Utah Farm & Fork Magazine - Spring 2022

Utah Farm Bureau

Spring 2022

Bees - Nature’s Essential Workers

FROM GRAIN TO GLASS

American Dream Built on Food and Family

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Making Your Voice Heard!

By Ron G ibson , President, Utah Farm B ureau Federation

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hank you for reading our most recent issue of Utah Farm & Fork. It comes as many farmers are hitting their stride as another growing year is upon us. The snow has melted and given way to a time of growth. I LOVE this time of year because it fills me with optimism. There are challenges, for sure, but I’m hopeful we can find solutions going forward.

In this issue, you’ll learn how we all come together in this complex machine to get food on our tables. From the tiny bees busily working away to pollinate many of the crops we enjoy, to the sound advice of a researcher

helping us know how to prune or when to plant a crop. We also learn of the great entrepreneurs that take this food and turn it into wonderful dishes and drinks at local restaurants, and how food can bind us together culturally.

Looking through the headlines of the day, it can be easy to be discouraged. The conf lict in Ukraine and its impact on the world’s food supply. Droughts and the lack of water in Utah. Political unrest. But there is much good in our communities, we just need to look around and find it.

My good friend Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau, was talking about a time when he was young and complaining about something going on in his world, his father told him that “if he [wanted] to make a difference, [he] needed to get outside [his] fencerows.” He needed to get involved and make his voice heard.

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And so, I encourage you to get involved in the programs at Farm Bureau. They teach leadership development and how you can make a difference in this world. This is what we do best at Farm Bureau. We can take people and help them be a force for good and make a difference. Our grassroots nature is where we have our strength, and I thank you for being part of that. Each of you has a County Farm Bureau where issues of concern can be brought up and addressed. Where we can have an impact in our communities and state. I invite you all to visit attend a Farm Bureau meeting and see how you can contribute.

As our name implies, we represent the American farmer and rancher. We have their back and we’re working every day for you.

But we also have your back as the American consumer. We know how fragile our food supply can be. I promise you we’re working on ways to make that stronger, so we can continue to bring you a stable and safe food supply.

Thank you for being a Utah Farm Bureau member!

SPRING 2022 | UTAH FARM AND FORK

CONTENTS

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14

Big Budah...Shares How Food Connects

10

West Desert Dairy Goes to Great Lengths for Customers

14

Bees—Nature’s Essential Workers

18

Plant Whisperer - Guiding Farmers & Backyard Growers Alike

20

American Dream Built on Food and Family

22

Sugarhouse Distillery - From Grain to Glass

26

Savvy Supermarket Shopper

28

Gardening on a Budget

30

A Taste of Southern Utah

32

Food Holidays

Cover photo courtesy of: Scott Barlow — scottbarlow.net

@utahfarmbureau

@utahfarmer

"Our Mission: To Inspire All Utah Families to Connect, Succeed, and Grow Through the Miracle of Agriculture" 9865 South State Street | Sandy, UT 84070 | 801-233-3000 | utahfarmbureau.org Ron Gibson, President, Utah Farm Bureau Federation | Rex Larsen, Vice President, Utah Farm Bureau Federation Spencer Gibbons, Chief Executive Officer, Utah Farm Bureau Federation | Matt Hargreaves, Managing Editor & Vice President of Communications

55 N. 300 W., Suite #500 | Salt Lake City, UT 84101 | 801-204-6300 | deseret.com Megan Donio, Publications Manager | Serina Nielson, Graphic Design Utah Farm and Fork is the official publication of the Utah Farm Bureau Federation. ©2022 by the Utah Farm Bureau Federation.

UTAH FARM AND FORK (ISSN 1068-5960), May 2022, volume 69 number 2. Published five times per year by Utah Farm Bureau Federation, 9865 S. State Street, Sandy, Utah 84070. Subscription price $10 a year. Periodicals Postage Paid at Sandy, Utah, 84070.

POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to the Utah Farm Bureau Federation, 9865 S. State Street, Sandy, UT 84070-3205.

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TV p e rs o n a l i t y , a c t o r, & DJ Sh a r e s H o w Fo o d H e l p s H i m Co n n e c t

By Matt Hargreaves, Editor, Utah Farm & Fork

UTAH FARM AND FORK | SPRING 2022 6

About the name. When I put my name in for credits on things like movies and such, I go

by Leroy ‘Big Budah’ Teo. That professional moniker came about when I was working in radio in Sacramento. I would host a segment on the radio once a week as “Big Budah Giving Advice on…”. But early on in my career, I asked several Buddhist Monks in California about the name, because I don’t want to offend anyone. They shared with me that they believe eventually, we will all become Buddha -- so that it wasn’t offensive at all to them. But I told them I would misspell it intentionally.

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ver the years, many have welcomed Leroy ‘Big Budah’ Teo into their homes as he has been a fixture of local television and radio, and has made appearances with movie roles on the big screen. Without a doubt, Teo is a people person with an infectious personality that shines the minute you meet him. He took some time to visit with us about his journey from the plantations of Samoa to Utah and why he feels so strongly about food’s ability to connect.

Where were you born, how did you get started in media and how did you get the name ‘Big Budah’?

I was born in San Francisco, but my family moved to southern California when I was just six months old. So, my main growing-up time as a child was in Compton and East Los Angeles. My grandparents were the first nonwhites to live in their suburb of Compton.

My parents are Samoan and Tongan, and we moved to Samoa when I was 12 when my dad accepted a teaching and administrative position there. I graduated from high school there as the valedictorian!

I went to American Samoa Community College and earned my associate's degree there and came back to California to try and play football for Cal-State Sacramento.

I got married while there and didn’t finish school, but instead started an internship at KSFM 102.5 FM there. I did street promotions and events for the radio stations, and then became a co-host. I finished my four-year degree years later at the University of Utah while working at Fox News as a feature reporter.

Did you have favorite things to do as a child?

Or things you hated doing?

Nobody liked doing chores! But we had instilled in us the idea that if you didn’t work, you didn’t eat.

When we were all living in Samoa, the duties were divided up culturally — the girls did all the chores inside (sweeping, dishes, inside cooking, etc.) and the boys did the plantation work, planting crops, outside cooking, and other manual labor. I did much of the inside chores too until my sisters were old enough.

But there was a clear divide in the work we did.

I would feed pigs and do plantation work. I loved it because I was off by myself, in nature.

I would be up there for the whole day and would bring all the food to feed myself. I would make my own umu oven there and get the food cooking while you would go to work in the morning. Then a few hours later, you would break to eat because the food would be done.

At the end of the day, you would pile all the taro you harvested into woven baskets are carry them home. It was the best feeling in the world.

Do you have a favorite food?

Unfortunately, I haven’t seen very many advancements or many modern twists on Pacific Islander cuisine. I do love a traditional drink called Otai, which has been jazzed up a bit here though. In my opinion, I think most of the restaurant owners here are nostalgic, and make the food the way they remember it – as opposed to changing things up. I think they don’t want to stray away from the culture. I think it would be great to see how we could change it up some, like we see with Asian fusion cuisine. I believe there is room for culinary advancement.

But growing up, we would have rice with every meal, as well as taro. We also eat Keke 7

Pua’a, which is a Chinese pork bun, but was changed and made more like a Samoan taste, even though the origins are from China.

