Utah's farmers markets are booming, the local food movement is stronger than ever, and local farmers-market farmers are making record profits ― so why are we building over the top of the best remaining farmland in Utah? The simple answer is that the land, in the eyes of our political leaders and developers, has far more economic value as homes and apartments than as farms. … [Read more...]
Easy Bee Farm: Growing Food on Easy Street in Moab Utah
The entrance to Easy Bee Farm, just off Easy Street in Moab, is tucked between thick curtains of growth that make it hard to spot if you haven’t been there before. “That’s part of the adventure,” laughs Rhonda Gotway-Clyde, who owns the farm. Once found, the long gravel drive leads to what does feel a little like a magic kingdom, lush with flowers and vegetables, and … [Read more...]
3 Exceptional Farmers You Will Find at Ogden Farmers Market
Organizing a farmers market is no easy task, but the people in Ogden do it right. Their goal is to “Strive to provide awareness of, and access to, local agriculture while utilizing vendors, musicians, artists, and community partners to create an inclusionary culture of urban arts and community engagement. The Farmers Market Ogden series acts as a community drawing board for … [Read more...]
The High Cost of Cheap Food
In this year’s 10th annual Farm issue, we thought we would consider taking a look back at how much our food landscape has changed here in Utah. My Grandma told me that when she was a little girl growing up in Murray, immigrant Japanese farmers were famous for their amazing produce. Other farmers raised hens for eggs, and others kept pigs or cows. Most of her family’s food … [Read more...]
Bulldozing Utah Farms For Vacation Condos: Is this what progress looks like?
Why isn’t food security and the preservation of farms and fertile soil and water an issue in Utah? Fights in Costco and grocery stores over scarce food items during Covid-19 demonstrate that food security and preservation of farms must be a greater concern of Utah political leaders. This past spring we had a small window into what happens when food insecurity and the … [Read more...]
Farmers Feeding Utah: Utah Farm Bureau launches program to support farmers and feed those in-need
With the novel coronavirus disrupting food supply chains and skyrocketing unemployment, it has not been an easy few months for Utah’s farmers and ranchers, nor for residents who are already struggling with food insecurity. The Utah Farm Bureau Federation (UFBF), an independent, non-governmental organization of farm and ranch members, took note. On May 7, UFBF launched the … [Read more...]
RAZZZZZ … Berries!
The Tagge family expands their fruit selection Raspberries, aka “razzleberries,” should actually be called “dazzleberries” because of the way their red nubs of flavor dazzle the taste buds. But this summer delight is not an easy picking. Raspberries are fragile, requiring care and cultivation. Thayne and Cari Tagge are hoping their efforts will result in some of the best … [Read more...]
Frei’s Fruit Market
Roadside market peddles produce for 63 years For 63 years, the Frei family has operated their open-air fruit market on Old Highway 91 in Santa Clara, Utah. Despite new roadways and changing consumers, Frei’s Fruit Market has persisted and evolved into a multi-generation family tradition that celebrates the bounty of the Beehive State. It started back in 1956 when most … [Read more...]
Fertile soil, the Soil Food Web, and High Desert Soilworks
The science of soil management Fertile soil is imperative for any successful farmer or grower. The Soil Food Web is the colony of organisms living in the soil. The food web is a complex living system that interacts with the environment, plants, and animals. When an agricultural town with a population of less than 300 turns out in high numbers for a workshop on soil … [Read more...]
Farm land or house lots?
Cache Valley, Utah finds solutions Suburbs march into farmlands cul-de-sac by cul-de-sac. But in Cache Valley the advance has slowed. When Nibley residents Boyd and Sheri Schiess look out across the acres of agricultural land surrounding their home, they see an uninterrupted view of the Wellsville Mountains, a carbon sink of rich, fertile soil, and their great-grandchildren's … [Read more...]