Utah Stories

The Voice of Local Utah

  • Home
  • Features
    • Editors Picks
    • Online Exclusives
    • Popular
    • Stuff That Matters
  • Community
    • Collection Obsessions
    • Community Submissions
    • Immigrant Success Stories
    • Inspiration
    • Off Beat Characters
    • Readers Forum
    • Small Towns
    • Smart Growth
    • Transit
  • Made in Utah
    • Made in Utah Festival 2017
      • About Made in Utah Festival
      • Become a Sponsor
      • Sponsors and Supporters
      • Made in Utah Festival Inquiry Form
    • Shop Made in Utah
    • Made in Utah Holiday Guide
    • Made in Utah Stories
    • Garden
  • Local
    • Shop Local
    • How To
    • Best of Local Salt Lake
    • Local Spotlight
    • Moab
    • Sugar House
    • Tidbits
    • Utah Artists
    • Utah Farmers
    • Utah Food
    • Utah Nature
    • Utah Stories
  • Utah Bites
    • Restaurant reviews
    • Scheff’s Table
    • Sips
    • The Dish
    • Beer Stories
  • Submit
    • Support
    • Submit A Story
    • Advertising
    • Surveys
    • About Us
    • Shop Made in Utah
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

Welcome to Utelandia –Utah Stories Annual Dining Guide

September 4, 2017 by Richard Markosian Leave a Comment

Photo from Portlandia

In our annual, Utah food renaissance issue, we are examining the food scene in terms of the farmers who grow food alongside the chefs who dice, chop, julienne, saute, fry, roast, grill, and plate it to perfection. There is good news in food: fat is the new black, and is now healthy! But besides that, we are beginning to see a picture emerge of a trend that could be a sea change for improving opportunities for small producers and entrepreneurs.

Restaurants, by and-large, all use the same suppliers. Order a steak from Ruby Tuesday and it’s the same steak from Sizzler because they both source from Sysco Foods. The steaks came butchered from one of just four major meat processors in the country. These processors are publicly traded companies.

The cows likely came from just one of six major feedlots in the country, which are publicly traded companies. The FDA sustains these revenue streams to inhibit competition by smaller producers with over-burdensome regulation. Most of these regulations were written by the corporations themselves and handed off to the FDA to protect shareholders. The FDA chiefs are usually former chiefs of big-ag.

We know who the government is really working to protect.

The farm-to-table, locavore movement tips this commodity-driven model on its head. BlueTree Farms out of Bluebell, UT, has a growing a reputation for their pasture-raised Berkshire Pork. It’s incredible, and more foodies are buying it. I visited their farm and didn’t want to leave. I felt the urge to stay, just like the Portlandia sketch where Carrie and Fred visit the chicken farm to visit the source of their “local chicken.”

They witness idyllic pastures full of happy chickens and end up staying for five years. The point is that farmers are creating demand for their product by offering a far superior product. Chefs are seizing opportunities to provide their customers with ingredients far superior than the factory-farm, Wall Street, chain-driven model.

This creates more opportunities for small-scale local dairies, local cheesemakers, produce farmers and meat producers, which would never be available if it weren’t for consumers driving the demand.

Bon Appetite!

Filed Under: Utah Food Tagged With: farm to table, Pasture-raised meat, Utah dining guide, utah food

Leave a Comment

Hey, Listen Up

We launched Utah Stories in 2006 with one goal in mind: to foster connection between community and local business. If you appreciate our storytelling news, if you've benefitted from our coverage of culture and commerce, get behind The Voice of Local of Utah. Community journalism depends on your support.

Make A Contribution

Get the Voice of Local Utah

We send only 2-4 emails per month, highlighting our best work, and notify you of local don't-miss events.

Popular Stories

Ancient Fremont Farming in Utah

Suburban Sprawl in Utah– its effect on Utah Farmers

Standing Their Ground

Fisher Brewing Company Part I

Epic’s Success Will Be Denver’s Reward

More Popular Stories

Our Sponsors

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Copyright © 2018 · Utah Stories · Site By New Wave Media Design