Teton Family Winter 23/24 Issue No. 40

WINTER

23/24

Issue # 40

OVERWINTER RANCHING

when offseason turns on

UPLEVEL YOUR SOUP GAME with our twists on the classics

FAT BIKING... the other winter sport

Investing in Now and Forever BOJH is committed to supporting the Jackson Hole Ski and Snowboard Club, Wyoming’s oldest nonprofit that annually provides over 500 student athletes with the opportunities to become champions in sport and life.

307.732.BOJH | BOJH.COM DIVISION OF NBH BANK. NMLS 465954

WINTER

23/24

Issue # 40

Contents

36 —

MOUNTAIN STYLE Fat Biking, the other winter sport

MEET YOUR MAKERS ...

In Victor's craftsman district

WELLNESS WIRED

08

FEATURES

10

UPLEVELED SOUPS

30

Our classic soup recipes evoke comfortfood nostalgia, with a modern twist.

By Christina Shepherd McGuire

14

The quantum physics behind Dr. Jim Davis’s healing center

17 TABLE TALK

Local families test out the “grandmother hypothesis”

IN SEASON

Healthful (and trending) alternatives to your morning cup of Joe

ON THE FARM

The practice of cuniculture (raising rabbits for meat) finds its way to local farms and restaurant plates

SLOW HOME

In pursuit of Wyoming’s antler sheds

INSTAGRAM ROUNDUP

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Teton Family ¤ Winter 2023/24

From sleigh-ride feedings to spring calving, offseason is “game on” for local ranchers.

By Molly Absolon

HOLIDAY TABLEWARE

Your guide to heirloom metals—sterling silver, copper, pewter, and iron—and where to find them locally.

By Paulette Phlipot

26 48

RANCHING

42

23

This view never gets old 2

10 —

36 OVERWINTER

42 —

On the Cover: Our Chunky Potato Leek and Shiitake Soup (with Brie Toasts) recipe adds both interest and substance to a classic purée.

Photo by Paulette Phlipot

Photos: Ryan Dorgan (top); Kristin Halsey (center); Paulette Phlipot (bottom)

—

“I’m a Best Friend of the BTNF by recreating responsibly and respecting all closures, boundaries, and protocols at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. To be responsible when skiing in the backcountry, I’ve taken avalanche training, always carry a beacon, shovel, and probe, and ski with friends and partners I trust. Every time I ski, my goal is to make sure I’m around to ski another day.”

“I’m a Best Friend of the BTNF by respecting winter closures and being considerate, friendly, and polite to other users. I’m always willing to share the space and my knowledge with others—visitors and locals alike. It’s important that we all actively participate in responsible recreation, education, and safe backcountry travel protocol.”

— JESS MCMILLAN, ATHLETE AND JHMR’S DIRECTOR OF EVENTS AND PARTNERSHIPS AND BFF OF THE BTNF SINCE 1978

— CHRIS KITCHEN, KGB OWNER AND FILMMAKER AND BFF OF THE BTNF SINCE 2002

GRIFFIN KERWIN

@JACKSONHOLE

@KGB_PRODUCTIONS

BFFof t heBRIDGER-TETON NATIONAL FOREST “I’m a Best Friend of the BTNF by preparing myself for sidecountry ski adventures. I often have the pleasure of taking less experienced friends out and safety is my top priority. I carry a backpack with essential supplies that include a shovel, probe, and beacon—which I make sure is turned on—and I have the knowledge to use these tools. I also communicate our plan and check the avy report. Assuming nothing has changed from the day before is problematic and dangerous!”

“I’m a Best Friend of the BTNF by sharing all the Nordic/cross-country and winter trail maps, grooming information, and places to explore and have fun via human-powered recreation on the forest. I love to connect, inspire, and inform our community and visitors to enjoy the BTNF responsibly—to share the trails, respect wildlife, and plan and prepare for every adventure.”

— NANCY LEON, FOUNDER OF THE JACKSON HOLE NORDIC ALLIANCE AND BFF OF THE BTNF SINCE 2008

— LARRY HARTENSTEIN, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, SNOW KING MOUNTAIN, AND BFF OF THE BTNF SINCE 2000

Are you a BFF of the BTNF? Connect with us on Instagram — @bridgertetonfriends — and tell us why.

Friends of the Bridger-Teton works to ensure everyone can enjoy the diversity and wealth of resources on the 3.4 million acre Bridger-Teton National Forest now and into the future.

CT HOGAN

ANDREW SCHRUM

JHNORDIC.COM

Welcome to

A note from the EDITOR

Like all high school seniors, my daughter Olivia is teetering on the edge of becoming an adult (and the responsibilities that go along with that), while still holding on to childhood (and its safety net). We run up against it almost on the daily: Will taking calculus her senior year give her a one-up on college admissions? Should she really be staying out late on weeknights?

Can “balance” and “senioritis” truly go hand in hand? Parents of newborns, take note—all the sleepless nights you’re experiencing now, come back around again when your child becomes a teenager!

When Olivia was a baby, I joked about her taking the binky to college. She was just a touch premature, and in the NICU, the binky became her right-hand man. She still ended up successfully nursing (The struggle is real!), but we would not leave the house without a backup binky, and a backup to the backup, especially on long car rides. Well, she’s not exactly taking her binky to college, but she will take her nickname “The Binkst” (despite the way she cringes when her dad slips up on the soccer sidelines and cheers for her using that

Almost eighteen years of motherhood have taught me that, even when your kids become adults, you will never again view the world without the lens of “Mom.” Motherhood has been your number one job for what seems like an eternity—but it also goes WAY TOO FAST! From the motor skills milestones to the preteen drama, and the academic and sports accomplishments to the college application process, you’ve been (or will be) there the whole time, and sometimes at the expense of your own self-care. And, now what? (I think we’ll need to do an article on that topic soon.)

So, my apologies, I selfishly chose to disclude too much talk about parenting in this issue. (Don’t worry, we’ve got more on the docket for next time.) Instead, I wanted to tuck us all into winter with an edition dedicated to “projects”—the ones that distract us, if only for a second, from life’s fleeting timeline. I hope you’ll enjoy spending time reading stories about things like winter ranching, heirloom tableware, and coffee alternatives. As for me, I’m going to attempt to steal some time from my fast-paced senior in hopes she’ll make and enjoy a comforting winter soup with me (see page 30)—long before it’s time to make and freeze batches for her when she’s away at school next year.

Christina

Contributing WRITERS Molly

Absolon writes to support her outdoor habit.

She’d rather be hiking, biking, or skiing in the mountains than doing just about anything else. A former outdoor educator and current mother of a college kid, Molly lives in Victor, Idaho, with her husband.

Deb Barracato visited a friend

Kristine Kopperud is a writer,

in the Tetons more than thirty years ago and never left.

She appreciates the flexible lifestyle her remote work as a communications strategist, writer, and editor allows. Deb’s free time is spent building quality memories with her son, Nathan.

editor, and end-of-life doula in Florida, with a layover of nearly 20 years in local-foods farming in the Midwest. Many issues ago, she was a managing editor of Teton Valley Magazine and is now a contributor for Becoming Jackson Whole. Follow her at kristinekopperud.com.

Tibby Plasse moved to Idaho

Jenn Rein is a writer and content

Fresh, healing food and recipes continue to connect Paulette Phlipot to her Teton family and friends, no matter how many miles separate them.

She inspires wellness with her FoodAsArt® fine art photography and vivid photographs for editorial and commercial clients.

in 2006 after dropping out of a Ph.D. program to snowboard.

She found her way to Teton Valley and spent ten years dairy farming instead. Tibby lives at the base of the Big Hole Mountains with her son and two spoiled dogs and contributes to regional publications.

Samantha Simma migrated west

Cate Stillman guides a global

from Wisconsin in the pursuit of outdoor adventures. She’s the social media manager for New Thought Digital, and her writing appears locally in Grand Wedding and Jackson Hole Magazine. Samantha unplugs by heading into the wilderness with her pup, Timber.

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Teton Family ¤ Winter 2023/24

tribe towards better body and community health through yoga and Ayurvedic teachings.

Cate splits her time between Alta, WY, and Punta Mita, Mexico, while operating her wellness career and being a mom.

Explore her podcast and books at yogahealer.com.

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.

Lynne Wolfe

savors short Teton summers, but since she lives in Driggs, Idaho, where winter can last anywhere from six to nine months, she truly loves her skis and fat bike. She is a retired mountain guide and is the editor of The Avalanche Review.

Editor photograph by Rebecca Vanderhorst

endearing term).

Quite honestly, I haven’t had the emotional fortitude to write a meaningful editor’s note.

You see, I have a high school senior. And I warn you—mothers and fathers—all the emotions that come along with your baby soon leaving the nest can be overwhelming.

The Grand didn’t grow to 13,775 feet overnight.

The same goes for your money. Time helps you earn more and reap the most benefits.

Stay Invested.

(307)732-6652 • singletonpeeryfinancial.com 170 East Broadway, Suite 100D • PO Box 508 • Jackson, WY 83001 Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA/ SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. Singleton Peery Financial is not a registered broker/ dealer and is independent of Raymond James Financial Services.

tetonfamilymagazine.com @tetonfamilymagazine

Publisher Adam Meyer Editor Christina Shepherd McGuire christina@tetonfamilymagazine.com Art Director Samantha Nock Copy Editor Cherisé Forno Contributing Photographers Natalie Behring, Bradly J. Boner, Ryan Dorgan, Kristin Halsey, Unity Minton, Kisa Koenig, Julie Millard, Paulette Phlipot, Kayla Renie, Alison Brush Advertising Sales Karen Brennan, Tom Hall, Megan LaTorre, Tatum Mentzer, Tim Walker adsales@tetonmediaworks.com Ad Production Sarah Wilson, Lydia Redzich, Luis F. Ortiz, Heather Haseltine, Chelsea Robinson Distribution Jayann Carlisle, Oscar Garcia-Perez, Rulinda Roice

36 —

Kevin B. Olson, CEO 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. © 2023 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.

Moving & Storage Made Simple! www.summitself-storage.com 2 Convenient Victor Locations 8 years in a row!

6

New Driggs Location Opening November 2023!

Teton Family ¤ Winter 2023/24

Photograph by Ryan Dorgan

facebook.com/TetonFamilyMagazine

Welcome to Convenience.

