Idaho, Rodeo. On his ranch in Tetonia, you could often find him feeding cattle in the wintertime via a horsedrawn sleigh, with Sydney Mitchell and her family by his side.

“I loved Rex as the announcer, not only because he always told the same funny jokes, but because I grew up knowing him—I saw him almost every day,” says Mitchell. “He loved sharing his knowledge about rodeo and how it impacted his life. … I remember one time when I was pole bending in slack, he said, ‘I don’t know if her mom and dad know, but [Sydney] is my unofficial grandchild.’”

always wanted to be like her dad, Brock, who is a “big cowboy and roper.” So, this Driggs native tagged along on all of her father’s western outings. But it was Fred Crane, Rex Hansen’s rodeo announcer counterpart (who passed on in 2017), that upped her stoke for queening.

“Fred Crane used to ride his pinto mare and announce from down below while he was riding,” says Lily. “He really got the crowd involved. … I'd climb up on the fence and talk to Fred. I wanted to be out there on my horse, like Fred, making a difference.”

As she got older, Lily enrolled in 4-H, raising and showing pigs and goats, and participated in leather crafting and sewing. Then, in 2015, she ran for Pee Wee Princess and won.

Since then, she’s been Princess twice, Junior Queen, and then, last summer, took over the Rodeo Queen position for Teton Valley, Idaho.

Lily’s favorite duty as queen is chasing out the livestock for breakaways and tie-downs.

“There are always little kids that come to the fence and want to pet our horses,” she says. “It makes me happy that I’m able to provide this role model for kids—they look up to me! … That was me with Fred.”

Like Lutz and Thoenig, the experience of rodeo royalty has heightened Lily’s love for agricultural pursuits. During her freshman year of high school, she competed in the Future Farmers of America’s (FFA) Creed Speaking Leadership Development Event (LDE), where she competed in the public speaking category. She won first place in this event for Teton High School and came in second in districts. This past school year, Lily also participated in the Distinguished Young Women

Sydney Mitchell proudly sports her belt buckle, a decoration made possible by the Teton County, Idaho Fair and Rodeo sponsors.

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Samantha Thoenig graciously accepts her title of 2022 Miss Teton County, Wyoming Fair and Rodeo Queen.

Photograph by Simple Details Photography

scholarship program, auditioning in categories like fitness, talent, interviewing, and self-expression. Lily says that her experience with rodeo royalty gave her the confidence she needed for these events.

IT ' S A COWGIRL THING Thoenig takes pride in promoting the cowboy heritage of Jackson.

She aims to set up a booth in Jackson's Town Square this summer to market rodeo culture and raise awareness.

“A lot of the people who have recently moved to Jackson—they don't even know [rodeoing] is a thing,” she says. “I want to show the newcomers that Jackson is still a western town and that rodeoing is a huge part of it.”

Sydney Mitchell feels like she’s contributing to the valley’s culture by holding the Idaho flag and representing “Teton Valley, Idaho” during the rodeo’s Grand Entry.

“We are happy to live here, and we are grateful for that,” she says.

“Our rodeo and fair duties—holding the flags, handing out awards, and having little kids look up to us—are important. We are honoring the sport of rodeo and encouraging the 4-H participants who put their time and energy into raising livestock.”

Smaellie loves the values that rodeo royalty is instilling in her children.

“They will grow up learning to honor their western heritage,” she says. “It's few and far between that we have opportunities like this to 1. experience, and 2. participate in. It's not just a hobby. It's a lifestyle.” tf

Contestants await their turn in the warm-up pen at the Teton County, Idaho rodeo.

Summer 2022 ¤ Teton Family

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tip:

aper Parchment p friendly oec provides an rapping option for w transport. popsicles for e is for a If the popsicl on, wrap special occasi g twine or colored bakin d ribbon aroun the paper.