Is there a restaurant in Utah you like to go to?

I do love Milovales Burgers, which is a food truck. You can also get them at L&L Barbecue in Provo. I’ve featured them on our show. I love the culinary scene in Utah because there are so many cultural inf luences on food here – often because of the missionary service that may take. Korean food, Greek, Latino, Arabic, etc. If you closed your eyes and described the food, people might guess you’re in New York or L.A., but no, you’re here in Utah.

If you don’t want to cook anything fancy or elaborate, what is the basic comfort food you like to eat (no shame!)?

I love to eat with my hands. So, my favorite thing, which I discovered on vacation, are Korean corndogs. Those are my new favorite, and I can’t get enough of them! I also love going to Chuck-o-rama! Their fried chicken is great.

What’s the best meal you’ve ever had? And why?

The best meal I have ever had is a meal my grandmother made for me. She’s passed on now, but she would make rabbit. She was one of the first women in Samoa that knew how to play the piano. She would teach kids how to play piano as a missionary effort on the islands.

Her favorite meal, which is my favorite, would make us roasted rabbit. It was made with garlic, butter, and onions, and she would roast it and separate it after it was done.

She would read to me and told me stories, while we ate. She never told me it was rabbit until I was much older, and my grandfather showed me how to dress a rabbit for cooking. He showed me where the “chicken” came from. I’m sure it is mostly nostalgic, because of the memories, but that’s my favorite meal. I have friends that are chefs and they make great things, but because eating food can be an emotional thing — even simple food — can taste better to you because of a memory attached to it.

Do you like to cook? If yes, what is your goto meal/dish/recipe?

Everything that I know how to cook, I learned from my mom. They would just tell me, ‘hey, come over here and learn this…’, and then they would teach me things like how to scrape taro, how to peel the banana, how to scrape the coconut. Even though in Samoa, the men do most of the cooking.

SPRING 2022 | UTAH FARM AND FORK

way because I’ve worked that job. When I’ve visited farmers, it helped keep that storyline alive. That food doesn’t just show up on the grocery store shelves. As much appreciation as we have for chefs, we need to have that same appreciation for farmers.

But we didn’t eat a lot of veggies growing up, unfortunately, because people didn’t grow them in backyard gardens like they do here. We didn’t have a lot of access to good vegetables. But the ones we had were mostly Asian inf luenced, like Bok Choi, watercress, and cabbage.

One of my favorites is a traditional Samoan dish called palusami. Everyone has a variation of how you make this, but basically, it is young taro leaves wrapped in the shape of a bowl, with coconut, and onion filling. The taro bowl is then wrapped in banana leaf and finally a breadfruit leaf, and you cook it in the earth oven — the umu (an above-ground oven of hot volcanic stones). It cooks for about 4-5 hours. The steam cooks the food, and it’s eaten like a hot coconut custard. The Tongan variation can include corned beef. We would eat this, and taro a lot.

We would also make Koko rice (or Koko Laisa), which has a cocoa rice soup consistency. We also ate a lot of lamb and chicken, because it was readily available.

We would brine the lamb by putting it in the ocean, and then putting it on the grill or umu.

I’ve felt like I was among colleagues visiting these farms. It was humbling because we didn’t have the farm scale in the same way — in that we weren’t relying on what we grew to survive. It has helped me realize their plight.

Yes, they are talking about feeding their immediate family, but they’re talking about feeding thousands. That’s a much tougher thing. It gave me a newfound respect.

Why is connecting over food so important to you?

I’ve always had this belief that to really understand where you come from, your culture, your background, it’s about understanding the food. I’ve always felt that for me to know someone else personally, I need to have a meal with you. I don’t know if that’s my cultural upbringing, but until I can share a meal with you, it seems so impersonal. And it doesn’t have to be a meal, it could be just a cookie or drink. I chalk that up to my Pacific Islander upbringing along with my faith in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Tell me more about this appreciation for food and why it’s important to you.

Having the experience of having to harvest and grow food helps you gain an appreciation for the food you have. Those who grow up on the islands have a relationship with their food because they grew up having to take care of it. We call it the ‘va’, which is a relationship. So, we have a relationship with our food and a responsibility toward it. You have a responsibility to not overdo or overuse things. [Editor’s Note: Va has been defined as a relationship between people and things, including unspoken expectations and obligations between people and their environment.]

I remember countless times in Samoa when harvesting crops, if it was ripe, you would harvest it even if you didn’t need it because you didn’t want to waste it. The idea is that somebody else could use it, don’t let it rot.

The same applied to fishing, in that you don’t want to catch too many fish. It’s a cultural thing. Raising, growing, and harvesting food responsibly and with dignity.

In the islands, there’s no such thing as eating by yourself. If you’re away at work, that’s one thing. But at home, you always eat with others. When you’re eating with others, it’s an intimate experience. It’s really personal to me when you and I are ‘breaking bread’ together. That’s how I ingratiate myself to you and learn your culture.

Some of the foods we ate, you can’t buy at the store, because they’re full of ‘old world’ ingredients or old ways of preparing it. A lot of our recipes would use lard, which used to be hard to find.

Have you visited a farm/ranch or farmers market in Utah before?

I have been able to feature a lot of farms on t.v., and field trips with kids, and I’ve been amazed at all the things the kids AND parents learn when visiting. For me, it has been like going back home. Seeing the appreciation in the farmer’s eyes — thinking of all the hard work.

I really appreciate it, and maybe in a different UTAH FARM AND FORK | SPRING 2022 8

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Focused on Quality: West Desert Dairy Goes to Great Lengths for Customers

By Matt Hargreaves, Editor, Utah Farm & Fork Magazine

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xpert chefs and acclaimed home cooks will tell you that to make a great dish, you need the best ingredients. Sometimes, that may take you out of the way to get those. Maybe it’s the best tomatoes, peaches, or beef from a region of the country.

In the days of the explorers, some would travel halfway around the world to get spices from a particular spot. And then you come to a place in Utah that feels almost as far, and you get to the community of EskDale – on the extreme western edge of Millard County at about the state line with Nevada, and find the dairy run by Dr. John Conrad and his family, which has been producing some of the best milk and dairy cows in the world.

Named for the Esk River in Scotland, EskDale markets itself as a place where you don’t have to see a lot of people. In fact, there are more dairy cows than people, and passing another car on your way out might be cause for alarm. However, the conditions are just right for raising healthy cows that produce great milk. That focus on a quality product,

according to Conrad, is the reason the dairy focuses on top-notch genetics in their cows.

“We’ve been able to sell our dairy cows all over the world,” Conrad said. “We had a few recently get purchased to go as far as Australia.”

For Conrad and his family, showcasing their cattle is how they have set their dairy apart in a competitive world. With margins slim in the dairy industry because of the high cost of fertilizers, fuel, and feed for their animals, Conrad believes the dual focus on milk and high-quality animals has set their dairy apart.

The dairy in EskDale is the main source of economic development for a community that is founded on shared assets. Built as a religious community under the House of Aaron, most of the 30 families or so that live here have had some connection to the dairy, while others grow feed for the animals.

The dairy started in 1973 with its milk being sold to a local cheese plant in Delta, the nearest town at some 80 miles away.

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In time, Conrad and his family decided to partner with Gossner Foods out of Cache Valley and sell their milk to them for making Swiss cheese.

