organic

GOOD TO GROW

September 17, 2018

Originally published in Continuum on September 17, 2018.

Jessica Kemper, coordinator of the U’s Edible Campus Gardens, shows off produce from this season’s abundant harvest at their garden east of Pioneer Memorial Theatre. Kemper helps organize more than 75 student volunteers, who work shifts year round composting, trellising, weeding, planting, and harvesting at both the Pioneer Garden and their plot by the Sill Center. Come fall, there is enough produce to donate to the Feed U Pantry, share with volunteers, and sell at the U’s Farmers Market, which takes place Thursdays just west of the Union Building from mid-August to early October.

[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”5″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_thumbnails” override_thumbnail_settings=”0″ thumbnail_width=”240″ thumbnail_height=”160″ thumbnail_crop=”1″ images_per_page=”20″ number_of_columns=”0″ ajax_pagination=”0″ show_all_in_lightbox=”0″ use_imagebrowser_effect=”0″ show_slideshow_link=”1″ slideshow_link_text=”[Show slideshow]” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

Farmers Market by the Numbers

December 7, 2017

Each Thursday during the first seven weeks of school, the University of Utah Farmers Market transforms Tanner Plaza from a sitting area to a thriving community. For anyone who has walked through the space, it is easy to see why the farmers market is a favorite fall activity for students, staff, faculty, and community members alike.

The Double Your Dollars program returned for the fifth year, thanks to support from U of U Health. This program enabled students and SNAP recipients to purchase $1-for-$1 tokens that could be used on grocery-like items.

“It was a great year to be part of the market! Our vendors provided opportunities for students to take home community-based food, and with the Double Your Dollars program these options become more affordable for students” said Jessica Kemper, Farmers Market Manager

Here is a look at the successes of the 2017 season, by the numbers:

[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”4″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_imagebrowser” ajax_pagination=”0″ template=”/mnt/nfs/html/zion.umc.utah.edu/wp-content/plugins/nextgen-gallery/products/photocrati_nextgen/modules/ngglegacy/view/imagebrowser-caption.php” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

 
 

VEG OUT

September 19, 2017

Originally posted in @theU on Sept. 18, 2017.

By the Sustainability Office

While students are cramming for exams, working and completing homework, it can sometimes be challenging to find and afford fresh food. This semester, the Edible Campus Gardens and Feed U Pantry have partnered to place healthy, fresh produce in the hands of busy students at the Friday afternoon Produce Pickups.

U students with a valid uNID will find Edible Campus Gardens staff members and fresh harvested vegetables outside of the Feed U Pantry, on the lower level of the Student Union on Friday afternoons from 1-2 p.m., through Oct. 6.

Produce available for pickup may include huge heirloom tomatoes, basil, chard, beans, zucchini, rhubarb, cucumbers, herbs and more, all grown on campus and gathered by student volunteers and the Garden Stewards.

“Our goal is to offer fresh items for students at the food pantry. Everyone deserves local and healthy produce, students especially. I hope that the event only continues to grow,” said Jessica Kemper, Garden Program coordinator.

Supplying fresh vegetables to the university community is part of the mission of the Edible Campus Gardens. Produce harvested from the gardens is sold at the University of Utah Farmers Market and to different food vendors on campus. The gardens have historically donated unsold farmers market produce to the Feed U Pantry on Fridays in the fall. However, it has sometimes been difficult to distribute the produce before it spoiled.

When Kemper arrived on campus in summer 2017, she began working with the Feed U Pantry to transplant an idea from her alma mater UW-Madison that would get the produce in the hands of more students. This idea has become the Friday afternoon Produce Pickups.

In the first two weeks of the Produce Pickups, more than 20 students took 50 pounds of delicious vegetables home with them. Edible Campus Gardens staff members were also able to engage students in meaningful conversation about where the garden produce comes from, how to cook with it, and food resources available on campus, including the Feed U Pantry.  

“We are delighted to have fresh foods available through the Produce Pickups, and to help students become more aware of the resources the Feed U Pantry and Edible Campus Gardens have to offer,” said Nick Knight, executive director of the Feed U Pantry.

Current U students can check out the Produce Pickups for themselves and take home fresh, free vegetables. Don’t forget to bring your uNID (and a reusable bag) and head down to the basement of the Student Union this Friday from 1-2 p.m.

Sprouting Upward

August 15, 2017

By Ayrel Clark-Proffitt, Farmers Market co-manager. Originally posted on August 14, 2017.

In 2008, the Sustainability Office and several campus partners came to a conclusion: The university needed better access to healthy and local food options. To meet this need, the partners launched the University of Utah Farmers Market. Organizers sent invitations to students, administrators and even residents of neighborhoods adjacent to campus, explaining their goal to “bring fresh, local food to the campus in order to help build healthier, more sustainable lifestyles.”

Ten seasons later, the popular market excels at connecting students, faculty and staff with local farmers and food purveyors. But even more so, the market has become a space for community, where students hang out and interact with small business owners from the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. This year’s market kicks off at Tanner Plaza, west of the Union, on Thursday, Aug. 24, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., and takes place every Thursday through Oct. 5.