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By Tibby Plasse Photography by Paulette Phlipot

Summer 2022 ¤ Teton Family

55

HELP US BRING THE DREAM OF A

COMMUNITY POOL

TO TETON VALLEY

Poolside Dreaming

M My father never left the dinner table without a serving of ice cream. My grandmother Gertrude was notorious for polishing off a half-gallon of Breyer’s Neapolitan—the strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla medley that, centuries later, is still a nod to Italian immigrants.

In a laughable attempt, my brother, Keith, who is sixteen years older than me, would pick me up from my allgirls school in his red MG, acting like the cool big brother taking his little sister to Baskin Robbins. He was such a geek of a teenager, but I got endless coffee ice cream sodas out of the deal.

Yes, ice cream decorated my childhood. Still, trying to keep sugar in check in my own adult home is a daily challenge. Homemade ice cream is a disappointment because there is just no good way around using sugar. Popsicles, however, are more forgiving when it comes to ingredient composition—and they maintain a certain level of celebratory mojo, even if they are the healthier alternative.

The recipes are just as particular— from gourmet ingredients to perfecting the mold—and you only find that out by failing over and over again (and having your son say they taste like smoothies).

Check out tetonvalleyaquatics.org to learn more about the project and how to get involved! continued on page �� 56

Teton Family ¤ Summer 2022

El Grillo Makes 6 popsicles The “Grasshopper” is my favorite milkshake from the Victor Emporium. Here, I created a good-girl approach to this mint and Oreo cookie indulgence.

2 2 ¹⁄3 ¼ ¼ 1 ¼ 1.

2.

3.

4.

cups whole coconut milk pinches ground vanilla bean cup apple juice concentrate teaspoon peppermint extract cup chopped mint leaves tablespoon honey cup cacao nibs

In a skillet, mix coconut milk, vanilla bean, apple juice, and peppermint extract. Simmer for 15 minutes to meld flavors.

Remove from heat, cool slightly, stir in the honey, and then cool completely.

Sprinkle the mint and cacao nibs into a spoonful of the mixture, as you ladle it into molds. (This assures the mint stays green and the nibs don’t melt.)

Insert a popsicle stick into each mold, and place them in the freezer until frozen.

tip:

To remo popsicle ve the sf molds, r rom their un the m old under w arm wat s er for a few seconds before sli ding each pop out sicle.

Summer 2022 ¤ Teton Family

57

Red, White, and Berry Makes 6 popsicles Sometimes the number of steps in a recipe creates a type of kitchen meditation that makes you forget the creation took hours. Plus, no matter what age you are, no one is going to turn down a Fourth of July popsicle.

1½ 1 1½ ¾ 1 1½

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

cups strawberries, chopped cup apple juice concentrate cups whole coconut milk teaspoon vanilla extract tablespoon honey cups blueberries or huckleberries (Use what’s in season.)

Combine strawberries and a ½ cup of apple juice in a saucepan. Simmer for 20 minutes to jam consistency. Remove from heat, cool, and puree in a food processor or blender.

Pour the cooled strawberry mixture evenly into the molds. Cover the molds (use aluminum foil if your popsicle molds do not have covers.) Push the popsicle stick through the foil (or cover) so that it just touches the strawberries. Adjust the aluminum foil to keep the stick standing up straight. Freeze until solid (at least 2 hours).

Mix the coconut milk and vanilla in a pan and simmer for 15 minutes until flavors meld. Remove from heat, cool slightly, stir in the honey, and then cool completely.

Pour the mixture evenly into the molds on top of the red layer. Return the molds to the freezer until solid (at least 2 hours).

Repeat the simmering steps with the dark-colored berries and the other ½ cup of the apple juice.

Allow mixture to cool, and then puree it in a food processor or blender and pour it evenly on top of the white layer. Return molds to the freezer until solid.

Once frozen, these fun popsicles are ready to make their debut at your Fourth of July party!

* Recipe adapted from For the Love of Popsicles by Sarah Bond.

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Summer 2022 ¤ Teton Family

59

tip:

r nearby Check out you ery gr Mexican oc fruit al ic store for trop per ep p y lt and specia s. ie et vari

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Teton Family ¤ Summer 2022

El Idaho Pimiento Makes 6 popsicles This recipe—a perfect blend of spicy and sweet—is a fiesta waiting to happen. Here, I honor Idaho’s Basque immigrants by using Espelette peppers, giving the popsicles regional authenticity.