“They treat us so well, we’ve stuck with them for more than 20 years,” Conrad said.

“And they’re even better people than they are businesspeople.”

The relationship has worked so well because Conrad focuses all his efforts on the health of his cows and focusing on the best genetics, which in turn produces high-quality milk worth driving for. Some might wonder why set up shop in the middle of the desert?

Conrad is quick to highlight that keeping his cows in a dry area is important because it keeps the feet of his cows dry, leading to better health. Conrad is fixated on cattle genetics and is known as the ‘Godfather of Cattle Genetics’ in Utah.

“We focus on what works for our cows and we stick to it,” Conrad said.

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But Conrad isn’t a lifer in EskDale and didn’t grow up in agriculture either. In fact, his father was an accountant in the San Francisco and New York City, prior to moving to the desert. But John loved working with animals and pursued that path by studying pre-veterinary medicine at Utah State University in Logan. Conrad earned his veterinary medicine degree at the University of California-Davis, and then moved to EskDale in 1976 to work on the community dairy. While there, he continued to do veterinary work at other dairies in Utah and Nevada, including the dairy housed at the Utah State Prison in Draper for more than 20 years, before settling back exclusively in EskDale in recent years.

Despite the remoteness of the town, Conrad loves living in the community because of the values of hard work everyone develops. With more cows than people in town, he also gets plenty of time to spend doing what he loves – caring for his cattle. Conrad’s focus on animal health and quality milk is something worth traveling across the world for – or at least the middle of the desert.

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SPRING 2022 | UTAH FARM AND FORK

BEES NATURE’S ESSENTIAL WORKERS

By Susan Furner, VP—Consumer Engagement

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e’ve all heard the expression “Busy as a Bee,” referring to someone who is hardworking and always on the go. The simile makes a lot of sense if you know anything about bees. In fact, the more you know about bees, the greater respect you’ll have for these little essential workers.

Of the 1,400 crop plants grown around the world, those that produce all our food and plant-based industrial products, almost 80 percent require pollination by animals.1

Bees, butterf lies, insects, birds, and even bats are all animal pollinators. Pollination can also be done by wind and even water, but honeybees are considered the primary players in the pollination game.

So How Does It All Work?

All seed plants require pollination since the plants have separate male and female f lowers.

Pollen from the male f lowers must be carried to the female f lowers to produce fruit.

We wouldn’t have some of the food we enjoy most like, watermelon, apples, almonds, strawberries, blueberries, cucumbers, cherries, broccoli, and pumpkins without the help of honeybee pollinators. The United States Department of Agriculture estimates that bees add about 15 billion dollars to agricultural productivity in the United States.

About a third of all our crops are pollinated by bees. Without good pollen transfer, crops would produce small or even malformed fruit. Visits from pollinators result in larger, more f lavorful fruits and higher crop yields.

On the f lip side, bees need pollen and nectar from f lowering plants. The sugars in the nectar (basically a good carbohydrate),

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power their f light. Pollen is fortified with proteins, oils, and minerals that are essential for the diets of the bee’s larvae.

Worker bees are one of the three types of bees that make up a colony or hive. Worker bees are all female and are the smallest bees.

They live for 40-45 days, but they have a long “to-do” list to keep the hive functioning.

They spend time cleaning cells, feeding larvae, producing wax, building combs, foraging food, performing guard duty, protecting the hive, keeping the air f lowing within the hive by beating their wings, and waggle dancing to communicate the location of food, water, or a new home.

An average beehive can hold around 50,000 bees. When the colony gets overcrowded, the worker bees will decide to make a new queen bee.

Worker bees construct up to 20 wax queen cells, and the current queen lays fertilized eggs in each queen cell. The young worker nurse bees feed the queen larvae with royal jelly, a milky white substance the bees secrete from the tops of their heads. The exclusive diet of royal jelly turns on the female larvae’s reproductive system turning her into a queen.

There is only one queen for the colony, so the first queen to leave her cell will either move a swarm of bees to another location or locate and kill the other potential queens.

Queen bees are the largest bees and lay all the eggs in the colony. Young queen bees go on a mating f light and then store the sperm she collects from multiple matings for the rest of her life, using it up bit by bit as she lays eggs. For the hive to survive, the queen must lay fertilized eggs to create worker bees,

which will forage for food and take care of the colony. Queens can lay about 2,000 eggs per day and live up to five years.

Males, called drones, emerge from unfertilized eggs. Drones are fed by the worker bees and their only job is to mate with swarming queens. They will die after mating. Because drones don’t do any of the actual work of the hive, they are evicted from the colony in the fall to conserve food.

Honeybees make honey by taking nectar from f lowers and mixing it with enzymes from glands in their mouths and storing it in wax honeycombs until the water content is reduced. Then they cap the comb with a wax seal until the bees need it for food in the winter.

Commercial Beekeepers As natural pollinators like bumblebees and wild bees suffer because of the loss of habitat, commercial beekeepers have become more and more important to the success of most vegetable and fruit farmers. Without commercial beekeepers, we wouldn’t have some of the foods we enjoy.

Commercial beekeepers are those with 300 or more colonies. Pollination services and honey production are the primary revenue sources for commercial beekeepers. Other revenue sources include bee stock, queen production, and wax sales.

Generally, commercial beekeepers have a variety of pollination contracts, with an average of four different crop rentals per colony each year.

Every January and February over 2 million hives from around the United States are put on f latbeds and trucked to California to pollinate over 1 million acres of almond orchards. 2 California uses three-fourths of the honeybee colonies in the U.S., and they use them for a very short period.

Almond orchards also use other bee species in addition to honeybees. Blue orchard bees collect dry pollen on their bellies and scatter pollen more efficiently than honeybees. They f ly erratically across the orchard which is perfect for the almonds that require crosspollination among varieties. Bees’ tongues

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differ in length according to species. Bees with longer tongues can get deeper into the f lower to gather nectar.

Bees are needed at different times of the season depending on the crop. Beekeepers may start during February in California pollinating the almond crop and then move to other states to pollinate other crops such as berries and apples.

Brittney Goodrich, Ph.D., Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist at Auburn

University said, “There is a great demand for pollinations services. The pollination fees that beekeepers are paid for almonds are about $200 per colony. Whereas, for a crop that blooms later, like apples, fees will be around $30 per colony.” 3 Pollination fees also depend on the number of bees in the hive.

Globally, pollination services have an impact on more than 3 trillion dollars in produce. 4 Local beekeeper, LeeWayne Elmer, is part of a Utah family co-op that trucks bees to California each year to pollinate the almond

orchards, and then trucks the hives back to Utah to pollinate local fruit orchards and lavender fields.

One of Elmer’s favorite things about being a beekeeper is the fresh honey. He extracts honey each time the bees pollinate a different crop. Honey can taste and look different according to the crops the bees have pollinated. The honey tastes like lavender after the bees have pollinated the lavender fields. Local honey also has the advantage of helping with allergies. Honey lasts indefinitely but will crystalize over time. LeeWayne warns that you should never heat honey in the microwave. The hotter you heat it, the more potential for reducing its nutritional value. He recommends running it under warm water instead.

Factors of Bee Decline Research at Utah State University Extension identifies several factors that contribute to bee decline.