Primed to provide high-quality and compassionate care for all stages in life, Teton Valley Health Care has two clinics — conveniently located near you.

Both accept walk-ins and offer personalized, unrushed appointments — whether these are physical exams, illness or injury care, or plain old wellness visits.

We accept all types of insurance. Plus, we’ve got bilingual providers and a financial assistance program, too.

Call now to schedule an appointment.

(208) 354-2383

We’ll make sure it’s completely tailored to you.

Comprehensive, easily accessible primary care.

That’s what we’re about.

TVHC – Driggs Health Clinic 283 North First St. Driggs, Idaho 83422

Hours: Monday - Friday, 8am - 5pm Pediatrician available on Wednesdays

TVHC – Victor Health Clinic 83 North Main St. Victor, Idaho 83455

Hours: Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm Closed from 1:15pm - 2pm Pediatrician available on Thursdays

FAT BIKING,

the Other Winter Sport

By Lynne Wolfe // Photography by Kayla Renie

I

moved to the Tetons for the powder skiing … but it doesn’t always snow.

singletrack and multiple-use trails, joined by friends eager for all levels of adventure.

January of 2017. Snowfall was meagre.

Skiing hurt my knees. So, when I was invited on a fat-bike ride by a friend, I was intrigued. Her loaner bike even had bar mitts, so my investment was minimal— cross-country ski clothes and some sturdy warm boots were easy to find in my closet.

And off we went into Teton Canyon.

So, I bought my first fat bike (which I quickly equipped with bar mitts). The Tetons have long been a hotbed for fat biking, so I was able to upgrade my bike via a lively market for used options.

After a few minutes riding the groomed trail, I realized that fat biking was just like “riding a bicycle,” and so much fun. The fat tires allowed for bouncy progress across the snow, removing the air as the trail softened.

And, using proper etiquette, we turned around once we started to leave shallow ruts.

In search of more challenging terrain, we headed south from the Teton Canyon winter parking lot to the Sheep Bridge Trail, which is user-compacted (snowshoers make great riding trails), rather than groomed by Teton Valley Trails and Pathways (TVTAP).

Its narrower and softer tread took a lighter touch to navigate, while deep snow on the side offered a soft consequence for falling.

The slower pace offered me an opportunity to soak in my silent, peaceful winter surroundings. And soon, I was hooked— another way to enjoy the long Teton winters!

Today, powder droughts lead me to explore the current plethora of local, fat bike-specific 8

Teton Family ¤ Winter 2023/24

Useful clothing was easy to source. My on-hand, calf-high winter boots with gaiters kept the snow out. I wore light layers and a windbreaker (on top and bottom), plus a puffy jacket for snack breaks and as a backup for harsher weather. Then, I packed accessories galore: light gloves sufficed for inside the bar mitts, a Buff and beanie for head gear, and spare gloves and a warmer hat, just in case. I tried not to overdress; careful layer management kept me warm, but not too warm. And I used a small daypack for my puffy and other necessities, so I didn’t need to buy anything.

Groomed trails make for the best fat-bike riding, so up-to-date information is key.

My first internet stops were the JH Nordic site (or app) and TVTAP website. Both boasted real-time condition updates and helpful overviews of maps, information, and agencies.

In Jackson, ride locations range from Cache Creek—with bike-specific singletrack groomed regularly by Friends of Pathways— to Forest Service roads, groomed through

FAT BIKE SALES AND RENTALS JACKSON HOLE • Teton Mountain Bike Tours tetonmtbike.com ¤ 307-733-0712 • Hoff’s Bikesmith ¤ hoffsbikesmith.com 307-203-0444 • Wheel Wranglers (with delivery) wheelwranglers.com ¤ 307-690-2799 • The Hub Bicycles ¤ thehubbikes.com 307-200-6144 • Hoback Sports ¤ hobacksports.com 307-733-5335 • REI ¤ rei.com/stores/jackson-hole/bike-shop 307-284-1938 • Turpin Meadow Ranch turpinmeadowranch.com/fat-tire-bike-rentals 307-202-5215

TETON VALLEY • Grand Targhee Resort grandtarghee.com ¤ 307-353-2300 • Habitat ¤ ridethetetons.com 208-354-7669 • Fitzgerald’s Bikes ¤ fitzgeraldsbicycles.com/ teton-valley ¤ 208-787-2453 • Wheel Wranglers (delivers in Idaho, too!) wheelwranglers.com ¤ 307-690-2799

PASSES AND SUPPORT (Most public trails are free, but donations are appreciated.)

•

Purchase a day or season Nordic pass to access Turpin Meadow (turpinmeadowranch.com) and Grand Targhee (grandtarghee.com) trails.

•

Donate to Friends of Pathways for enjoyment of the Cache Creek trails.

•

Grab a TVTAP trail sticker (plus, a “puppy pass,” if needed) to show your support of Teton Valley trails. tvtap.org/trail-stickers

•

Purchase an Idaho State Parks & Recreation “Trails Supporter” sticker. parksandrecreation.idaho.gov/ activities/biking/non-motorized-trails-sticker

llll.. . e tt wwehaarrdd. a EEa ay h PPllay

the Wyoming State Trails. Local favorites include Granite Creek, Gros Ventre Road, and a vast network of roads and trails on Togwotee Pass. Also consider Turpin Meadow Ranch, with bikes *Note: Grand Teton and to rent, and up to ten miles of Yellowstone National Parks groomed trails available with a do not allow fat biking on pass. the trails or roads groomed for Nordic skiing and snowmobiles. You can only ride on plowed roads.

In Teton Valley, Idaho, TVTAP and a cadre of enthusiastic volunteers maintain an extensive winter trail system. Grand Targhee grooms up to seven miles of bike-specific singletrack, but higher snowfall amounts can make it challenging to upkeep (always check trail conditions). Idaho State Parks & Recreation maps are available on their website, and local favorites include Darby Canyon and the Horseshoe to Packsaddle Road.

Riding with a dog requires a leash and good manners. Leashes are mandatory at all trailheads, while dogs are prohibited altogether on the Southern Valley Trails in Victor and at Grand Targhee Resort.

Fat-bike rentals are available on both sides of the hill. Most rentals come with helmets, but be sure to ask about locks, bar mitts, flat kits, and car racks. Wheel Wranglers will also deliver rental bikes to your Jackson or Teton Valley-based residence or lodging.

If you’re just getting started, begin by riding flat roads and trails, then, with gumption and practice, venture further onto groomed Nordic tracks. And, who knows? Soon you may find yourself training for the Fat Pursuit in Island Park, Idaho, a 60K or 200K winter bike-packing race that takes you into the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and far from civilization. tf

TRAIL MAPS •

Jackson Hole Nordic maps and grooming reports, jhnordic. com/best-fat-bike-trails-in-jackson-hole-and-teton-valley-id

•

Idaho State Trails interactive map, idaho.evtrails.com

•

Wyoming State Trails interactive map, wyo.evtrails.com

•

Teton Valley Trails and Pathways winter trails maps, tvtap.org/resources

•

Friends of Pathways Winter Grooming Trail Map, friendsofpathways.org/winter-grooming-trail-map

Shop Shop Small.

Small. Shop Shop Local.

Local.

OPEN DAILY 8am-7pm 36 36 South South Main, Main, Driggs, Driggs, ID ID •• 208-354-2307 208-354-2307

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Winter 2023/24 ¤ Teton Family

9

MEET YOUR MAKERS … DISTRICT

By Tibby Plasse // Photography by Kristin Halsey

T

he businesses that run along Lupine Lane at the north end of Victor have more than UPS drivers in common. This light industrial area is the base camp for independently owned, local businesses with nationally recognized products.

Hondo Miller bought High Range Designs in 2002. (The business was the first building built in the Teton Town Center Industrial Park in 1998.) Miller recalls what it was like just before Valley Lumber opened in 2003.

“I remember driving to Driggs a lot wishing there was a hardware store in Victor,” he says with a laugh. “When we moved [to the valley] in 2002, the Victor sign said 887 people.”

High Range Designs is a printing company that focuses predominantly on resort-inspired t-shirts, as the founder of the company was Lee Gardner, the owner of Lee’s Tees in Jackson. Miller still makes shirts for Lee’s and for Shirt Off My Back, while also supplying resort destinations around the country.

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Teton Family ¤ Winter 2023/24

The t-shirt company has since been joined by Miller’s spin-off company Laid-Back USA, a lifestyle apparel brand licensed by Ford and Chevy. On any given day, you may Corey McGrath drive by the shop and inspects a notice a 1969 Camaro knife for quality at or a 1949 Woodie New West's Wagon outside. The company’s annual car Victor showroom. show at the Victor City Park usually happens in the second half of July and is put on by the local LaidBack Car Club.

When Miller first bought the business, he was the only guy with an actual “shop” in this makers district, but a little more than a decade later, brands like Kate’s Real Food, Sego Skis, and Alpine Air Coffee Roasting have shipped pallets from different buildings around the hood (including from neighboring subdivisions, like the Sage Hen, where seemingly one out of every third person in Victor has taken up residence at one point in time).

These days the district is home to

Hondo Miller's laidback garage houses collectible cars in various stages of restoration. Next door, t-shirts line the shelves.

Give’r Gloves, Highpoint Cider, Franco Snowshapes, Laid-Back USA, New West KnifeWorks, photographer Andrew Weller, and, of course, the sometimes glue behind the projects, Valley Lumber.

“Our options were Alpine and Teton Valley,” says Alex Perez of Highpoint Cider.

“We were complaining loudly about needing space and weren’t quite ready to leave the Tetons.” He and his brother opened the Highpoint Taproom to showcase their three flagship fermentations in the summer of 2021.

“We met Mikey [Franco], and he mentioned that he was going in on a project on [the Idaho] side of the pass, which ended up being the building that we're in right now. And so, it was all kind of fortuitous,” recalls Perez.

New West KnifeWorks moved over the hill in 2019—during the winter, as Corey

McGrath, the operations manager, remembers it. Highpoint and Franco Snowshapes followed suit, relocating to the Victor neighborhood at about the same time as each other, beginning their build-out processes in 2021.

Mikey Franco experiments with burning gunpowder to make designs on his boards.

“There's a lot of good collaboration and tool borrowing or, ‘Oh, this person has expertise in that. Let's pop over there and see if they have an idea,’” says McGrath. “There’s a lot of sharing of ideas, especially between who's there now.”