3 ¾ ¾ 1

2 ¼

1.

2.

3.

4.

cups pineapple, chopped cup orange juice cup water small jalapeño or Serrano (optional) tablespoons lime juice teaspoon Piment d'Espelette or paprika, plus extra for dusting

Mix the pineapple, orange juice, and water in a skillet and simmer for 15 minutes to a jam consistency. (For an extra spicy version, finely chop a jalapeño or Serrano pepper to add to the blend.)

Remove from heat, cool, and add lime juice and Piment d'Espelette or paprika. Puree in a food processor or blender.

Fill the molds with the mixture, insert a popsicle stick into each mold, and then place them in the freezer overnight.

Dust with Piment d'Espelette or paprika before serving.

Summer 2022 ¤ Teton Family

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tip:

Turn your freeze r temperature dow n to the max so that the warm puree will freeze and bind properly .

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While trying to (re)create my recipes, I reviewed my supply list. Plastic molds were never my first choice, but they were in every grocery store one Fourth of July and I broke down and bought them, BPA and all. The molds went straight to the thrift store, come August, because the popsicles never really seemed to firm up enough to keep the sticks in place. Switching to stainless steel ensured the popsicles kept their form by allowing me to better cool a warmed mixture faster.

But they still tasted like smoothies, according to my kid …

So, I dug back into all my favorite food memories.

Eventually, I found myself reminiscing about buying popsicles with my niece at the supermercado when I lived in Costa Rica. The store was located the perfect distance from home to walk, buy a popsicle, and finish it on the return home, during which my niece, Valeria, loved to repeat jokes from Bob Esponja (aka, Spongebob). There were huge freezer bins outside the store’s entrance filled with guava, mango, pineapple, and passionfruit treats.

And my three-year-old sobrina loved choosing her own popsicle, and paying for it herself.

That memory pivoted my recipe exploration, turning it from ice cream influences to paletas de

aguas (Spanish-influenced ice pops). Focusing mostly on fruit, and simmering down my mixtures, as if making preserves, yielded subtle flavor hints, while still maintaining a good consistency. Due to my notso-processed sugar obsession, the main sweetener I use is either apple or orange juice concentrate. Some recipes call for agave or date sugar, but the consistency of using fruit concentrates to sweeten other fruit concentrates, I’ve found, is the easiest way to the fulfill the sugar substitute.

I sometimes take a deconstructed approach to popsicle flavors and themes. The practice of layering— adding a layer of pureed fruit, freezing it, and then repeating this until the mold is full—is a type of art form, creating a visually appealing end result. For instance, if I’m aiming for a watermelon motif, I layer watermelon juice with a vanilla and coconut concoction in the middle, and then a kiwi puree for the bottom.

No matter where you find your inspiration— cookbooks, family traditions, or the produce section— popsicles are a luscious way to actualize nostalgia and to keep it close, frozen in time. These cold treats also provide a quintessential way to embrace summer’s warm temperatures, while making a good excuse for a walk around the block or for kicking back in a hammock. tf

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63

Finding grace in the journey to breastfeed

By Kate Hull // Photography by Shannon Corsi

T

he let-down reflex—a hormonal response created when a baby suckles at the breast— signals a mother’s body to release milk.

For some, it can be a blissful sensation and moment of deep connection with their little one. I, however, have wondered many times since my son was born, Who in the world came up with that name? It sounds lovely when you read it, right? But when something isn’t going smoothly, the feeling of being let down by the process is a real kick in the postpartum pants.

