A modest relocatable classroom located at Lincoln Elementary School in South Salt Lake houses the Serve Refugees Sharehouse - a crucial resource for thousands of refugees that didn’t exist before 2016. Donations like toiletry essentials, cleaning kits, and gas gift cards revolve in and out of the classroom - which added up to serve roughly 31,000 refugees in 2017. … [Read more...]
Mobile Moon Co-op
The Mobile Moon Co-op is a community herbal apothecary housed in a converted bus. Think of it as first aid on wheels. Founded last year by Salt Lake City resident Erika Longino, the mission of the Co-op is to bring people together over herbalism, wildcrafting, and growing and using herbs from home gardens. The organization operates as a platform for free education, empowerment … [Read more...]
Three Young Farmers You’ll Find at SLC’s Rio Grande Winter Market
Grand Prismatic Seed James Young and Guy Banner started Grand Prismatic Seed in 2016 after they returned to Salt Lake City from Oregon, where they learned to grow and save seeds. Their backgrounds are in ethnobotany, habitat restoration, and native-seed production. Grand Prismatic Seed is committed to using organic growing practices and selling primarily … [Read more...]
Three Nontraditional Home Gardens in Salt Lake City
Sugar House Joakim Orton moved into his Sugarhouse apartment in 2016, and since then he’s been cultivating a garden in an unlikely spot. Even though traditional gardening space is limited around his apartment building, he got creative and chose to utilize a long, thin strip of earth that lines the driveway—a spot most others would overlook. Before he began … [Read more...]
The World Beneath Our Feet: Organic Soil Supports a Rich Mix of Life
What do you see when you look at garden soil? If you simply see dirt, you may be surprised to learn that a single tablespoon of healthy soil contains more microorganisms than there are people on the planet. It’s true! A small handful of soil contains billions of bacteria, several yards of fungal filament, thousands of protozoa, and many nematodes—the smallest and most abundant … [Read more...]
Fight the Salt Lake City Inversion with SLC Air Protectors
How does it sound to work with your neighbors to advocate for a healthier environment here in Utah? Would you like to help bring about cleaner air this winter? Perhaps you’re interested in lobbying politically, or maybe it sounds more fun to dig your hands in the soil. The Native American-led SLC Air Protectors may be the group you’re looking for. Co-founded in 2016 by Salt … [Read more...]
How to Plant Hedgerows for Biodiversity and Garden Protection
Living in the Salt Lake Valley can sometimes feel like life on some sort of dry and barren desert planet. New neighborhoods often lack old growth trees, so shade is sparse with little green vegetation for the eyes to enjoy. Even in established neighborhoods during the height of summer, the sights include plenty of pavement, automobiles, and chainlink fencing. Lush, green … [Read more...]
Biochar: The Organic Soil Amendment You Didn’t Know You Needed
I recently returned from a Permaculture Design Course held at the Maya Mountain Research Farm, a 29-year old, off-grid food forest in Belize. The course was taught by several permaculture experts from all over the world. Each brought their unique background and expertise, but what they all shared was an enthusiasm for biochar. 'Enthusiasm' being euphemistic for 'they all went … [Read more...]