New West KnifeWork’s Victor location includes a retail shop, as well as the only spot to get knives sharpened and pick up factory seconds from the artisan utensil company.

Give’r Gloves employs anywhere from five to twenty people, depending on the season. High Range and Laid-Back have forty-five year-round employees and twelve sales reps. Highpoint is up to eight people, and New West has around thirty-five employees at their Victor location.

“We have heard people call it the ‘Makers District,’ and it would be cool if that were a thing because there is a great synergy between all the businesses here,” says McGrath.

New West KnifeWorks, owned by Corey and Jess Milligan, used to operate out of a storage unit on Gregory Lane in Jackson before moving production across the state line.

“As is the story with a lot of folks…running out of space or kind of feeling like there's no way to continue onward…What’s cool here Winter 2023/24 ¤ Teton Family

11

is the amount of energy and the friendly neighborhood,” says Bubba Albrecht owner of Give’r Gloves, who recently annexed his company into the Idaho industrial park.

Give’r produces a lot of custom products, like shirts and gloves, for the neighboring businesses.

“It’s more like a collaborative village kind of mentality, where we help each other Brothers Andrew out,” he says. “And, and Alex Perez of you definitely know Highpoint Cider display their awards you have each other to on an old apple lean on when trying to press in the taproom. solve the challenges of growing a small business.”

Albrecht bought the former Wildwood Room’s eight thousand square-foot event space at the beginning of 2022 from Alice and Bill Boney.

Space is ultimately what unifies the businesses around this Victor intersection—everyone needed more of it: for their production lines, for receiving deliveries, and for having bays to send out orders (all needs not well met by most Main Street locations).

“We needed something a little bit

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Teton Family ¤ Winter 2023/24

more industrial, and it was great having a blank slate of a new build,” says Perez.

“We could spec in floor drains, electrical, and smaller stuff from the get-go, but it's been cool seeing other businesses pop up over here, too.”

thousand barrels of cider in 2023.

Highpoint has doubled its footprint since moving in and is on track to produce two

“If you're willing to build your business based on quality of life, rather than making

Miller says the key to making a business work in the Tetons is not found in the business plan, but rather in the lifestyle that the work helps manifest.

money, then you figure out how to make it work,” he says. “We just feel super thankful to be living in Victor and producing a product here that ships all over the country—a lot of these businesses are building their program to be that same thing.”

And Teton Valley residents certainly seem grateful too, that they can ride, sip, cut, and wear products that are 100 percent Teton-made. tf

STAY WITH US THIS WINTER! EXPLORE JACKSON HOLE & GRAND TARGHEE SKI RESORT!

WWW.TETONVALLEYCABINS.COM | (208) 354-8153 1 Mountain Vista Dr. Driggs, ID 83422

Winter 2023/24 ¤ Teton Family

13

Wellness WIRED

THE BEST ROOM IN DOWNTOWN DRIGGS Healing derived from quantum physics

By Cate Stillman // Photography by Alison Brush and Unity Minton

I

moved to Driggs in 1996. I was twenty-three; I wanted to become a natural healer. Teton Valley wasn’t exactly a hotbed of holistic wellness in 1996. But over the past two decades, the area has become a healing mecca. Today, we now have options and opportunities when it comes to how we heal and age.

By the way, I did become a natural healer. And then a few decades later, I also developed cancer. (I have a genetic syndrome, that dramatically increased the likelihood of developing the disease— to well over 50 percent before I was fifty.) But I didn’t know I had uterine cancer until after surgery and the biopsy.

circulation and oxygenation, which increases cellular energy to restore health and balance.

Dr. Jim wanted to try it out, so he found an EESystem™ room in Murray, Utah, and traveled there with his wife, Lora, his co-worker, Shalise, and a friend. Dr. Jim noticed he was more peaceful and relaxed once he emerged from the room. The group left excited to make it happen here in the Tetons. And then six months later, he opened an EESystem™ center in downtown Driggs.

Hardly Woo-Woo Wellness

At the age of seventy-two, Dr. Jim Davis is an aberration for his generation. Open-minded and exploratory of holistic and energy medicine systems, Dr. Jim has served our community as a chiropractor and homeopath for more than three decades.

The EESystem™ has been clinically studied (it’s basically quantum physics). The studies provide evidence of the potential of bio-scalar energy to boost human cell regeneration, immune function, and neurotransmitter function. Scalar waves can help eliminate and nullify the effects of disruptive frequencies in the body (think, electromagnetic cellphone radiation), while allowing optimization of cellular energy levels. This means EESystems™ may provide the environment for the body to heal itself, enhancing your health and overall well-being.

In August 2022, Dr. Jim watched an interview with Dr. Sandra Rose Michael, PhD, DNM, DCSJl. Dr. Michael developed (more than twenty years ago) a stunning technology that uses custom-installed computers to generate bio-active energy fields called “scalar waves.” When a person enters this wave field, their electromagnetic field becomes “excited,” improving the body’s

Using technology to heal isn't a new thing, but the field is currently exploding. Immune therapy and cancer healing centers in Mexico use a range of technologies—including BEMER (Bio-ElectroMagnetic-Energy-Regulation), hypothermia, HALO light therapy, Tesla MedBeds, and sound wave chairs—to promote the healing of autoimmune-diseased tissue and elimination of cancerous cells.

While healing, I looked around for options. How could I support this process? A few people asked if I’d been to Dr. Jim Davis’s new EESystem™ center called Scalar Life-Dynamic Healing in Driggs.

A Room that Vibrates

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Teton Family ¤ Winter 2023/24

Although the EESystem™ has been around since 1998, rooms like Dr. Jim’s were reserved only for the ultrawealthy. (Tony Robbins has a salt crystal room in his home, complete with the EE Scalar Life System. See his interview at scalarlife.com.) Dr. Jim’s room was the 46th installation worldwide, and now there are over 200.

The room is set up with two concentric circles of comfortable recliners, with room for thirteen people. You can buy an individual session, or a ten-session pass, on the website. Every hour, people come in carrying the stresses of life and leave feeling peaceful and rested.

Stenciled on the wall are words by Nikola Tesla, the inspiration for the Scalar Life System: If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency, and vibration.

The Tech “The room doesn’t cure you, but it creates an energetic environment that supports healing within your cells,” says Dr. Jim. The healthy cells of the body hold an electrical charge of seventy to ninety millivolts. Cancer cells, as an example, only have a charge of twenty to thirty millivolts. The EESystem™ can help restore the cells to their optimal charge (and keep them there). And the bio photonic light produced by the system can help rejuvenate cells for ideal functionality.

“This is a place where you can charge up your cells,” says Dr. Jim. “I don’t want to convince anyone it will work for them. But I do invite people to try it and see what happens.”

The scalar wave produced by the EESystem™ can be measured in a 2.2-mile radius. Silverstar’s 5G tower sits right next to Dr. Jim’s office (radiofrequency fields above 6 GHz—particularly the 5G mobile phone network— have created public concern about possible adverse health effects), yet the EESystem™ nullifies 5G and other potentially harmful frequencies.

A Healing Oasis “People are educating themselves and finding us,” says Dr. Jim. Soon after the room was up and running, a family from Montana wanted to use it as support for a member with breast • To book a session, visit cancer. The group scalarlife.com booked three hours one • For clinical studies, afternoon and another visit eesystem.com/research three the next day. They were going to book a hotel, but then Dr. Jim had the idea to install a Murphy bed at the center. Now, the family comes regularly for overnight stays.

To get your own healing started, arrive a few minutes early—not too hungry and not too full. If you prefer silence, darkness, or your own music, bring an eye mask and noise-canceling headphones, or a device with earbuds so you can listen to your own media.

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Exceptional care, personalized attention, and the highest levels of safety and expertise—all in the comfort of our serene, spacious suites overlooking the National Elk Refuge.

It's remarkable care and comfort, made for you and your baby.

Why Choose the Birth Center at St. John's Health: High Patient Satisfaction At the Birth Center at St. John's Health, we take pride in our outstanding patient satisfaction scores. We are committed to providing an experience that exceeds your expectations, ensuring your comfort and confidence throughout your journey to parenthood.

A Trusted Legacy With a long history of providing exceptional care in the region, we've become a cornerstone of support for families. In fact, half of our deliveries each year are to families who live outside of Teton County, Wyoming.

Expert Providers Board-certified OB-GYNs and certified midwife providers on our medical staff from Gros Ventre OB-GYN are currently accepting new patients for prenatal care, and look forward to delivering your baby at our award-winning Birth Center.

Continued Investment We are continuing to expand the physician staff for labor and delivery services, demonstrating our ongoing commitment to excellence and expanding the program to better serve you.

To learn more about the Birth Center at St. John's Health, please visit: www.stjohns.health/birthcenter or call: 307.739.6175 Winter 2023/24 ¤ Teton Family

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Select a chair, and relaxing music will be played during your session. Napping or meditating with Dr. Jim Davis (center) and your eyes closed is ideal. After your his staff invite clients to session, it’s important to use a sea salt "charge up their cells" in detox bath or foot soak to pull toxins their EESystem™ Room. from your body within twenty-four hours of your session.

Dr. Jim is excited to provide a room for people to help heal themselves. If you ask clients why they return, they simply say they feel better, more energized, and recharged.

I’m thankful for all the healers who have made Teton Valley their home. We all have more options because of their care and their investments in training and technology. Like me, you now have choices because of pioneers like Dr. Jim. I hope to see you there! tf

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Teton Family ¤ Winter 2023/24

Table TALK

(When grandma’s house is next door)

By Kristine Kopperud // Illustrations by Julie Millard

O

n a sunny Monday morning, Megan LaTorre, of Victor, nabs a picnic table in the Driggs City Park, a large summery “mom tote” over her shoulder, and a to-go carrier of steaming Rise Coffee House pick-me-ups in hand. Her kids, four-year-old Teagan and seven-year-old Taggart, are already running in wide loops ahead of her, racing each other to the play equipment.

“Scheduling fail,” she says, grinning, as she settles in. She’d been planning for the kids to start two separate outdoor camps that morning, but having registered (many) months in advance, the exact start dates had slipped her (usually bullet-proof) calendar.

Megan’s mom, Betsy Curfman, slides in next to her on the picnic bench and waves off any inconvenience.