I first participated in the Farmers Market in 2013, where I witnessed firsthand the powerful link between food and community. The market is a staple of the fall semester, and campus members come back year after year to frequent their favorite stalls. It can look like seeing old friends, or in some cases, even like seeing family. Searching through the records of the past 10 seasons, I learned that some vendors, such as Tagge’s Famous Fruit & Veggie Farms and Jensen Farms, have been part of the market since the very beginning. Perennial favorites Tamales Tita joined the market in 2012. Other early vendors are now better known for their brick-and-mortar stores, such as Tulie Bakery and Skewered Thai. And newer vendors are branching out beyond traditional farmers markets — you can grab a Bubble & Brown pastry at Three Pines Coffee downtown or get some Salsa Del Diablo on your sandwich at The Bagel Project. For this fall’s market, we have accepted 25 vendors — some new and some returning.

In celebration of the 10th season, we are broadening our community focus by inviting more nonprofit organizations and campus partners to join the market to better highlight local opportunities and resources. Groups including the Green Urban Lunchbox and Enterprise CarShare will be part of the market, and campus entities including (but not limited to) Student Success Advocates, Student Equity & Diversity and Career Services will be in attendance.

We’re also keeping our original mission to increase access at the forefront of our market. The Double Your Dollars program will return for its fifth season, thanks to support from University of Utah Health. Double Your Dollars provides students with a $1-to-$1 match for students and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients to purchase produce/food items at the market. Participants purchase tokens from the Market Manager’s Booth and can spend those tokens on grocery-like food items, including (but not limited to) fruits, vegetables, honey, salsa and baked goods. More than 400 students took advantage of the program last year.

When I took over management of the University of Utah Farmers Market in 2015, I was reminded of the service the market provides the campus community. I watched consumers interact with producers, which is so often lost in our faceless food system. I listened to producers describe where ingredients are grown, which is regularly hidden by lists of indecipherable ingredients. The market is a place to eat local, real food, and just as important, a place to gather. See you Aug. 24.

Making Real Progress

May 5, 2017

Originally posted on April 24, 2017.

By Katie Stevens, Sustainable Utah Blog Writing Intern

In February 2015, President David W. Pershing committed the University of Utah to the Real Food Challenge — a goal to have 20 percent of the university’s food categorized as “real” by 2020. “Real food” is a newer term used to describe food that is local/community-based, fair, ecologically sound and humane.

This semester “real food” labels have arrived in some campus stores, and the local New Roots Farm, which employs refugee farmers, has begun sourcing organic produce to the Peterson Heritage Center dining hall.

The new labels highlight the elements of “real food,” and are now on food items at Mom’s Café and Mom’s Pantry at the Marriott Library and the Counsel Café in the S.J. Quinney College of Law.

“These labels increase transparency about the food students are consuming,” said Emily Paul co-chair of the U’s Real Food Challenge student group. “This will give students the opportunity to make more sustainable and ethical food choices now and moving forward.”

In fall 2016, New Roots Farm provided 500-1,000 pounds of organic produce to Dining Services, according to Chris Natalie, farm incubator specialist at New Roots Farm. The farm operates under the International Rescue Committee, equipping people from refugee communities with garden beds through a community garden program and enabling them to grow food for their families. If individuals are moved into the farming program, they have the potential to make an income from farming.

“I can see reaching the goal of having 20 percent real food on campus before 2020,” said Daniel Waters*, assistant to the executive head chef for University Dining Services and food sustainability coordinator.

GET INVOLVED: Use the Real Food guide to put your food to the real food test. If you are interested in the progress of the Real Food Challenge on the University of Utah campus or want to get involved, email realfoodutah@gmail.com.

*Editor’s Note: Since the time of publishing, Daniel Waters has moved on from the U. 

GROW FRESH FOOD ALL YEAR LONG.

February 28, 2017

By: Quinn Graves, Edible Campus Garden Steward.

Producing food in these final days of winter is hard enough due to chilly temperatures and low light. Put classes, schoolwork, job, skiing, and everything else we do and gardening goes to the bottom of the to do list.

Most posts about indoor gardening call for grow lights and controlled climates, but for many of us, we have neither the time nor money to set up a blissful indoor garden.

Do not fret! I’ve compiled three (almost) fool-proof foods that anyone with the desire to can grow food, inside, without grow lights or much effort.

Regrow green onions.

Green onions, among some other produce you may find in your kitchen, can be reused. If you use the top parts of the green onions, you can place the root ends in water and watch them grow. To do this, put the root ends of green onions into a shallow bowl. Make sure the ends are long enough not to be submerged (see picture). Every two to three days, change out the water and watch your green onions re-grow within a week.

When I regrow green onions, I only reuse them once. All plants need more than just water to grow and to provide nutrients, and if you regrow green onions multiple times, they will lose flavor and nutritional value.

Sprouting in a jar.

Growing sprouts is a great way to save money and to grow yourself a vitamin-packed jar of goodness. Check out this great tutorial on how to sprout seeds in a jar. Sprouting is super rewarding because a jar with a half inch of seeds will turn into a bounty of sprouts great for sandwiches, salads, or snacks.

Growing micro greens.

Microgreens are basically itty-bitty lettuces that pack a punch in the nutrient department. Growing microgreens is my favorite on this list. I love it, because I get to plant seeds in dirt and see the little greens emerge. Just like growing lettuce, but even easier! All you need is a little bit of soil, some seeds, a shallow dish, like a berry clamshell container, and a south-facing window to grow your greens in. This tutorial will give you guidance on growing your own microgreens.

There you have it! Three super simple, low-tech ways you can produce food in the warmth of your home.

Quinn is an undergraduate student and ECG steward studying Environmental & Sustainability Studies and Geography with an emphasis in biogeography and ecology. She loves to ski, venture around the world, and is a real-life garden gnome.

Cover Photo: “Beans day five- Kaos” by Lenore Edman is licensed under CC BY 2.0