I delivered my baby boy, Nathan, in August of 2021, and there are particular moments in the infancy of my motherhood journey I know I will never forget. The first is staring down at the blueeyed, big-cheeked, chunky boy curled upon my chest only seconds after he came into the world. That feeling of overwhelming joy will be with me forever. The second happened a week later while sobbing into my own mother’s arms, upon realizing the heavyduty, hospital-grade pump I had just driven from Jackson to my 64

Teton Family ¤ Summer 2022

Babies are hardwired to find the breast and proximity matters.

home in Victor, Idaho, on a Friday afternoon was missing a part. I was overwhelmed and filled with panic. Breastfeeding wasn’t working, and I didn’t understand it.

My milk seemed slow to come in. I felt like a failure, as my most important task—feeding my baby boy—was an unexpected uphill battle. I was blistered and bleeding (while still injured from delivery, with hormones lit up like a firework show) and left wondering, Why in the world are my breasts not doing their damn job?!

I pumped and pumped. My partner finger-fed our baby with a tiny tube. And, I used a nipple shield to help encourage a latch. I can barely remember when, but eventually things began to take shape. I found a pumping phalange that fit my breasts. (It’s not one size fits all, mamas!) I stocked up on healthy foods that encouraged an increased milk supply, and drank water like it was my job.

I ate more lactation cookies than I ever thought possible.

I even drank blue Gatorade because I heard it might help.

Did the old wives’ tales work?

I am not sure. What I do know, however, is that leaning on my partner and support from experts guided my uncertain ship forward.

If you are reading this—with a newborn in arms or during any chapter with your little one—I am not here to tell you there is a right or wrong way to feed your baby. What I do hope is that, by reading this, you’ll find resources, and maybe even solace, in a shared experience.

Warts and all … blistered nipples and all … if I could go back to August 2021, here’s what I’d tell myself: Summer 2022 ¤ Teton Family

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Be Flexible Prior to Nathan’s birth, I, admittedly, hadn’t given much thought to breastfeeding. I knew I wanted to do it, but it wasn’t where my thoughts went as I dreamed and planned for the days to come. I wondered how I would transition into motherhood, who my baby boy would become, and how we’d make all the pieces fit. I assumed breastfeeding would just be another piece in the mamahood puzzle.

When it wasn’t, I became relentless in my determination— at times, honestly, to the detriment of my mental health— and approached it with a ferocious commitment to make it be okay. Or at least my version of “okay.”

The lesson: Take a breath and let it be what it is.

“Breastfeeding is chosen for the health benefits to both mom and baby, and it is a valid and worthy goal to achieve,” says Kristie Karroum, an Idaho Falls-based international board-certified lactation consultant with Nurture Lactation Support, FNP-C, IBCLC, and Family Nurse Practitioner. “But it can also be challenging, and it’s a journey with changes.”

My secret to moving forward was, without question, a lactation consultation. Here in the Tetons, we are fortunate to have access to lactation support at regional hospitals like Jackson’s St. John’s Health and Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center (EIRMC) in Idaho Falls.

We also have private lactation consultants like Karroum who, thanks to the normalized world of Zoom calls, can offer telehealth-style consultations or appointments.

After delivering at St. John’s, I was elated to find out that lactation support is not only available as frequently as needed, but it’s also a free service.

“As moms we do hard things because we want the best for our babies,” Karroum says. “It’s important to expect some challenges and know it is possible to seek out support to optimize working through them, but challenges also offer opportunities to demonstrate flexibility and grow our relationship with our baby. Women can be both determined and flexible.”

Determined and flexible. Say it with me: Flexible.

Seek Help I became a frequent flyer at St. John’s. Janet Wood (RN, BSN, IBCLC, ANLC, OG), a certified lactation consultant, offered kindness and endless, knowledgeable support. Wood became the voice in my ear when I tried and tried again to get my baby to latch. “Fed is best,” she’d say. I worried that giving formula to my tiny guy was the wrong choice, while I painstakingly nursed my owned blistered nipples back to health. (I now know it wasn’t.) And, while my goal was to get my baby on the breast, I needed the grace and education Janet offered while I troubleshooted the problem.