She’s in full Grandma mode, with one ear tuned to intercept any kids’ bickering. She’s also wearing lace-up sneakers so she can hop up and respond when one child, or the other, has a new trick to show her on the jungle gym.

Together, mother and daughter are testing the “grandmother hypothesis,” a phenomenon coined by anthropologists in the late 1950s to explain an array of positive outcomes in cultures where young mothers traditionally lived close to their own mothers. (Grandfathers, we love you, too.) The proximity of “grandmothering” among the Hadza hunter-gatherers in Tanzania, for example, appeared to free up a young mother’s productive time and resources, which equated to greater prosperity and benefited her children’s health.

Anthropologist Kristen Hawkes, who has been studying Hadza

culture since 1997, noticed a correlation between how well children grew and their mother’s foraging work, until the mother had a second child. Then, the existing child’s growth correlated with “grandmother’s work,” Hawkes told Smithsonian Magazine. “There were the data right in front of us.”

In eras when just being a kid carried high morbidity due to disease and environmental danger, the presence of grandma’s supervision also significantly increased the likelihood of a toddler’s survival to age five (by 30 percent, in one study of Finnish state records between 1731 and 1895).

Finally, there’s evidence that taking “active responsibility” for grandchildren appears to keep a grandmother more active and stronger, positively impacting her healthspan.

Megan and her husband, Brad, moved to the Teton region in 2012, settling first in Jackson before they built their home in Victor and their kids were born.

“We were living on ‘Microsoft Lane’ in metro Seattle and just knew it wasn’t the place we wanted our kids to know as ‘home,’” Megan explains.

An experienced marketing and project manager, she started applying to jobs in mountain towns, eventually taking a position with Parks and Recreation in Jackson. When her kids were little, Megan pieced together freelance work as a social media/brand manager to stay home with them. She’s now a multimedia sales manager across the many channels of Teton Media Works, and post-COVID, she’s returning to a commute to her Jackson office, Winter 2023/24 ¤ Teton Family

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after years of working exclusively from home.

Enter Grandma Betsy and (Megan’s dad) Grandpa Greg.

Having visited Jackson on and off when the kids came along, they’re now building a retirement home adjacent to Megan’s family—a long evolution in an adventurous history of investment.

Since 2013, Betsy and Greg have owned and run a guest house in Nayarit, Mexico, during the winter, but now, the pull of the grandbabies has won. Together, both sets of parents are navigating the many benefits (and challenges) of living near each other for the first time since Megan left her childhood home in Kitsap County, Washington, for college.

“Parenting in your own house, with your own parents in your daily orbit is different,” Megan explains. “My dad, in particular, is famous for giving ‘advice,’ that isn’t quite how I’d put it,” she says with a chuckle. “As young as they are, my kids know not to repeat things as soon as they hear me say, ‘Oh, we don’t say that in this house.’”

Word choice aside, Megan explains that the financial benefit of having her parents next door is exponential. “It didn’t take long for us to acquire four horses [in addition to the requisite dog and other fringe benefits of rural homesteading], and it’s been hugely freeing to know we can leave for a family vacation and have familiar, reliable care for our stock.”

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Teton Family ¤ Winter 2023/24

She doesn’t discount day-to-day grand-sitting either. “Childcare is a game-changer. I’m still sort of stunned that babysitting is a $30.00 an-hour gig these days–when I remember making, like, $1.00 an-hour when I was a teenager,” she says, laughing.

But the going rate, multiplied by the time and fuel expense of driving over the pass for a nice dinner out, would give them pause. “Brad and I would look at each other and say out loud, ‘Is this a $300.00 evening?’ and often, the answer would be ‘No.’ But any young parent will tell you that never getting out of the house comes with consequences, too.”

There’s another bonus to grandparents next door, says Katherine Gulotta Ward, whose parents moved from the East Coast into the house next to her young family in Wilson in 2020. “It keeps ‘craft time’ off my kitchen counter,” she says with a laugh, explaining that her mom invites her girls, ages nine and four, to make “stuff” at least once a week, complete with all the paint, markers, glitter, glue, and confetti the craft aisle can muster. “Not a week goes by that my husband, Andy—who is one of the most patient and appreciative souls alive—doesn’t say at least once [just as the glitter-glue is about to cross the threshold], ‘No, no! Just keep that at grandma’s house.’”

It’s long been true that in many cultures, grandmothers are the keepers of traditional skills, stories, and rituals and pass them on to grandchildren, first as creative play and entertainment, then as

responsibilities and rites of passage when the kids grow older. For many First Nations, sacred ceremonies around harvest and seed saving are the province of the tribe’s grandmothers. In fact, the seeds themselves are acknowledged as “women.” Corn, beans, and squash, for example, are known as the Three Sisters for the ways in which they support and nourish each other when planted together.

to Jackson, was thrilled to discover that all parts of the family tree have sprouted independent friendships and hobbies. “We have dinner about once a week to connect and catch up,” she says, “but it’s just as often the case that if we ask off hand if my parents can watch the girls for an evening, they’ll politely sidestep—because they already have their own plans, and that’s 100 percent fine with us. They’ve really made some good friends in the community, and I’m happy for them.”

Katherine adds that having grandparents in their daily routine makes room for micro-memories at every turn. “My mom will buy the same book my older daughter is reading, and they’ll In many cultures, grandmothers take turns reading to each other over Facetime. They can look out the window are the keepers of traditional skills, and wave to each other, which might stories, and rituals and pass them seem a little strange, but it’s something on to grandchildren, first as creative they do, and my daughter loves it.

In the end, Megan and Betsy consider near-habitating a family tradition.

“When Megan and her sister were growing up, my parents were nearby, and our kids had multiple first cousins around,” Betsy says. “Celebrating family events on weekends and big family holidays was just the norm, and I wouldn’t trade them for anything.”

play and entertainment, then as “The other night, my mom called just as the kids were getting to sleep— responsibilities and rites of passage.

Ultimately, becoming mountain literally ringing all of our devices—to neighbors solved a probability problem get our attention to look out the window.

Betsy had been wrestling with. “If we At first, I was a little annoyed, but she was breathless with excitement didn’t make ourselves more available, chances are, we would only that there was a complete rainbow over our houses, and she didn’t see Megan and her family about once a year, due to distance and the want us to miss it.” expense of family travel—and that’s just not enough,” she reasons.

As in any good relationship, [Betsy explains] it pays to establish good communication and friendly boundaries. “When we’re not home or we need some space (or just a nap), we close our barn doors.

The kids can see that signal from their yard, and they know what it means. It works really well.”

Katherine, whose younger brother Brian is also a frequent visitor

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“We want to know these children, and have them know us,” Betsy concludes. “I have to believe that if family is a part of their life, it makes for better outcomes for all of us. Besides, there is absolutely nothing that makes me happier than seeing my grandkids running across the pasture in the morning—sometimes still in their pajamas—excited to see us.” tf

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In

SEASON

COFFEE ALTERNATIVES Diversifying America’s Favorite Morning Ritual

By Deb Barracato // Photography by Kisa Koenig (Rise Coffee House)

M

usic and laughter have both been called “a universal language,” but it may be the love of a morning cup of joe that actually draws Americans into an unspoken daily communion.

According to the National Coffee Association, an estimated twothirds of our adult population drinks coffee daily, with the National * Full disclosure: Two cups Institutes of Health tracking notably of fully caffeinated dark few demographic variations. But roast coffee went into the more and more people are seeking writing of this article. out coffee alternatives—whether to avoid caffeine, boost health, or simply satisfy a taste preference— making room for a new crop of beverages on grocery store shelves and coffeehouse menus across the country.

“If you’re one of the people [who] coffee doesn’t work for, then there are many delicious and good-for-you alternatives,” says Jessica Vandenbroeke, founder of Healthy Being Café and Juicery in Jackson.

Her menu includes a wide variety of black, green, and herbal teas, superfood lattes with organic dairy or homemade nut milks, and mushroom-packed brews. (Yes, mushrooms. Keep reading.)

The alt-coffee bandwagon might seem like a byproduct of the modern wellness movement, but people worldwide have been seeking alternatives since humans started cultivating coffee beans in Ethiopia during the 15th century. Coffee scarcity during World War II forced Italians to make the switch to roasted barley, and they still willingly drink caffé d’orzo today for its toasty, nutty flavor. A caffeine-free alternative, barley coffee might be your new go-to if you 20

Teton Family ¤ Winter 2023/24

cherish the brewing ritual but want to avoid the jitters. You can use any standard coffee preparation method—countertop drip, fancy espresso machine, French press, pour over, or moka pot. In Italy, it’s a popular evening dessert choice, even among those who also love their espresso. Though café d’orzo hasn’t caught on at coffee counters stateside, several grocery stores in the Tetons carry an instant version (find it in the coffee and tea aisle), while online retailers and specialty stores stock numerous varieties suitable for brewing. Search for the Crastan, Orzo Buono, or Worldwide Botanicals brands.

Perhaps even more like coffee (and often brewed together with coffee for a “café au lait,” in typical New Orleans-style), chicory stands in as another option for a caffeine-free hot beverage. An herbaceous weed related to dandelions, chicory traveled across the Atlantic with French colonists, explaining its long history in Creole cuisine.

The strong, bittersweet flavor of the roasted root provides a good backdrop for warming spices, such as cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg, for a chai-like concoction. The readily available Teeccino brand reads like a Dunkin Donuts lineup, with flavors such as French vanilla, chocolate raspberry, almond amaretto, and caramel nut.

Matcha, a fine powder produced mostly in Japan from shadegrown green tea, offers a caffeinated choice with a concentrated dose of the antioxidants found in loose leaf green tea. It also contains L-theanine, an amino acid shown in studies to reduce stress and prevent the caffeine jitters and crash that some people experience with coffee. Kisa Koenig, owner of Rise Coffee House in Driggs, serves a standard matcha latte with steamed milk, but she also makes a matcha lemonade for summer sipping.

Koenig thinks the actual beverage matters less than the social benefits. “People ‘meet for coffee’ not to just drink espresso,” she explains. The ritual “serves the function of slowing down our fastpaced lives and allows us to be more present, with ourselves and with others.” She recommends many alternatives, including her “hands-down” favorite: golden milk. She describes it as “delicious, comforting, and incredibly healthy,” with the anti-inflammatory combo of turmeric and black pepper, plus fresh ginger, orange peel, and warming spices in steamed milk.