• Habitat Loss—urban development and other human activities that deteriorate or remove habitat • Improper Apiary Management—novice beekeepers struggling to properly manage their hives affecting native bees and pathogen inundation • Pesticides—varying in toxicity to bees, many are harmful when not used as directed • Climate Change—increased temperatures cause bees to emerge from wintering habitats

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•

•

•

•

earlier than normal which can disrupt plantpollinator interactions Pathogens And Pests—diseases can be transmitted within and between pollinator species Competition—Utah has about 37,000 honeybee colonies that compete with the state’s native bees which increases competition for essential resources Poor Nutrition—bees require a variety of pollen sources to obtain the nutrients they need. Poor nutrition may be the consequence of factors such as reduced pollen and nectar production from increased drought and heat events.

Colony Collapse Disorder—also known as “disappearing disease” because of the disappearance of worker bees from the colony. The queen and brood (young) and food remain, but without the worker bees, the hive collapses. The cause is unknown, but it’s thought to be due to multiple factors such as pests, diseases, secondary pesticide poisoning, and poor nutrition.5

You Can Make a Difference Given the decline in bee species and how important bees are to human food security, we can all do our part to encourage native and managed bees to our gardens and landscapes. Here are some suggestions from Utah State University Extension.

Plant Bee-Friendly Gardens • Plant early blooming flowers, and plant them in groups of three to five of the same plant. The early blooms provide a food source for bees coming out from the winter and the plant groupings are a better food source than planting one single plant.

• Plant native plants that bloom throughout the entire growing season. Ensure that you grow pollinator-friendly plants such as mint,

BEE FACTS

herbs, and disc-type flowers with a single row of petals because pollen stores are easier for bees to access.

For a list of water-wise native plants visit extension.usu.edu/cwel/native-other.

• Honeybees communicate through their waggle dance.

• Honeybees know the world is round and can calculate angles, according to the sun, to communicate sources of food and water.

Provide Trees for Bees Did you know that bees get most of their nectar from trees? When a tree blooms, it provides hundreds — if not thousands — of blossoms to feed on. Trees are not only a great food source for bees, but also an essential habitat. Tree leaves and resin provide nesting material for bees, while natural wood cavities make excellent shelters.

Minimize or Avoid Pesticides Minimize or avoid using pesticides and chemical fertilizers in your landscape, especially in early springs when the blossoms are on. Insecticides applied during bloom are a threat to bees. If insecticides must be applied, select one that gives effective insect control but poses the least danger to bees.

Also, try to apply the sprays when bees are less active.

No Mow May Don’t mow your lawn during the month of May to help pollinators get a good start to the pollinating season.

Create a Bee Bath Bees work up quite a thirst foraging and collecting nectar. Fill a shallow birdbath or bowl with clean water and arrange pebbles and stones inside so that they break the water’s surface. Bees will land on the stones and pebbles to drink. Place it in a cool shaded area for bees to rest.

We don’t have to look too hard to find life lessons from bees. Beekeeper LeeWayne 17

• Bees have five eyes.

Elmer observed, “Bees are so interesting because everyone is working for the good of the hive. If they need a new queen, they will grow a new queen. If they need more drones or more worker bees, they will grow new ones. The common good of the hive dictates what goes on in the hive.”

Who knew how important bees are to the food we eat every day! We have pollinators to thank for one in every three bites of food we take.

They are the definition of essential workers! ________________________________ USDA-Forest Service, “The Simple Truth: We Can’t Live Without Them

1

Bill Synk, Director of Pollination Programs, Project Apis m.

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Fees for Bees: Auburn Researcher Focuses on Paying for Pollination, Paul Hollis, College of Agriculture.

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USDA-Forest Service

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Factors Contributing to Bee Decline, February 2022, Ann Mull, JayDee Gunnell, Sheriden Hansen, Ricardo Ramirez, Andree Walker, Cody Zesiger, and Lori Spears

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SPRING 2022 | UTAH FARM AND FORK

PLANT WHISPERER Guiding Farmers & Backyard Growers Alike

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By Matt Hargreaves, Editor, Utah Farm & Fork Magazine years at USU Extension in Cache Valley before another legendary green thumb – Adrian Hinton – retired in Utah County. This provided an opportunity for Taun to provide his expertise to the many fruit farmers in South Utah County as well as to hobby farmers, gardeners, landscapers, and all-around do-ityourselfers in the rapidly growing county.

ou turn the knob to the right… almost there. No, stop! Too far, turn it back a little. You can almost hear it, no wait, that’s not it. Hold on….almost…ok. Stop.

Now you have your sibling hold their arm up and position that antenna just right to avoid the interference. Perfect, now don’t move!

The irritation of the static is gone, and coming through the AM or FM radio is a clear voice.

It may be hard, but back in the recesses of your mind, you can remember what it was like rotating that radio knob back and forth to get that clear radio station. Whether it was looking for the best music to make a mixtape, sports game, or a rural farm broadcast report, many can associate with searching out the radio station to get the information you needed.

Beddes, a horticulture specialist for Utah State University Extension. “I even bought a book that had listings of all the stations. I would listen to KSL 1160 when I was a kid and was amazed to listen to Larry Sagers on the Greenhouse Show.”

Nowadays, people will jump right to the internet to be presented with myriad choices, documents, journals, and YouTube tutorial videos on how to do just about anything. But sometimes it’s nice to access a real person that knows what they’re talking about and can respond directly to your questions.

“From working on Reed Zaugg’s dairy hauling hay, or my family’s huge garden, to working for 15 years at J&J Nursery, I learned how to assess problems for people and fix them,” Beddes said.

“They just needed someone that could verify that they were thinking. They have so much knowledge already, but it’s nice to have someone to confer with and make sure they’re on the right track by using the university’s expertise,” Beddes said.

It almost seems natural that he found his way to becoming a horticulture agent for USU Extension, which acts as a way of extending the university’s reach into every county in Utah. After completing degrees in plant science and spending lots of time reading tree encyclopedias, Beddes worked for several

Helping Farmers, Helping Gardeners But Taun’s listening ear wasn’t confined to production agriculture alone. It turned out that people in the suburbs and urban centers in Utah were just as interested in connecting to the miracle of agriculture by learning how to care for their apple tree, whether or not it was

“I’ve always been an AM radio fan since I was a kid. We could get stations from far away at night, and even a station out of Denver that had game shows on,” said Taun

While getting tips on the radio, Beddes would work with his grandfather, who was a hobby horticulturist, learning all the names of plants and how they grew best. Growing up in West Point, Utah – just west of Clearfield in Davis County – Beddes often had jobs related to agriculture, even though his family wasn’t involved in the industry. So, when studying criminal justice at Weber State proved not to keep his interest, he went back to something he knew and loved – getting things to grow.

Beddes found that farmers needed someone who could help consult with them about their orchards and help them make the best decisions based on sound science – to help them deal with pest problems, fertilizer problems, and to learn about the best ways to keep their orchards productive.

UTAH FARM AND FORK | SPRING 2022 18

the right time to start pruning, how to water their lawns efficiently or what tree to plant instead of another smelly Bradford pear tree.

To get the help they need, people call the office.

And call they do. Instead of using a calendar, Beddes can tell what time of year it is based on the calls and emails he receives. As soon as the snow begins to melt, he starts to get questions asking if it’s too early to start pruning. April brings questions on preemergent and fertilizer for lawns, questions about grubs and weed control come in May, and then all the questions about bugs in gardens come in July and August.

