Local farms and restaurants battle similar economic pressures as they struggle to survive in a tight economy where slim profit margins and increased labor costs and conditions are often beyond their control.

At 580 East 300 South in Salt Lake City, The Art Floral stands as one of downtown’s most enduring family businesses. In an era of overnight startups and short-lived storefronts, three-quarters of a century feels almost radical. Once inside, the air shifts, greenery mingles with fresh flowers, while tissue paper rustles, and shears snip rhythmically.

A rumor began circulating that the beloved rose garden in Sugar House Park was about to be ripped out. The person telling the story was upset, even angry that yet another beautiful feature of the park was supposedly on the chopping block. From there, the rumor traveled the way neighborhood gossip always does. It bounced between coffee shops, dog walkers circling the park’s paved path, and conversations on sidewalks throughout the Sugarhouse neighborhood.

There was just one small problem:

When was the last time you plucked a chicken? How about threshing wheat or milking a cow? For most people today, the answer is never. What used to be a daily survival skill has slipped into the history books, while farmers, ranchers, and a multitude of other hands continue to prepare, package, and produce the food we buy at the grocery store.