And now onto mushrooms …

With nearly as many blends as Rhône-style wine, the “new” adaptogenic beverages—which call on thousands of years of wisdom from Eastern medicine—combine beneficial herbs and mushrooms, sometimes with actual coffee, and often with an underlying message of sustainability, social responsibility, and wellness.

Common brands such as MUD/WTR, Rasa, and Four Sigmatic contain mushrooms such as lion’s mane, cordyceps, chaga, skiitake, maitake, and reishi used in Ayurveda for their antioxidant, immunestrengthening, anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, and cognitionenhancing properties. Propriety blends may also include black tea, barley, chicory, burdock, cacao or carob, dandelion, ashwagandha, turmeric, and other botanicals. The adaptogens in these elixirs can help reduce the negative effects of stress, improve mood, and boost energy. While not necessarily caffeine-free (look for coffee, black tea, and cacao in the ingredients if you want to completely avoid it), they all claim to support the sympathetic nervous system.

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Taste profiles range from malty to nutty to chocolaty to a Play & Stay Overnight in Teton Valley. butterscotch flavor. Many carry an unmistakably earthy essence from the mushrooms; the fewer the ingredients, the more this comes through. Cacao-forward blends such as MUD/WTR make satisfying iced beverages, while Four Sigmatic and Rasa both infuse traditional coffee with mushroom extracts, marketing it as coffee that supports focus and concentration with sustained energy, rather than a caffeine jolt.

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Jennifer Rowntree, of Driggs, who studied mycology and was formerly an independent distributor of medicinal mushroom products, explains that, for her, the adaptogenic properties of the mushrooms counteract the unwelcome effects of caffeine, which can make her feel jittery, cause her heart to race, and result in a quick crash. She loves the taste of coffee, but stopped drinking it for many years because of this. She started enjoying it again when she discovered a brand of high-quality instant Arabica coffee with mushroom extracts about nine years ago.

“When I drink this coffee, as opposed to a regular cup of coffee, instead of being hit with a baseball bat, I get bonked with a down pillow,” she says. “It’s definitely a boost. It wakes me up, and I feel more focused, but I don’t get the jitters and racing heart.”

Winter 2023/24 ¤ Teton Family

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She emphasizes the importance of choosing quality organic products containing “mushroom extracts,” rather than “mushroom powder” or “ground mushrooms.” The latter may contain chitin, a substance found in the cell wall of fungi, which, unless it's cooked, is not easily digested by humans. So, consuming raw mushrooms can cause gastrointestinal distress, while also preventing the absorption of their beneficial compounds.

Vandenbroeke agrees on the importance of quality products.

“Be sure the brand you’re buying is sourcing the mushrooms and herbs ethically and not adding fillers and other junk,” she cautions. She recommends Anima Mundi and Host Defense as a couple of trusted favorites.

At Healthy Being, her menu includes a matcha latte and an adaptogenic Rasa latte made with cacao (containing five milligrams of caffeine per cup), or the caffeine-free herbal original.

She also blends a mix of adaptogenic mushrooms with Doma coffee, an ethically sourced product, for a wellness boost.

Unless climate change wipes out crops worldwide, coffee is probably here to stay. Beau Jacoby, owner of Barrels and Bins in Driggs, says people who want the alternative products search them out (he stocks them alongside his wide selection of teas), but sales of conventional coffee beans and products still far outpace the alternatives.

With the variety of options available, it doesn’t have to be an either/or—coffee comes with its own health benefits and many people feel fine after drinking it. Still, no matter your beverage of choice, local baristas want you to enjoy both the physical and mental wellness boost that comes from a delicious and healthy drink enjoyed with friends. tf

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Teton Family ¤ Winter 2023/24

STOP BY!

On the

FARM

The McCarty's docile Silver Fox buck is used to breed their does.

A RABBIT HOLE OF CUNICULTURE

By Jenn Rein // Photography by Natalie Behring

F

or centuries, rabbits have been hunted and raised for meat. As far back as the Roman Empire, evidence exists that rabbits were raised in large underground warrens. Warren licenses in medieval Europe were issued to both the aristocracy and to townships. This indicates that the meat was not reserved just for nobles but was available to the proletariat.

Modern agricultural practices in Europe, especially France and Italy, have kept rabbit in play in typical cuisine. Whole rabbits can be found next to chicken, at the local butcher, and in France, it is estimated that a rabbit a week is eaten in nearly every household.

Much like chicken, but with a tighter grain to the meat, rabbit tastes slightly sweeter. And the meat from this animal easily takes on flavor when cooked, making it the perfect inclusion to almost any recipe. It can be simply presented or elevated to haute cuisine.

Cuniculture—the raising of rabbits for meat—is not yet a widespread practice in the United States. Around the 18th century,

rabbits started becoming pets, as our country’s agricultural practices evolved to include chicken, beef, and pork. But rabbit meat is well worth exploring. It is very low in fat, cholesterol, and sodium, and high in easily digestible protein, calcium, B12, and phosphorus.

Due to the scarceness of rabbit’s availability in the U.S., the meat only really shows up in fine dining. But it’s gaining ground, as raising rabbits for meat is a relatively easy endeavor once a method is established. And if balance is struck between breeding and harvesting, eating this overlooked, yet valuable, protein source could be a regular part of life.

Hare Raising in the Tetons Justin McCarty, his wife, Kimberly, and their two kids live in Tetonia. The couple takes control of their food chain by using a shed to raise rabbits for meat. They are also avid gardeners, and Justin hunts both bird and deer to feed their young family.

Winter 2023/24 ¤ Teton Family

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McCarty seasonally sources feed—like alfalfa and meadow grass—from local farmers to feed his rabbits.

Rabbit became part of their regular menu two years ago. McCarty started raising purebred silver fox rabbits, and then shifted to the Rex New Zealand silver fox crossbreed. Once he was able to land on a breed that worked, his method of raising and harvesting the meat fell into place. This family of four now eats two rabbits a week.

“I, personally, would rather [raise rabbits] myself because I like to know how an animal is treated. I want to know what it was fed and how it was processed. It gives me peace of mind about the meat that my family is eating,” say McCarty.

The McCarty rabbit hatchery holds five doe rabbits, who each have the potential of birthing up to seven kits per litter. There is a thirty-day gestation period, and once birthed, the kits grow exponentially in a short period of time. McCarty harvests the meat between the ages of ten to twelve weeks. All five of his does are never in play at the same time.

“After birthing, they are gaunt and tired. This period requires rest.

I only have two to three of the mamas active at once,” he explains.

Hanley features rabbit on his menu each season. At the time of this writing, the offering happened to be rabbit enchiladas.

“We used one of Justin’s rabbits to test the recipe. We braised it, shredded it, and created the enchiladas.” explains Hanley.

Hanley’s source for the daily Forage menu, however, is D’Artagnan, a meat distributor that specializes in game, duck, and poultry. With the philosophy that, food raised right tastes better. The company is committed to humane practices and chooses its partnering farms based on this standard. Farm partners do not use antibiotics or hormones in the raising of the animals that are harvested for their meat.

“I consider rabbit a gateway meat for people who feel comfortable with chicken or white meats. This is where they can venture into the game realm. Rabbit isn’t over-farmed, and we’re not throwing rabbits in cages like we are with chickens,” Hanley explains.

As far as flavor is concerned, he is specific. “A rabbit has fast-twitch muscles and more fat running through the grain of the meat. It’s not a fatty meat per se, but it eats that way, like thigh meat on a chicken.”

Achievable Agriculture 101

McCarty’s proficiency at raising and harvesting rabbits for meat is part of a pragmatic approach to sustaining his family. The McCartys often dine on fresh produce long before the short Teton growing season is in full swing, all thanks to rabbit excrement.

The USDA does not consider rabbit a livestock. As a result, there are no licenses or permits required to raise rabbits for meat. When performing research on the topic, you’ll find only a dozen rabbit breeds are appropriate for food consumption. However, there are many more breed-specific rabbits that are meant for keeping as pets.

“The practicality of raising rabbits is enormous. They don’t need a ton of hay, the feed bags aren’t that big, and the cages aren’t huge.

I put their manure in hot boxes, cover it with dirt, and during early spring when it starts to heat up and get wet, it extends our growing season,” says McCarty.

Some sites report that keeping a rabbit as a pet is a highmaintenance pursuit. Rabbits raised for meat, however, are kept differently, and the process of raising and butchering the animal requires consistency and planning. Once a method is established and maintained, it’s not a complicated endeavor.

Culinary Versatility At Forage Bistro & Lounge in Driggs, chef and owner Christian 24

Teton Family ¤ Winter 2023/24

A mother rabbit’s gestation is thirty days. Once her kits are born, the stages of growth start to align quickly with culinary use:

•

A “fryer,” or young rabbit, refers to a rabbit that is eight to ten weeks old.

The flesh is tender, fine grained, and a bright pearly pink color. These rabbits are prepared in the kitchen in the same way as young poultry.

•

The term “roaster” or “mature rabbit” refers to a rabbit This one-week-old that is ten to bunny will grow twelve weeks old. five pounds in eight The flesh is firm weeks, making it a and coarse-grained, viable food source. and the muscle fiber is slightly darker in color and less tender. The fat may be creamy in appearance, in comparison to that of a fryer. This stage of rabbit is often prepared on the grill.

•

Similar to chicken, the meat of larger, older rabbits becomes tougher, so the best methods of cooking are braising and stewing. The McCarty family uses large roaster rabbits in “Sardinian Hare Stew,” a recipe developed by Hank Shaw, a James Beard Awardwinning author and chef. (You can find the recipe at honest-food.net/harestew-hard-times.)

If you’re up for trying your taste for rabbit, an online menu search unveils several regional restaurants that serve rabbit as an entrée. Local Restaurant and Bar in Jackson has a rabbit pasta dish on their dinner menu. Other area

establishments consistently serve rabbit options as “game meat.” And don’t forget Forage’s delicious rabbit enchiladas!