“We’ll get questions about squash bugs, lawn grubs, and why someone’s tomatoes aren’t coming in. The questions are very seasonal,” Beddes said. “Waiting a bit longer, you’ll get questions as to why they’ve stopped getting tomatoes and then about pruning again in the fall – which you DO NOT want to do.”

Reaching Out in the Community To help with the herculean task of answering all gardening questions, USU Extension has also developed its Master Gardener program.

But Beddes warns not to let the program name fool you. It’s not that these volunteers in infallible, but they love to work and share with others, they have 13+ weeks of college-level training, and they work to provide residents with unbiased, research-based horticultural education and technical assistance in gardening and horticulture.

Beddes, other Extension agents, and the legion of Master Gardeners are spread throughout Utah to help residents save time and money, as well as learn how to feed their families and beautify landscapes. They constantly are searching for the most up-to-date information, whether that is using beneficial bugs to cut

VOICES OF THE GREENHOUSE: FROM LEFT TO RIGHT, TAUN BEDDES (CENTER) AND MARIA SHILAOS (RIGHT) HOST THE KSL GREENHOUSE SHOW FROM OLSEN'S GREENHOUSE IN SALEM.

down on pesticides, improving irrigation methods, or how residents can grow food in what may seem to be unsuitable areas, like an apartment balcony.

In addition to seasoned growers, Beddes and his crew often reach out to some of the underserved areas of their communities to showcase the wonders of growing. This includes the little town of Partoun, on the far western edge of Juab County. The students at the small school have benefited from Beddes coming out and helping them start a school garden.

“Some of these kids had never seen tomatoes on the vine before, and now we’re helping them learn where their food comes from and start a school garden,” Beddes said.

With some of these efforts helping to cut through the noise of what will or won’t work in your yard, many in Utah and southern Idaho have learned about Taun because of his voice on the radio. After the unfortunate passing of Larry Sagers in 2012 from cancer, Taun filled in a few times on the Greenhouse Show before being made a permanent fixture on the show.

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With his encyclopedic knowledge, Taun was a natural fit on the show along with his cohost, Maria Shilaos, to help Utahns get the most production from their gardens, to help farmers to feed our communities, and to help all enjoy time being out in nature.

“The university has been great working with KSL to get these resources out to the community,” Beddes said. “People just love to be outside. It’s great exercise, it is good for our mental health, and there’s something to be said for being able to grow some of your own food.”

So, whether you are still tinkering with that old transistor radio to find the show, or you have your preset or app at the ready, with Beddes’ guidance in your ear or in-person, even the grim reaper of gardeners will be ready for success. You can listen to the KSL Greenhouse Show on Saturday mornings, from 8-11 a.m. on 1160 AM or 102.7 FM or the KSL Radio app. You can also find resources from USU Extension at extension.usu.edu/yardandgarden.

SPRING 2022 | UTAH FARM AND FORK

AMERICAN DREAM BUILT ON FOOD AND FAMILY

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By Matt Hargreaves, Editor, Utah Farm & Fork

ho doesn’t love a success story, built on the foundation of hard work, commitment, and perseverance? The big screens of Hollywood and New York Times Bestsellers are full of such stories.

Such is the case for the Nguyen family in Utah, who against all odds have built a broad-based success story, grounded in their family and good food.

Readers may be familiar with the Nguyen family’s f lagship restaurant SAPA, a Vietnamese teahouse on State Street in Salt Lake City that specializes in sushi and other Asian-fusion foods, but the story is much broader than one restaurant and truly epitomizes the ‘American Dream’.

The story picks up in the early 1980s when the Nguyen family left their refugee camp in Hong Kong to come to America. Having fought on the side of the Americans in the war in Vietnam, Luan Nguyen was granted political asylum.

After stockpiling enough gasoline to power a small fishing boat to take his wife (Linda) and their seven children from Da Nang, Vietnam to a temporary stay in Hong Kong while they were immigration matters were settled. After a yearlong stay in Hong Kong, the family arrived in Oakland, California in 1983. Luan studied to

be a mechanic while managing a paper route to support the large family, with the kids all under age 11.

“My mother also worked as a seamstress to support our family,” said Hoang Nguyen, daughter of Luan and Linda, who was a one-year-old baby when the family moved.

“Unfortunately, we were living in the projects at the time, and it was really rough in Oakland. My father was tragically robbed and killed while living there, leaving my mom widowed with children aged 3-15 at the time.”

“We built the entire restaurant ourselves,” Hoang said.

Hoang recalled how the family rallied and siblings all came back to support the family business, having been successful in other enterprises for some time. This included everything from hand-sewing the cushions that currently hang on the walls to featuring koi fish in a courtyard and 100+-year-old tea houses that have been imported from Vietnam.

“We opened the first Pho restaurant in Utah and did it ‘the refugee way’,” Hoang explained. “It consisted of 16-hour days with not a lot of pay.”

Building a Brand Having built SAPA into a successful restaurant, the family has expanded their vision and broadened their foundation into a family enterprise called the SAPA Investment Group, a minority-owned company focusing on five business areas including hospitality, real estate development, construction, product development, and management consulting, in addition to non-profit work. In all, the company employs more than 600 people and in 2021, received an official citation from the Utah House of Representatives recognizing the family’s impact in the community.

That same work ethic and creative mind benefited the family when Hoang’s older sister, Mai, took over the family business and opened SAPA in 2008.

Some of those impacts are less visible, but their vision is definitely shaping the Salt Lake valley for the benefit of residents and guests. Since opening SAPA, the family has expanded their

Building a Family Restaurant Supporting her family and using that same entrepreneurial spirit, the Nguyen family later moved to Salt Lake City in 1992 at the urging of a family member to get into a safer place where their family could thrive. The family turned to food to support their family in their new community.

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food influence to include six total restaurants and bars – including SAPA, Purgatory, Omo, Fat Fish, Bucket O’Crawfish, and Fillings & Emulsions. And that is just the start.

Though not a farm-to-table restaurant in the strictest terms, the company is trying to incorporate more local ingredients and has even run trials at raising some of their own livestock to gain a greater understanding of what is involved in that business.

Building a Food Community If the SAPA family of restaurants is any indication, the Nguyen family sees no limit to the reach their businesses can have in the community. But building a legacy for them is more than just another restaurant – they want to build others. One of the goals of SAPA Investments is to “develop entrepreneurs to build the future we want to see.” This desire to provide the resources for others to build their dreams is evident in two major initiatives the family has planned.

Utah residents. At times, when reviewing success stories after they’ve happened, the success can almost come across as a sure thing, while for those involved at the time, it could have been anything but. But the Nguyen family has shown building on a strong foundation of family and food has been their recipe for prosperity.

For more information on SAPA Investment Group, visit sapainvestment.com.

TOP: DINNER AT SAPA. MIDDLE: ARTIST VISION OF FUTURE FOOD ALLEY BOTTOM: NGUYEN FAMILY.

The first is a Food Hub, which would be a way of connecting farmers throughout the state with processing capabilities to then take their products to restaurants and food establishments like schools and business cafeterias.