Her go-to advice for new mamas: “I always say to keep the baby ‘in the kitchen’ in between the two ‘breastaurants,’” she says, with a chuckle. It may sound hokey, but she’s right. “Babies are hardwired to know how 66

Teton Family ¤ Summer 2022

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EAT WELL PLAY HARD to find the breast and proximity matters. Skin-to-skin helps the neonate adjust to the extrauterine world.”

Wood is a pioneer in breastfeeding support for Jackson Hole. So much so, she is lovingly called “The Breast Whisperer” by many former clients, this one included. After a lengthy career as a labor and delivery nurse, she came to the Tetons in 1989 answering an ad for experienced labor and delivery nurses at St. John’s.

“Over the years, I worked closely with Bonnie Pockat [RN, IBCLC at Teton County Public Health], and she encouraged me to become a lactation consultant for the hospital,” she says. “I focused on this specialty, and finally was able to create lactation support services in the spring of 2007 with my certification as an international boardcertified lactation consultant.”

Now, Wood and her team offer lactation education and support during pregnancy, at the hospital during labor and delivery, and after the baby arrives. She also leads Teton Mammas, a group for new mothers who have questions, yet don’t need specific one-on-one consultation.

Wood’s approach is rooted in decades of knowledge, coupled with the understanding that every parent has a goal they are working to achieve. Her job is to help women reach it, even if the road takes a few unexpected turns.

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Trust Your Body Wood also helped me better understand what my body needed. I drank water, took vitamins, worked to calm my mind, and asked for help when I needed it. I stopped comparing myself to other moms and took a break from scrolling Instagram.

“It bothers me that infant feeding is so black and white that we only ever pay attention to [either] breastfeeding or formula feeding,” she says. “Mixed-feeding came about to help babies gain weight while moms may be battling milk-supply issues.

Any breastmilk feeding is beneficial to the baby and mother. The research tells us that even 50 milliliters of breastmilk per day is enough to have a positive impact. A single teaspoon of breastmilk contains over three million germ-killing cells.”

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Teton Family ¤ Summer 2022

Karroum offered similar support. She reminded me that every baby is different. At the time, I was sure my milk supply was low.

Karroum helped me realize that I needed to trust my body. The problem was the solution: Nathan just needed to be on the breast as often as he could, with pumping in between.

Slowly but surely, my body caught up.

“It is important to understand that it is okay to combine the information you are getting and find what works best,” says Karroum.

“Every mother is going to have something that is a different fit. … You may have to go through a re-evaluation process. For example,

‘I wanted to exclusively breastfeed, but I am going to need to pump, or I am going to have [to supplement].’”

In both Wood and Karroum’s practices, the most common problems that women face are sore nipples and breasts, latch difficulty, and confusion surrounding milk supply. “There are some common myths about breastfeeding that can contribute to difficulty,” Karroum says.

“One confusion,” she explains, “is thinking breastfeeding, as a natural act, is synonymous with ‘easy.’ Problems may arise, but they are solvable and flexible. Whatever the case, once we strip away the notion that it should be easy, we can better support moms on this journey.”

Advocate for Yourself When breastfeeding enters the public sphere, it gets more complicated. How to do it, where to do it, and who gets to do it is the giant elephant in the nursery. The American Academy of Family Medicine reported that, for mother’s employed outside of the home, 67 percent began breastfeeding, but only 22 percent were able to

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continue breastfeeding by six months of age. That number drops to 10 percent at one year.

Breastfeeding Resources IN WYOMING •

St. John’s Health: stjohns.health/services/birth-center/lactationsupport; 307-739-7572

• Teton Mammas: stjohns.health (Meets the second and fourth Wednesday of the month from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.)

•

Teton Postpartum: tetonpostpartum.com; tetonpostpartum@gmail.com; 303-601-3333

•

Teton County Wyoming Health Department: tetoncountywy. gov/621/BestBeginnings; 307-733-6401

•

Teton TLC: Mark Tetenman, RN, CLC; tetontlc.com; 307-413-4977

IN IDAHO •

•

It wasn’t until the mid-1950s that support groups for mothers even first cropped up. Nonprofit breastfeeding support group, La Leche League International, joined the conversation in 1956, led by seven women working to provide mother-tomother support, encouragement, information, and education, among other things.