Dining on rabbit is not outside the realm of possibility here in the Tetons and is definitely worth seeking out. tf

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Slow HOME

POINTS TAKEN In pursuit of Wyoming’s antler sheds

By Samantha Simma // Photography by Bradly J. Boner

E

ach spring, antler enthusiasts descend on Jackson Hole for what has been referred to as the “Super Bowl of Antler Hunting” during the annual shed-hunting season opener. This event draws hunters from all over the state and the country to the public lands surrounding the National Elk Refuge in pursuit of newly shed elk antlers. For many, shed hunting is more than a one-day event— it’s also a sport and a source of income—adding extra incentive to enjoy the area’s public spaces.

Simply put, shed hunting is the act of searching for, and hopefully collecting, antlers that have naturally fallen off members of the Cervidae family of mammals. These animals include elk, caribou, 26

Teton Family ¤ Winter 2023/24

moose, and deer. Of these species, the males generally grow and shed antlers, although female caribou do too.

The Science Behind the Shed Antlers are made of bone, much like an extension of the animal’s skeleton. As one of the fastest growing animal tissues on the planet, antlers may grow up to an inch per day. A new set is grown each year prior to the breeding season, or rut. Immature antlers go through a phase in which they are covered in fine hair. This hair, or velvet, provides blood supply to the bone, enabling its growth. Shortly before or during the rut, the velvet dries out and the animal rubs it off to expose a bone-like surface. The color of the antler is largely dependent

on the type of vegetation the animal uses to rub off its velvet.

Antler size is directly related to the animal’s health. Healthy males produce the largest sets of antlers, as a substantial caloric intake is required to sustain vigorous growth. As the animal ages, mass is added to the structure of their antlers, so the mass of shed horns can indicate both the age and health of the animal. (A concave base, or pedicle, may indicate high levels of stress.) Unless injured, an animal’s antlers have a similar formation each year. If the antlers become damaged due to injury during their growth, a new configuration results, one which many animals retain in future grow-outs.

Once a set of antlers is fully grown, they serve as an attractant to mates, as well as a line of defense against competitors and predators during breeding season. After the rut, the male cervids experience a dramatic drop in testosterone, resulting in the breakdown of the cells responsible for antler growth. The antlers fall off naturally between December and March, depending on the region. Animals with the largest horns usually shed theirs first, and then the pedicles (the spot where the base connects to the skull) must heal. This usually takes one to two weeks, before the next set of antlers begins to grow.

When Nature Becomes Sport The sport of shed hunting is an annual ritual for most antler enthusiasts. In earlier times, shed antlers were collected by Native Americans to be made into tools and weapons. Today, the pursuit is far more recreational, providing a unique keepsake for some, and a supplemental income for others. The highest quality antlers are often used to make furniture, décor, and jewelry. Lower quality sheds make great dog chews. Big game hunters also shed hunt to learn about the health and behavior of their prey, aiding their strategy for future hunting seasons. There’s also a large portion of antlers that are sold to buyers in Asia, where antlers are used for medicinal purposes and medical research.

The sport’s ever-increasing popularity has led wildlife and public land management agencies to regulate the collection of antlers due to illegal activity. In 2009, Wyoming's legislature made the determination “to regulate and control the collection of shed antlers and horns of big game animals for the purpose of minimizing the harassment or disturbance of big game populations on public lands west of the Continental Divide any time between January 1 and May 1 of each year.”

A news release from the Bridger-Teton National Forest stated: Winter 2023/24 ¤ Teton Family

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“When visitors enter closed winter range, they can cause animals using the area to become stressed or flee to new locations. This retreat requires animals, especially ungulates like deer, elk, and moose, to use energy stores they need to survive. This leads to a weakened condition, which can have a direct effect on the animal’s ability to defend itself, making it more susceptible to predation and disease. Additionally, these stressors can lead to future reproduction problems which can adversely affect the overall population size.”

Timing is Everything The exception to the winter range timeline occurs exclusively on Jackson’s National Elk Refuge. Here, an annual special-use permit obtained by the Jackson District Boy Scouts (grandfathered in during 1966) permits scouts to collect horns from the National Elk Refuge, with assistance from refuge staff members, in late April.

The horns they collect are then auctioned during the annual Elk Fest, which has net over $200,000 in antler sales in recent years.

Of those proceeds, 75 percent are invested back into the elk refuge, while 25 percent help fund scout troops across western Wyoming.

The National Elk Refuge—which includes 24,700 acres and is the winter home for 5,000 to 7,000 Rocky Mountain elk—might be considered the antler capital of the United States. As such, the opening day of antler season for the public has evolved into quite the spectacle. In years past, the season would open at midnight, and shed hunters armed with flashlights and headlamps would illuminate the backdrop of the refuge until the sun rose. However, incidents that included backcountry fistfights and horses being 28

Teton Family ¤ Winter 2023/24

swept downriver, led to a more coordinated effort.

Jess Laughter prepares to decapitate a winter-killed bull elk she found on the banks of Upper Flat Creek. Laughter and her husband, of Idaho Falls, have been regular participants of the antler hunt on opening day for the past half-dozen years.

In 2020, the chaos of the midnight opener carried over, even though the start time shifted to noon.

Confusion ensued that year, as the antler hunt technically opened at noon, but the forest service still lifted winter wildlife closures at midnight. In 2021, Wyoming Game and Fish changed the start time to 6 a.m., and the Bridger-Teton National Forest followed suit, lifting winter closures simultaneously.

Given the popularity of the shed hunt in Jackson, it has become increasingly necessary for local agencies to get involved in the regulation of the season’s opening day. The 6 a.m. opening on May 1, for lands surrounding the National Elk Refuge, has remained in place, but local law enforcement has instituted a draw system that grants shed hunters a position in a queued lineup for the Elk Refuge Road (the access point for these public lands).

During the 2022 opener, the Jackson Police Department estimated that between 250 and 275 cars joined the coordinated lineup, with nearly ten individuals in some vehicles. A similar system remained in place for 2023, a year when Teton County was the only county in Wyoming to allow shed hunting at the usual May 1 opener, whereas the surrounding counties pushed their season start date to May 15. This was a result of an emergency rule signed by Governor Mark Gordon and Ralph Brokaw, president of the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission, after evaluating the impacts of a particularly

Mental Health Services for Adults, Children & Families, including:

harsh winter on wildlife.

Antler hunters lounge in the mid-morning sun with their bounty. A majority of the vehicles at the Flat Creek trailhead bore out-of-state plates, but next year's May 1 shed opener will be restricted to Wyoming residents for the first seven days.

Now, for the first time, in 2024, Wyoming residents will get a head start on the hunt. Going forward, residents will be allowed to start antler collection efforts on May 1, while nonresidents will have to wait until May 8. Nonresidents will also be required to purchase a conservation stamp to legally shed hunt on public lands. tf

A BEGINNER’S DOS & DON’TS DO start antler collection on May 1 at 6 a.m. if you are a Wyoming resident.

DO purchase a conservation stamp to start antler collection on May 8, if you are a nonresident.

DO have the proper hiking gear before heading out to look for sheds. This includes a GPS, hiking shoes, layers, plenty of water, and a backpack for carrying found sheds.

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DO respect public lands and the wildlife that inhabit them—make sure to leave no trace.

DON’T gather horns or shed antlers January 1 through April 30 on Wyoming public lands west of the Continental Divide. It’s illegal, and violation will result in strict penalties. (At the time of publication, there was no regulated season for shed hunting in Idaho. Still, abide by strict winter range closures when venturing out.)

DON’T lose control of your dogs. Dogs can be helpful during a hunt, but uncontrolled pets can disturb wildlife.

Make sure your dog is well trained.

DON’T encroach on other hunters. If you come across fellow hunters, respect their space by choosing another location to hunt. Congregating in one area can stress wildlife.

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mentalhealthandrecoveryjh.org 24 hour crisis line: 307.733.2046 640 East Broadway, Jackson Winter 2023/24 ¤ Teton Family

29

Classic Soups –With a Twist

F

By Christina Shepherd McGuire // Photography by Paulette Phlipot or me, hearty winter soups bring back childhood memories of cozy Sunday nights and football games. With each spoonful of goodness, I can hear the announcers’ voices and the cheers from the crowd. I imagine orange and yellow leaves on the ground, or the very first snowfall, and the feel of family nestled around the kitchen enjoying a from-scratch meal.

Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Pot Pie (Bott Boi) (Like my mother used to make)

—

Serves 6, with leftovers

—

For this recipe, you can make your own egg noodles (like the Pennsylvania Dutch), or add cooked or fresh homemade lasagna noodles for a simpler hack.

—

FOR THE BROTH: 1 1 2 2 2

2 2 4

4- to 5- pound whole roasting chicken yellow onion, quartered cloves garlic stalks of celery, cut in quarters large sprigs flat leaf Italian parsley, chopped, plus two tablespoons for garnish sprigs fresh thyme bay leaves quarts water Salt and pepper to taste FOR THE NOODLES:

3 1 2 2/3

cups unbleached white flour teaspoon salt large eggs cup whole milk FOR THE SOUP:

2

3 3

Reserved broth Yukon gold potatoes, peeled, halved, and sliced 1/4-inch thick carrots, peeled and sliced stalks of celery sliced, (without leaves) Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish Sprinkle of red pepper powder (like Piment d'Espelette) Sea salt and pepper to taste FOR THE BROTH:

1.

Place chicken, onion, garlic, celery, sprigs of parsley and thyme, bay leaves, and water in a large stockpot.

Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a rolling simmer and cook for about one hour until the chicken is done.

2.

3.

Add the homemade noodles a little at a time, stir and simmer for 8 minutes or until noodles taste done (al dente). Or, add cooked packaged noodles and simmer until warm.

Once cool, pull the meat from the bones and shred it.

FOR THE NOODLES:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Lightly flour a large cookie sheet and set aside.

Add flour, salt, and eggs to the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until a dough forms.

Drizzle in 2/3 cup of milk with the mixer running. (Add more milk if crumbly.)

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and sprinkle flour on top of the dough and onto a rolling pin.

Roll the dough to 1/8-inch thick, keeping it in a rough rectangle.

Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut the dough into 1- to 2-inch squares, then transfer the dough to the floured sheet pan. (Lightly flour in between rows)

* Alternately, cook one package of lasagna noodles in boiling water until slightly underdone, strain and toss with olive oil.

FOR THE SOUP: 1.

2.

3.

Bring the reserved stock to a low boil. Add the vegetables and chicken.