Hoang recognizes that farmers and ranchers have challenges enough in producing food, and wants to remove barriers to getting their food to market by leveraging her family’s expertise and connections in the food industry. While still a work in progress, the family envisions a way of connecting farmers and ranchers through an infrastructure to get their products to a scale large enough that local restaurants and cafeterias can use, after they have been processed and prepared in a way that meets standards. This would be a way of maximizing local food closer to home and providing additional markets and favorable pricing to farmers.

An additional community asset envisioned

by SAPA is the creation of a Food Alley in downtown Salt Lake City. This would serve as both an incubator for food entrepreneurs as well as a community hotspot of local dining. Plans call for 17 restaurants in a central location, with the addition of art spaces and residential living Though these plans are still projected out into the future, any review of the Nguyen family’s success and determination points to this being a thriving food experience for

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SPRING 2022 | UTAH FARM AND FORK

FROM GRAIN TO GLASS

By Aubree Thomas, Communications Coordinator, Utah Farm Bureau Federation

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ocated in Salt Lake City, Sugar House Distillery prides itself on being one of the few true grainto-glass distilleries in Utah. James Fowler, owner and head distiller of Sugar House Distillery, opened the doors to his business in 2014, becoming just the third small-batch, handcrafted distillery in the state. From milling to distilling, barreling, and bottling, the entire process happens in-house.

own business. That’s when he decided to return to Utah and open his distillery here.

Fowler has always been interested in the art and craft of distillery. Before starting his own business, he spent many years brewing at home and was even recognized as “Home Beer Brewer of the Year” from Mountain Home Brewing in 1994.

Sourcing quality ingredients has always been a top priority for Sugar House Distillery.

Fowler can source 90 percent of the grain for his distillery within 125 miles of his location.

Most of that grain comes from farmers in Delta, Brigham City, and other farms in Northern Utah.

“I always knew brewing and distilling is what I wanted to do,” Fowler said. “There is just something about making a product yourself and having others like and enjoy it.”

Small-batch, hand-crafted distilleries are a growing trend across the United States - a trend that has been slower to catch on in Utah.

Fowler grew up in Bountiful but was living in Texas when he was thinking about opening his

“A lot of people ask why I decided to start a distillery here in Utah, especially since it is kind of like selling snow to an Eskimo,” he laughed. “We have a great ability to source locally here in Utah. There are just so many good raw materials to work with here. The corn is good and the rye and barley are amazing.”

“This year is going to be harder to source locally because of the drought, but the farmers here in Utah have been really great to work with,” Fowler said. “A lot of them will actually come and ask, ‘What can we grow for you?’ It’s been a great partnership.”

Using local grain in his distillery does more than support Utah’s farmers. It also helps

create flavor profiles that are regionally specific to Utah. Distilling is a touchy process and the smallest thing can change how the final product tastes, including where and how the grain is grown. For example, spirits distilled in Kentucky are going to taste differently compared to spirits produced with Utah grain.

Fowler said Utah’s unique weather pattern has a large impact on grain flavor. Thanks to Utah’s dry climate, cold winters and hot summers, which are especially great for growing rye, the spirits he creates are sweeter in taste and have more notes of berries and stonefruits.

A major benefit of small-batch, handcrafted distilleries is that Fowler can carefully monitor each batch of spirits throughout the entire process, allowing him greater control over the alcohol content and final f lavor.

Fowler mills the grain in house and mixes it with water to create a mash and start the fermentation process. After fermenting, the mash is added to a still where distillation process begins. Distilling involves separating alcohol from water through evaporation and condensation. Through careful timing and

UTAH FARM AND FORK | SPRING 2022 22

temperature control, Fowler and his team are able capture the most desirable component of the alcohol known as the “heart.”

After distilling, the spirits are placed in wood barrels to age which helps inf luence the color and f lavor of the drink. Utah’s hot summers and cold winters are also ideal for aging the products in barrels. The change temperature opens and closes the pores of the barrel, which inf luences the f lavor. The inside of each barrel is charred and, depending on the level of charr, the f lavor can vary anywhere from caramel to dark chocolate.

In the future, Fowler hopes to expand production and move into a larger building.

Currently, Sugar House Distillery can produce three, 50-gallon barrels of spirits a day and store around 400 barrels in the barrel room. The average barrel is stored in the warehouse for four years, but through growth and expansion, the goal is to be able to store barrels for an average of 8-10 years.

While growth and product sales are certainly important, Fowler said his biggest goal is to continue creating products that people enjoy.

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“Of course, we want to keep growing and expanding and making money, but my real goal is to make an amazing product that people enjoy for as long as I possibly can. That’s what is most important to me,” Fowler said.

Sugar House Distillery produces several varieties of whisky, rum, vodka, and canned cocktails. These are available to purchase at most DABC liquor stores across the state.

Learn more about Sugar House Distillery at sugarhousedistillery.net.

SPRING 2022 | UTAH FARM AND FORK

Call for Applications

Utah 2022

Apply by:

August 1

Presented by Sand County Foundation in partnership with American Farmland Trust, and state partners: Utah Farm Bureau Federation, Western Ag Credit, and Utah Cattlemen’s Association.

2021 recipient Yardley Cattle Company

Leopold Conservation Award In his influential book, A Sand County Almanac, Aldo Leopold called for an ethical relationship between people and the land they own and manage. The development of a land ethic was, he wrote, “an evolutionary possibility and an ecological necessity.” A land ethic is alive and well today in the thousands of American farmers, ranchers and forestland owners who improve soil health, water quality and wildlife habitat.

Sand County Foundation proudly presents the Leopold Conservation Award to private landowners dedicated to leaving their land better than how they found it. They exemplify the spirit of Leopold’s land ethic.

In Utah, Sand County Foundation presents the Leopold Conservation Award in partnership with American Farmland Trust, and state partners: Utah Farm Bureau Federation, Western Ag Credit, and Utah Cattlemen’s Association.

The Leopold Conservation Award recipient receives $10,000 and a crystal award.

Leopold Conservation Awards recognize extraordinary achievement in voluntary conservation, inspire other landowners through their example, and help the general public understand the vital role private landowners play in conservation success.

UTAH FARM AND FORK | SPRING 2022 24

75+ hands-on degrees on campus and online

caas.usu.edu

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SPRING 2022 | UTAH FARM AND FORK

TIPS FOR BEING A SAVVY SUPERMARKET SHOPPER

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By Julene Reese, Public Relations Specialist, Utah State University Extension

s the rising cost of living is cutting into our budgets, it’s important to be savvy in our grocery shopping.

Consider these tips from Melanie Jewkes, Utah State University Extension assistant professor, on planning your shopping trips to save money at the grocery store.

• Check your home food inventory before going to the grocery store, including your pantry and food storage. What do you have on hand that should be used before it expires? What food storage items need to be rotated while still within peak quality?

• Take inventory of your freezer and refrigerator. There may be fresh foods that need to be eaten soon or items you forgot

about in the freezer.

• Look over grocery store ads to see what is on sale, and plan your meals accordingly.

• Make a menu before shopping, and remember to include a plan for leftovers.

This can be as simple as brown-bagging leftovers instead of eating out for lunch, or turning leftovers into another meal.

• Make your grocery list and do your best to

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stick to it. Or even better – use the grocery pick up or delivery option. This can help eliminate items you can do without, but are easy to succumb to when walking through the store.