“As the years go by, I am often astounded by how we manage to add new wrinkles of complexity to something that should be easy, natural, and uncomplicated,” Wood says. “I can remember how unsupported/unpopular breastfeeding was back in the sixties and seventies. It wasn’t uncommon to hear from a mother, ‘I wanted to breastfeed, but the doctor told me that my baby was fussy due to my breastmilk and formula was better.’

Then, the rules devised to use formula feeding got applied to breastfeeding.”

Thankfully, thanks to advocacy and support, mothers are pushing the conversation forward and seeking out support.

Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center (EIRMC): prenatal breastfeeding class; eirmc.com; 208-529-7171

First, I am going to acknowledge my privilege. I had the ability to be home for four months thanks to a flexible job and support from my partner, family, and friends. I was given the space to decide what I wanted and to solve it without too many pressures from the outside world. I am more aware now than ever of that privilege. (There is a very important continual conversation to be had about the relationship between white privilege, classism, and breastfeeding rates, as well as support centering on the white experience.)

La Leche Leauge of Idaho Falls: facebook.com/groups/lllif; 208-557-3922 •

​Madison Memorial Hospital: madisonmemorial.org/breastfeedsupport; 208-359-6761 • Mountain View Hospital Lactation: mountainviewhospital.org/ services/womens-center; 208-557-2729

• Nurture Lactation Support (Idaho Falls): Kristie Karroum, FNP-C, IBCLC; nurturemomandbaby.com; 208-569-9031 cell (text or call)

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“We really need to reach employers and ensure they are allowing women the time and space to pump,” Karroum says. “Pumping is hard. It requires all this mental work to plan, make sure you have enough time, and think about the volumes. It is really challenging.”

Eastern Idaho Public Health WIC: eiph. idaho.gov/WIC/Breastfeeding/ wicbreastfeedingmain.html; 208-522-3823

•

•

While it is federal law that employers must provide break time and a place for mothers to express milk during the day, many women report feeling unsupported despite this— leading to some ending their breastfeeding journey earlier than they would have liked. And laws for a woman’s right to nurse in public are left to the states. Idaho became the very last state to create such a law in 2018. Modern breastfeeding support is still in its infancy.

Sonya Thompson, IBCLC (Rexburg): 208-351-0530

Teton Family ¤ Summer 2022

What I’ve Learned

And, I wish I could say it all just came together overnight.

Well, it didn’t.

I did, however, find a system that worked for both me and my little one. We got a groove going, and we smoothed out the wrinkles. The process—our process—became a wonderful, beautiful new version of what I expected. I learned that there is no one way to feed my baby, and whatever feels right to both of us is the right move.

So, to all you exclusively breastfeeding mamas: Go, you! To the formula-feeding mamas: Keep it up! To the combination feeding mamas: Heck, yes! No matter what you’re doing, you’re doing it. And when in doubt, find a good lactation consultant. tf

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Take the first important step to a lifetime of good health and schedule an appointment today!

(208) 354-6323 283 North First East St. Driggs, ID

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Visit us online at www.tvhcare.org

852 Valley Center Dr. Driggs, ID

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COMMUNITY VIBRANCY STARTS HERE! From accomplished Olympic athletes to farm fresh food and cultural outlets, we’ve got it going on! There are so many reasons to cherish our Teton community. Share yours on Instagram with #tetonslowliving.

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Teton Family ¤ Summer 2022

Summer 2022 ¤ Teton Family

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Kids Summer

CAMP

SUMMER CAMP FOR AGES 5-12 Grand Targhee’s Summer Camp is designed to keep your children active and learning this summer. Daily activities include swim lessons, disc golf, biking instruction, arts and crafts, music, chair lift rides, hiking, Gheecology (nature study of Grand Targhee), group games and more. Sign up for daily lessons, or share a punch pack with friends and family.

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Teton Family ¤ Summer 2022

GRANDTARGHEE.COM • 800.TARGHEE • ALTA, WY