Add the homemade noodles a little at a time, stir, and simmer for 8 minutes or until done (al dente). If using prepared lasagna noodles instead, add to pot and simmer just to soften and heat through.

Add salt and pepper to taste and top with fresh parsley before serving.

*Recipe adapted from thecozyplum.com.

Winter 2023/24 ¤ Teton Family

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Roasted Tomato Basil Soup with Coconut Milk (Dairy-Free) Serves 4

—

This version of tomato basil soup puts an Asian-fusion twist on things and can be made vegan by adding vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.

—

FOR THE ROASTED TOMATOES: 3 6 3

pounds Roma tomatoes, cut in half garlic cloves, peeled tablespoons olive oil FOR THE SOUP:

1 1 3/4 1 1/2 2 1/3

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

tablespoon olive oil yellow onion, chopped cup fresh basil, chopped, plus more for garish teaspoon fresh thyme teaspoon fresh oregano salt and pepper, to taste cups chicken or vegetable stock cup full fat coconut milk, plus more for drizzling Crusty croutons (store-bought or homemade)

Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the tomatoes cut side up on the baking sheet, add the peeled garlic, and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 40 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for about 3 to 5 minutes.

Stir and add the basil, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper, stock, and coconut milk. Lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and add the roasted tomatoes and garlic. Cool slightly before using an immersion blender to purée the soup. Alternatively, use a blender or food processor.

Return the soup to the pot, reheat, and serve, topped with a drizzle of coconut milk, chopped fresh basil, and crusty croutons.

*Recipe adapted from withsweethoney.com.

A few regular recipes fell into rotation back then, including Chicken Pot Pie, a Pennsylvania Dutch rendition of a homemade chicken noodle soup. Unlike the American flaky crust variety, Lancaster County “pot pie” was originally made from leftovers served in a broth with homemade egg noodles. It was named “bott boi” by the German and Swiss immigrants who settled the region and spoke Deitsch, a dialect of German. Later, English speakers like my parents who grew up in southeastern

32

Teton Family ¤ Winter 2023/24

Pennsylvania, morphed the name to “pot pie” or “slippery noodle pot pie,” as some referred to the dish. So, I never really knew of the crusted variety until I tasted its goodness as an adult.

Like me, most families rely on classic soup recipes to warm the winter soul and bring a touch of nostalgia into the home. Whether it’s your grandmother’s chicken soup recipe, or Uncle Larry’s famous tomato bisque with

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Obstetrics & Gynecology Family Care, Men’s Health & Pediatrics grilled cheese (perfect for a Super Bowl party), soups and memories go hand in hand.

That’s why I thought it might be nice to take recipes that conjure memories and give them a little twist. Let’s add lasagna noodles to the chicken soup, coconut milk to the tomato bisque, and shiitakes and brie to a classic potato and leek offering for an out-of-the-box rendition of what grandma used to make. tf

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Winter 2023/24 ¤ Teton Family

33

Chunky Potato Leek and Shiitake Soup (with Brie Toast) Serves 6

—

Sometimes you want a little substance in a puréed soup. That’s why I added shiitakes and brie toast and decided not to blend the entirety of the ingredients.

—

FOR THE SOUP:

*Toast recipe adapted from tasteofhome.com.

6 1/2 1/2 1/4 2 1 1½

4 1/2

2

medium leeks (white portion only), thinly sliced pound fresh shiitakes, sliced teaspoon dried tarragon teaspoon ground pepper tablespoons butter, softened, divided garlic clove, minced pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes cups chicken broth, plus more, if needed cup heavy whipping cream Salt and pepper to taste tablespoons fresh chives, chopped, for garnish FOR THE TOAST:

12 2

2 8

34

slices 460 Bread baguette tablespoons olive oil Salt and pepper tablespoons butter ounces Brie, cut into 1/4-inch slices

Teton Family ¤ Winter 2023/24

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

In a stock pot, sauté the leeks, mushrooms, tarragon, and pepper in 2 tablespoons butter for 8 to 10 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are done.

Remove from heat, ladle out one large scoop of potatoes and mushrooms and reserve. Stir in cream.

Using an immersion blender, purée the soup. Alternatively, use a blender or food processor. Place the reserved potatoes and mushrooms back into the soup and stir. Reheat on low.

Preheat the oven to 325° F. Place bread slices on an ungreased baking sheet. Drizzle both sides with olive oil and salt and pepper. Bake for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until toasted. Remove from oven.

Turn oven to broil. Spread one side of each slice with melted butter. Place Brie on buttered side of toast.

Broil toast 6 inches from the heat until cheese melts (about 1 minute).

Ladle the soup into bowls, place 2 pieces of toast in each bowl, and top with chives.

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OVERWINTER

RANCHING

a ta l e of “ga m e on” i n th e offs e ason

“W

By Molly Absolon // Photography by Ryan Dorgan

inter is the easiest time of year, until it’s the hardest,” says Corinne McAndrews, the owner of Late Bloomer Ranch near Driggs.

“It will be low-key, just feeding, mucking stalls, etc. and then we get a blizzard.

Suddenly, fences are buried, the water freezes, the plow breaks, and it’s game on.”

In the United States, books and movies have created an image of ranch life that shows ranchers hunkering down in the winter. It’s the time they get to sit around the fire, bake

bread, and play music, and certainly some of that goes on in ranch houses around the Tetons once the snow starts to fly in the fall.

But animals always need food and water, regardless of the weather, and that means hours of work for their owners, even when it’s cold and dark outside.

To the layperson, winter can seem brutal for livestock living in the Tetons.

Temperatures here are cold and the snow gets deep. It’s easy to anthropomorphize when you catch sight of a sheep, cow, pig, or horse standing in a field—its butt to the wind and its back covered with a dusting of snow— and think the animal must be miserable, but area ranchers say their livestock are well suited for the temperatures.

“Our animals are bred to withstand the cold,” McAndrews says. McAndrews raises

pigs, sheep, and chickens on her farm.

“Take the pigs. They don’t mind the cold.

They have two inches of fat on their bodies.

They like to sleep in a big pig pile on top of each other. When they’re in a pile, they send off a geyser of steam into the cold air.”

Bill Cawley, who’s been the ranch manager at the Walton Ranch near Jackson for fifty years, says the hair on cows mats up like felt in the winter, producing a thick, warm coat. Like pigs, cows bunch up for warmth, taking turns rotating back and forth from the outside of the group, where temperatures are colder, into the center to get warm.

Cawley says the stories of large groups of animals piling up against a fence in a blizzard and dying in large numbers is something that happens on the Great Plains.

He’s never seen anything like it around Winter 2023/24 ¤ Teton Family

37

38

Teton Family ¤ Winter 2023/24

Jackson, even when temperatures plummet well below zero.

“We just don’t get that kind of wind,” he says.

“

But while winter weather conditions are manageable for area livestock, the lack of forage is not. Buried beneath several feet of snow for months on end, the grass and alfalfa that keep animals going all summer are inaccessible in the winter, which means the main business of winter ranching is feeding.

“Back in the early days, we fed using horse-drawn sleighs,” Cawley says. “We’d get up in the morning, harness the horses, load up the hay, and go feed. It usually took a couple of hours, then we’d have lunch, and it would be time to feed again.”

having a little time off to recreate, as well as to spend with family and friends, it makes sense to ease off for the winter months. But easing off still means five or six hours a day spent feeding, usually by headlamp in subfreezing temperatures and knee-deep snow.

Konrath and Farmer stumbled upon their goat farm serendipitously right as COVID began to shut down the country. Konrath had fallen in love with goats after she went to a baby goat snuggling session in Virginia near where she was living. She’d been stressed out by work and was looking for something to soothe her soul when she first heard about cuddling baby goats. A few hours spent with the babies revived her and won over her heart. For a few years, she returned every spring to get her goat fix.

These days, the Walton Ranch uses tractors for winter feeding, an improvement that Cawley says saves a lot of time and physical labor. Feedings no longer consume the entire day, so his team is freed up to get to the “When we are in need of projects deferred from summer, when time is in short supply. assistance, people help “Winter is the time for feeding, but it’s also the time to repair equipment, clean the barns, and plan for the summer,” Cawley says.

out. That’s especially important in the winter.

It’s a testament to the kind of community we have here.”

As she and Farmer began planning their future together, they jokingly talked about how fun it would be to get married on a goat farm. Then Konrath saw a Facebook ad offering a goat farm in Teton Valley for sale. A few months later, she and Farmer made their way to Idaho and began their life as goat farmers. They’ve been at it for three years, and now have a daughter, Nora, who was born this spring.

At Winter Winds Farm, a goat farm in Teton Valley that specializes in handcrafted goat cheeses, Jessica Konrath — Jessica Konrath, Winter Winds Farm “Winter is definitely slower and Mark Farmer made a for us,” Farmer says, “but we still have to feed twice a day.” conscious decision to stop milking in the winter.

“It’s important for our quality of life,” Konrath says. “Plus, we want to give the goats a break. It’s really hard on them to be pregnant or lactating all the time.”

“When I think about old-time dairy farmers milking twice a day, 365 days a year—milking even on Christmas, New Year’s, and all the holidays—I’m in awe,” she says.

Farmer says there is also a logistical reason for stopping milk and cheese production in the winter. One of the by products of cheesemaking is wastewater. In the summer, that water can be used to irrigate the fields. In the winter, Winter Winds would need to put it in a holding pond to meet environmental regulations. Given that Konrath and Farmer both work remotely full time to supplement the farm, and that they enjoy

One day, the couple got trapped in Jackson after all the passes into Teton Valley closed due to stormy weather. A neighbor noticed they weren’t around and called them, offering to feed their goats until they could get home.

“We have the best neighbors we could ask for,” Konrath says.

After big storms, when simply getting to the goat pens to feed can be a challenge for the couple, their neighbors often help plow out the farm with their tractor and snowblower.

“It’s a testament to the kind of community we have here,” Konrath says. “When we are in need of assistance, people help out. That’s especially important in the winter.”

The end of winter can come as early as April, but more

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: ◊ Bill and Carol Cawley have called the Walton Ranch home since 1971 and have managed its operations since 1985.

◊ Jessica Konrath heads back home after finishing late-winter morning chores at Winter Winds Farm.

◊ Winter Winds goats keep warm inside a shed on the Teton Valley farm.

◊ Pete Linn puts hay out for the elk that enjoy wintering on his family's Teton Valley ranch before feeding his horses.