• Use cash at the grocery store. This will help you be strategic and stick to your list and budget.

• Eat food before it spoils. The USDA estimates that the average American household of four wastes about $1,500 worth of food per year. That’s a lot of money that could be put toward something enjoyable and useful for your household.

• Think outside the recipe. Though we have learned to adapt to supply chain shortages, remember that when an item on your list isn’t available, you can look for other options. In meals such as soups, salads, and casseroles, grains can usually be swapped, based on what you have on hand, i.e., rice for barley, potatoes for noodles, etc. To get ideas, do an internet search for recipe substitutions.

• Don’t neglect vegetables and fruits. If prices are high on fresh produce, check for other options. Frozen vegetables are often reasonably priced and are usually cheaper per pound than fresh. They can be steamed, boiled, roasted, or added to soups, stir fry recipes, casseroles, and pastas. Shop for in-season produce for better prices. Canned vegetables and fruits are also a great option.

• Select family favorite meals that are less expensive and put them into your meal rotation regularly. Whole-grain, hearty pancakes are a fun, easy, and inexpensive meal to pair with eggs and fruit for a wellrounded dinner.

• Add budget-stretching foods to your menus.

Brown or white rice can add bulk in soups or chili. Homemade whole grain rolls, breadsticks, or quick breads are inexpensive to make and can help stretch a meal.

• When eating out, share a meal or eat out for dessert only. Or try setting a goal to reduce the number of times you dine out in a given amount of time.

• Take advantage of free school meals provided as a pandemic resource for your school-aged children. If you and your family qualify, take advantage of WIC or SNAP to stretch your food dollars even further.

It can be discouraging to see food costs rising, but remember – you have control over your spending. With discipline and effort, you can still be a savvy shopper.

THANK

YOU

Your donations help local farmers and hungry local families

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SPRING 2022 | UTAH FARM AND FORK

Gardening on a Budget

By Julia Misiego, Farmers Market Manager & Food Writer

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round this time of year, most everyone gets excited about gardening, especially vegetable gardening.

Gardening has many proven benefits for you and your family, including increased outdoor time, physical activity, learning how food is grown, and increased consumption of fruits and vegetables.

However, the unfortunate truth that any seasoned gardener will tell you, is that gardening can be expensive. In many cases, you will spend more on input costs than you will save on your grocery bill in the amount of produce you grow. However, the satisfaction of growing some of your own food and the taste can’t be beat!

Here are a few ways that you can access all the benefits of gardening, without breaking the bank.

Start Small I think we all (myself included) have had grand visions of creating edible backyards, fancying ourselves “homesteaders” or “micro-farmers”. We daydream of posting pictures to our social media feeds of lush and full beds with #urbanfarmer, #healthyeating, and #farming.

Start with a modest budget and try creating one small bed and a selection of plants that grow well in Utah and are fairly easy, like sweet corn, green beans, squash or tomatoes.

You can then experiment with all the different factors specific to your yard (pest management, sunshine location, soil needs, etc.) without a large investment.

But the truth is, your garden doesn’t need to be Instagram worthy, especially in the first year. Gardening has a huge learning curve, and it’s best to start quite small and be patient. You most likely won’t grow enough to replace your entire grocery needs and preserve/can for the whole next year- and that’s okay. It’s a wonderful goal to have, but the reality is that gardening is usually primarily a hobby, and something that you will improve on every year. That’s why we are grateful for farmers, because we don’t HAVE to grow all our own food.

You don’t NEED raised beds While we’re on the topic of aesthetics, something to consider is that you don’t NEED to have raised beds in order to have a successful garden. When you type “gardening” into google you usually only see pictures of perfect gardens in containers, but while raised beds definitely have their uses and benefits, they’re not required to garden, and they can be expensive to buy or build.

Consider exploring alternative options, like no-dig, where there are different methods of

UTAH FARM AND FORK | SPRING 2022 28

getting started that don’t require raised beds.

Essentially the principles are: kill existing weeds and grass in the area you want to use by laying down some layers of carboard, add soil/compost on top, get water to the area, and start planting. I personally followed Charles Dowding’s guide at charlesdowding. co.uk/start-here to start my own beds (and I’m definitely still a beginner)!

You can plant seeds directly into your beds or buy or grow your own seedlings. Growing your own seedlings will save you money, but it does take some extra effort. There are a multitude of free tutorials on platforms like YouTube and Google.

As mentioned before, there will be big learning curve with getting your garden started, especially when it comes to watering, weed management and pest control. You can experiment with different strategies to see what works best for you, your wallet and your plants.

Utilize Second-Hand Sites and Gardening Advice Pages You can always check local yard sale pages and websites for cheap seedlings, used gardening equipment, compost bins, free manure or soil in order to save on buying everything new. You can also save yourself some costly mistakes by following gardening advice pages.

In Utah, we have a wonderful resource in Utah State University Extension. They have social media pages that you can follow, like “USU Extension- Yard and Garden” on Facebook, or you can visit their website extension.usu.edu or gardening guides specific to Utah, including soil and water information. The Jordan Valley Conservancy District also has a conservation garden that is a great resource, especially when it comes to best watering practices.

They offer free classes and guides at conservationgardenpark.org/events.

Getting free advice from experts will help you improve your garden yields and prevent potential mistakes.

Growing food is a noble pursuit, but you don’t have to be a master gardener, or inf luencer, right now. There is so much value in trying, learning, failing and succeeding. Like one of my favorite quotes says: “Gardening is the slowest of the performing arts.”

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SPRING 2022 | UTAH FARM AND FORK

A TASTE OF SOUTHERN UTAH AT WOOD.ASH.RYE

BY JULIE ROBERTS

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nown for its stunning red-rock vistas, cherished historical landmarks, and proximity to national parks, St. George has always been one of Utah’s favorite recreational destinations. And now, the city has hit a new milestone. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, St. George is the fastest-growing metro area in the country, with an impressive 5.1% population increase over the course of just one year.

St. George’s restaurant industry is changing as well, with new eating establishments opening to accommodate the surge of incoming residents and the steady stream of tourists. One of those popular and exciting

restaurants is wood.ash.rye, a communal dining destination offering seasonally curated and locally inspired menu options.

Located in the Advenire, Autograph Collection, a luxury boutique hotel nestled in the heart of historic downtown St. George, wood.ash.rye appeals to diners who are looking for delicious and original dishes in an inviting setting. Chef Sam Walter, who helms the award-winning restaurant, explained how the eatery stands out in the market.

Creating Utah-Inspired Dishes Chef Walter understands why so many people are moving to St. George, because

he is a recent transplant himself. He grew up in Florida, where his family owned a New York-style deli. He later moved to Texas to study at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts. Afterwards, he honed his cooking skills working at various French and Japanese restaurants.

While he appreciated the diverse dining scene in Texas, Chef Walter was seeking a different experience. When he and his fiancée visited St. George while on vacation, they knew they had found their future home.

“We wanted to be someplace that’s smaller and more up-and-coming. Also, we love hiking and the outdoor life,” he shared. “St. George is such a beautiful place.”

