A barefoot, emaciated boy with tape around his legs exposed the hidden reality inside Ruby Franke’s home, shattering the illusion of safety in Utah County.

In a downtown Ogden neighborhood long defined as a food desert, entrepreneur Anne Dunaway has opened Urban Prairie Agriculture, a hydroponic indoor farm and small grocery store offering fresh, nutritious alternatives where only dollar stores and convenience shops once filled the gap. What started in her garage with trays of microgreens has grown into a facility producing lettuces, tomatoes, herbs, and strawberries year-round. Her mission goes beyond growing food: she wants to shorten the food chain, strengthen community health, and give Ogden residents access to local produce within walking distance. Despite city hurdles and delayed contracts, Dunaway is determined to make healthy food part of everyday life in Jefferson Park.

As Utah’s housing costs soar, a growing number of seniors are losing everything and ending up on Salt Lake City’s streets. Their stories reveal a crisis deeper than addiction or mental illness — one shaped by policy failures, impossible rules, and a system that strips people of dignity when they need it most.

Salted Roots began as simple kitchen experiments and quickly grew into one of Utah’s most talked-about small-batch food brands. Founder Ivy Watrous has been cooking since childhood, blending bold flavors with careful technique. Today, her handcrafted salts and sugars are showing up in farmers markets, home kitchens, and even cocktail menus — each one shaped by personal stories, long hours, and a commitment to doing things the hard way when it matters.