◊ A mother cow and her newborn calf in April on the Walton Ranch.

Winter 2023/24 ¤ Teton Family

39

often, it lingers until June in the Tetons, which means another winter challenge comes when baby animals are born. At the Walton Ranch, calving typically occurs in April. Cawley says his assistant checks on the cows every couple of hours, day, and night, during calving season.

“The cows do pretty well on their own with calving as long as it’s not too cold,” Cawley says. “But when you get those cold snaps—negative 20s say—unless the mother is really good, you have about fifteen minutes before the calf freezes to death. We put them in the tractor bucket and try to get them to the barn as quickly as possible, but sometimes it’s not quick enough.”

McAndrews also points to the quality of the mothers when she discusses birthing season at Late Bloomer. Her goal is to have hardy stock that can give birth with a minimal amount of human intervention, but sometimes the odds are stacked against the moms.

“We’ve used heat lamps to help,” McAndrews says. But she adds that she has to have a thick skin.

“Some babies just don’t thrive; some mothers don’t have what it takes to raise healthy, strong young, especially in the cold,” she says.

“Those animals may die. It’s just part of life on the ranch.”

As winter finally gives way, chores on the ranch shift. At Winter Winds, the first real sign of spring is the farm’s annual baby goat snuggling day, a tradition Konrath and Farmer have continued from their initial introduction into the world of goats back east.

At all area ranches, the big change comes when the grass greens up and suddenly feeding is no longer their number one priority. What that priority becomes depends on the weather and the animals, but regardless, it means work on the never-ending ranch life schedule. tf 40

Teton Family ¤ Winter 2023/24

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: ◊ Mother cows and their newborn calves feed as snow falls in late winter on the Lockhart Ranch. ◊ Casey Stockhausen and Tsali Franklin bottle feed calves in a Walton Ranch barn. ◊ Bill Cawley sits in his trusty ranch pickup. ◊ Ed and Casey Stockhausen tag the ear of a newborn calf as day breaks on the Walton Ranch.

Ed does midnight and 5 a.m. rounds to check on the herd during late-winter calving. ◊ After pulling a sleigh to feed the herd, Bill and Darrell are rewarded with treats from Pete Linn at Linn Canyon Ranch. ◊ Newborn goat kids find their places inside the barn at Winter Winds Farm. ◊ Jessica Konrath attends to her morning chores by headlamp at Winter Winds Farm.

�

A Piece to Call Your Own Heirloom metals find their place at the table

42

�

Teton Family ¤ Winter 2023/24

C

Written and Photographed

by Paulette Phlipot an the dinnerware on a holiday table be equally important as the food? Without a doubt!

Choosing your serving vessel is as much of an art as selecting and making the food.

From pumpkin-colored and shaped bowls, to sparkling red plates adorned with holly leaves and snowflakes—the storefront options become more expansive every year. Still, family heirlooms, made from silver, copper, and stainless steel, give that same festive vibe, while also honoring age-old tradition.

My love of cooking and entertaining naturally led me to develop an appreciation for family cookware and tableware. My mother-in-law holds the same sentiment and helped me build my collection by gifting me heirlooms throughout the years.

Each item she gifts is always carefully wrapped and comes complete with a small note telling me who owned it and how each family used the special piece or collection. She always urges me to use the items—not to just store them away—so I’ve honored this request, bringing little pieces of history to our family’s table.

We’ve incorporated these treasures into our weekly routine (they’re not just for special occasions), making me realize the importance of proper care, as well as understanding the unique properties and benefits of each metal. Knowing the makeup of these vessels got me wondering about their health and safety, too, and led me to appreciate the importance of choosing the right type of metal for the correct purpose.

Sterling Silver

Heirloom tableware passed down through generations— or scored via secondhand shopping—almost always includes sterling silver. Whether tarnished with a matte finish, or polished to a high shine, silver looks stunning on any dinner table. It’s strong and durable, and with regular care and cleaning, it can last for generations, making silver a wise choice for families to hand down. The most common way to bring sterling silver to a table is through the silverware. This instantly gives your spread a sophisticated, elevated look.

Sterling is also beneficial to eat from due to its antibacterial properties. Before the days of modern refrigeration, sailors used to throw silver coins into milk to keep it from spoiling on long journeys. In the 14th century, European households used silver utensils to eat their meals. And by the 17th century, “silverware” had become a status symbol, with elaborate sets of utensils and serving pieces reserved for the wealthy and noble.

Silver has oligodynamic properties (its metal ions inhibit the growth of microorganisms), too, combatting mold, viruses, and fungi, and making it a very hygienic choice.

Despite its benefits, silver can create a chemical reaction when it contacts highly acidic foods. This causes both a discoloration of the silver and a metallic flavor in the food. So, while you may not want to serve citrus fruit or tomatoes in silver bowls, there are plenty of other options to choose.

Winter 2023/24 ¤ Teton Family

43

Copper

Copper cookware and tableware is worthy of collecting. First discovered more than 10,000 years ago, copper served its purpose throughout history. In the 18th century, copper was used for making tea kettles and other decorative items for the home. But it was not until the 19th century that copper first appeared on tables.

Today, with the rise in popularity of Ayurvedic medicine (and the creation of the Moscow Mule cocktail), copper has found its way into modern homes. Cooper, as a nutrient, is needed by the body and can strengthen the immune system and assist with the development of healthy new cells. With its antibacterial properties, as well, it’s not surprising that humans have been drinking water from copper cups for thousands of years. Copper adds a unique flavor to food, and it's durable and able to withstand high temperatures. Still, it's important to choose recipes that are safe to cook in copper pots and to only use high-quality, lined copper cookware that is free of scratches and dents.

Copper can be toxic in high doses, so it is important you don’t overdo your intake.

44

Teton Family ¤ Winter 2023/24

Pewter

For centuries, pewter was also considered a tableware status symbol. This timeless and valuable material is less costly than metal or silver and was used in 18th-century America to make plates, pitchers, and flatware. Pewter retains heat well, keeps things cold with its insulating properties, and is easy to clean and maintain, making it a practical choice for everyday use. However, this metal has a low melting point and dents easily, so it’s estimated that the pewter pieces used in Colonial American homes only lasted about ten years. Resourcefully, pewtersmiths would collect damaged pewter items and trade them for new ones (at the rate of one pound of new pewterware for three pounds of damaged goods), and then recast them into new vessels.

(How’s that for upcycling?)

Whether you prefer vintage pewter or a more modern version, this metal adds a touch of elegance and charm to your table. Start your meal with a salad served on pewter plates to make a statement and to also keep your veggies nice and cold. Enjoy warm, spiced mulled wine in a pewter mug as a classic way to bring this material into your celebration.

And a chocolate cake looks stunning on a pewter cake stand.

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Join us for a family-friendly event as we celebrate our amazing farmers & market vendors.

December 9 | January 13 | February 10 | March 9

jacksonholefarmersmarket.org Winter 2023/24 ¤ Teton Family

45

Iron

Iron cookware—used for centuries—may not be as elegant as other materials, yet it’s still considered a kitchen staple. Iron’s excellent heat retention and distribution properties make it ideal for slow-cooking stews, soups, and meats. Cornbread served in a cast-iron skillet brings a rustic look to your table setting. Or, for a casual dinner, a large cast-iron pan can be used to create a simple deep-dish pizza.

Although quite heavy, when cared for properly, cast iron cookware can be passed on from generation to generation and used in an enormous number of ways. These pieces should not be hard to find in a secondhand store, either.

When you eat food cooked in cast-iron, you absorb iron, which is an essential mineral that helps with the production of red blood cells, especially for those who are anemic.

Because of this, the regular use of cast iron can be beneficial for some, but not for everyone. And be mindful not to cook acidic or alkaline foods in iron vessels, as the metal can leach into the food, altering the taste and potentially concerns.

46 Teton causing Family ¤health Winter 2023/24

Where to Find Heirloom Tablewear Jackson

• Belle Cose, bellecose.com, 307-733-2640 • Mountain Dandy, madejacksonhole.com/pages/mountain-dandy, 307-690-2896

Teton Valley

• Festive Living, festive-living.com, 208-787-3378 • The Wardrobe Company, 208-354-2234 *Also, hit up secondhand stores, estate sales, and yard sales in the summer!

Stainless Steel

It’s impossible to consider a holiday table free of stainless steel, and its use has grown widely since the 1920s. Stainless steel gained momentum in the kitchen after World War II with the rise of mass production and the affordability of metal, making it readily available to the average household.

Well known as a vessel for food storage, stainless steel does not alter food’s flavors or leach harmful chemicals into food. That’s why it’s used as an eco-friendly option for water bottles and kids' lunch containers. Being nonreactive and easy to clean also makes stainless an excellent candidate for cutlery and other food preparation utensils.

Warm dishes, like vegetable curry and lentil soup, stay

warmer longer when served in stainless bowls. And for a modern tablescape, just add stainless steel tumblers or wine glasses to create a sleek look and feel.

Honoring family traditions and history can be as simple as adding a few heirloom serving dishes or platters to your meal. Whether handed down or picked up at a sale, incorporating bequest tableware into contemporary spreads instills tradition and nostalgia into any celebration.

Like with any special meal, it’s important to create a space where you and your loved ones come together to slow down and create memories. And while doing so, why not find a way to honor and embrace history and remember how our grandmothers served their food? tf

Winter 2023/24 ¤ Teton Family

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THIS VIEW NEVER GETS OLD … at least from our perspective.

(And yes, we’re spoiled!)

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Teton Family ¤ Winter 2023/24

Adventure on the edge.

The All-New 2024 Crosstrek Wilderness.

There’s no limit to your wanderlust in the all-new 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness.

Outfitted with off-road-ready upgrades like standard Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, 9.3 inches of ground clearance, a 182-horsepower SUBARU BOXER® engine, and improved gearing to climb tough trails, the Crosstrek Wilderness unlocks a new frontier of adventure.

Learn more at www.tetonmotorssubaru.com

307-733-6600 • 405 Powderhorn Lane

YOUR KIDS WILL LOVE OUR HEATED CHAIRLIFT SEATS

BECAUSE THEY WON’T BE TELLING THEIR CLASS HOW LAVISH AND LUXURIOUS THE LIFTS WERE. Book your trip

www.grandtarghee.com