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Part of the appeal for Chef Walter to live in St. George is his position at wood.ash. rye. He was hired by Executive Chef Shon Foster, and they share the same vision of creating dishes that are connected to Utah’s history and culture. For example, Chef Walter crafted a pork rinds dish, which is made with crispy pork skin, barbecue spice, house-made sambal, and “hot” honey – an acknowledgement of one of Utah’s signature products. And if you want a locally focused dessert, make sure to try the special Utah scones, served with sweet honey and dusted with powdered sugar. “The honey in Utah is the best I’ve ever tasted,” said Chef Walter.

Other locally sourced foods regularly featured at the restaurant include fish from Utah’s own rivers and tart cherries grown right in Utah County’s foothills. The cherry is an especially versatile option; Chef Walter has included it in a variety of wood.ash. rye’s menu offerings from pastries to a salad vinaigrette and even a grain bowl.

Using Seasonal Items as a Starting Point Another important part of wood.ash. rye’s culinary ethos is an emphasis on using seasonal produce whenever possible and rotating the menu accordingly. The restaurant is currently celebrating the spring season by serving a fresh salad with baby kale, arugula, shaved Brussels sprouts, heirloom carrots, macadamia nuts, nutritional yeast, avocado, and Meyer lemon vinaigrette.

Chef Walter has also focused on partnering with local vendors and creating dishes that highlight their products. He recently partnered with Park City Creamery to create one of wood.ash.rye’s current options, the Silver Queen Goat Cheese. This delicious dish is made with Park City Creamery’s goat cheese, snap peas, seeds, and a house-made pita bread.

To appeal to a diverse customer base, Chef Walter strives to create meal selections that will accommodate an abundance of tastes.

Meat eaters might opt for the half-roast chicken with harissa, demi-glace, chives, and lemon thyme. Those who are more on the vegetarian side prefer the ricotta agnolotti with herbs, garlic, shallots, cream, and white wine. And then there’s one item that has become a widespread favorite: the f luffy buttermilk biscuit, served with salted butter and jam and freshly baked in the onsite bakery.

Forming Community Bonds wood.ash.rye opened its doors in February 2020, right before the pandemic started impacting Utah residents.

W hile it was a difficult time for any business to survive, wood.ash.rye was able to do so. “The community rallied and really supported the restaurant,” said Chef Walter. “The customers love the new style of cuisine that we offer.”

Another reason diners enjoy their experiences at wood.ash.rye is the fully stocked bar and fun cocktail selections. Here again, there’s an effort to connect with the Utah community by using spirits and beers created by local distributors such as Wasatch Brewery and High West Distillery.

In addition to the delectable meal and drink options, customers appreciate wood.ash.rye because of its welcoming ambiance. The space is filled with warm woods and sturdy marble-topped tables that are ideal for sharing menu items with family and friends. The design, affectionately termed “pioneer chic” by the dining staff, is elegant but still comforting.

In this appealing setting, Chef Walter looks forward to crafting more innovative and seasonally inspired meals for wood. ash.rye’s customers.

As he explained, “With its exceptional cuisine, elegant design, and expanded cocktail menu, wood.ash.rye offers a full culinary experience.”

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SPRING 2022 | UTAH FARM AND FORK

Food Holidays May 1 National Lemonade Day

May 2 National Truffle Day

May 4 National Orange Juice Day

May 5 National Hoagie

May 6 National Beverage Day

May 7 National Roast Leg of Lamb Day

May 8 National Coconut Cream Pie Day

May 9 National Butterscotch Brownie Day

May 10 National Shrimp Day

May 12 National Nutty Fudge Day

May 13 National Apple Pie Day

May 14 National Buttermilk Biscuit Day

May 15 National Chocolate Chip Day

May 16 National Barbecue Day

May 17 National Cherry Cobbler Day

May 19 National Devil's Food Cake Day

May 21 National Strawberries and Cream Day

May 26 National Blueberry Cheesecake Day

May 28 National Hamburger Day

May 31 National Macaroon Day

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June 1 World Milk Day

June 2 National Rocky Road Day

June 3 National Donut Day

June 4 National Cheese Day

June 5 National Veggie Burger Day

June 6 National Applesauce Cake Day

June 9 National Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day

June 10 National Egg Roll Day

June 11 National German Chocolate Cake Day

June 12 National Peanut Butter Cookie Day

June 14 National Strawberry Shortcake Day

June 16 National Fudge Day

June 17 National Apple Strudel Day

June 18 International Sushi Day

June 20 National Kouign Amann Day

June 21 National Smoothie Day

June 22 National Onion Ring Day

June 23 National Pecan Sandies Day

June 25 National Strawberry Parfait Day

June 26 National Chocolate Pudding Day

June 27 National Ice Cream Cake Day

June 28 National Tapioca Day

June 29 National Almond Buttercrunch Day

June 30 National Bomb Pop Day

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SPRING 2022 | UTAH FARM AND FORK

UTAH FARM AND FORK | SPRING 2022 34

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

HELPING LOCAL FARMERS AND FEEDING LOCAL FAMILIES

GREAT RENTAL CARS AT GREAT RATES With Avis, enjoy offers like: • Farm Bureau® members save up to 30% off base rates • Complimentary upgrades • Dollars off your rental • Rental days on us Reserve today at avis.com/ UTFB and use AWD# A298800.

A298844

Terms and Conditions: The savings of up to 30% applies to Avis base rates and is applicable only to the time and mileage charges of the rental. Please mention A298844 to take advantage of this offer. Offer is available for U.S. and AWD A1234567 Canadian residents only for rentals at participating locations in the U.S and Canada. ©2020 Avis Rent A Car System, LLC

RED STOPS AT NOTHING.

TM

35

SPRING 2022 | UTAH FARM AND FORK

Robo-advisors can’t take Robo-advisors can’t take the place of real people. the place of real people.

Creating the right financial plan takes more than a generic algorithm. It Creating the right financial plan takes more than a generic algorithm. It takes someone who gets to know you and your goals. For over 80 years, takes someone who gets to know you and your goals. For over 80 years,

we’ve helped our clients by building relationships first and plans second. we’ve helped our clients by building relationships first and plans second.

Contact your Farm Bureau agent or advisor to learn more.

Contact your Farm Bureau agent or advisor to learn more.

Insurance Insurance | | Financial Financial Planning Planning Securities & services offered through FBL Marketing Services, LLC,+ 5400 University Ave., MemberSIPC. SIPC.Advisory Advisory services offered through Securities & services offered through FBL Marketing Services, LLC,+ 5400 University Ave.,West WestDes DesMoines, Moines,IA IA50266, 50266, 877/860-2904, 877/860-2904, Member services offered through FBLFBL + +* +* + + Bureau Property & Casualty Insurance Company, Western +* +* Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company + */West Des Moines, IA. Individual Farm Agricultural Insurance Company, WealthWealth Management, LLC. Management, LLC. Farm Bureau Property & Casualty Insurance Company, Western Agricultural Insurance Company, Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company */West Des Moines, IA. Individual must bemust a registered representative of FBLofMarketing Services, LLC LLC to discuss securities products. adviserrepresentative representativewith withFBL FBLWealth Wealth Management, to discuss be a registered representative FBL Marketing Services, to discuss securities products.Individual Individualmust mustbe bean aninvestment investment adviser Management, LLCLLC to discuss + + ** Farm Bureau BureauFinancial FinancialServices.

Services.WM015 WM015 (2-22) advisory services.

Individual must must be licensed withwith issuing company to offer insurance products.

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