Utah Farm and Fork - Winter 2019/2020

Utah Farm Bureau

UTAH COMPANY HOPES YOUR MEALS GO UP IN Smoke

Winter 2019/2020

SEVEN CHILDREN, THOUSANDS OF SHEEP AND A

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A Time to Reflect on What Matters Most

By Ron Gibson, President, Utah Farm Bureau Federation

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s we find ourselves in the holiday season, I would like to extend a warm greeting to all who may be reading this magazine. You may notice a new look and feel to this magazine, and that is intentional. We have been hard at work to refresh our magazine, even giving it a new name. We bid a fond farewell to Countryside, which has served us well for many years, and welcome Utah Farm and Fork, as the new magazine for members of the Utah Farm Bureau Federation. We hope you thumb through the pages and find ways to connect to what we call, the “Miracle of Agriculture.”

I love this time of year because things slow down just a little on our farm, giving us a time to reflect — taking a step back from the busyness of everyday life — and think about that which matters most. As I’ve looked back, I’ve been reminded of the goodness that exists in people. Even though some would have us think humanity is just thinking about themselves, there are examples of people looking out for one another that inspire me moving forward.

It may be news for some who don’t work in agriculture, but farm and ranch families have been suffering in recent years. Despite strong economic conditions in our country, agriculture has had a hard go of things because of a mix of low prices for farm products, market uncertainties due — at least in part — to trade tariffs, and the always present threat of weather-related challenges.

These dynamics have led to a number of farms going out of business and placed stresses on families throughout our state. But there have also been hopeful stories shared of others throughout our state learning to get the help they need to cope. I have been impressed with what appears to be a greater willingness to talk about addiction and mental health, and know we all can benefit from being more understanding.

As well as offering a listening ear, many have lent a helping hand to our neighbors during times of need. This past fall, with a quick drop in temperatures, farmers throughout our state and others were in a race with the clock to get certain crops harvested before a killing frost set in. There were plenty of sleepless nights on our farm, as my family worked to get onions and other crops harvested, and we were blessed with help from neighbors. I've heard stories similar to these happening throughout Utah and neighboring states.

As 2019 comes to an end, I invite all of us to take that inventory of what matters most and resolve to focus on those things more in 2020. Please enjoy the holiday season, cherish your loved ones, and set out with enthusiasm for what promises to be an exciting 2020!

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ISSN 1068-5960

CONTENTS

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Utah Company Hopes Your Meals Go Up In Smoke

8 10 13 14 21 22 24 26 26 28 30 34 36 14 38

Financial Resolutions for 2020 I'm Not a Farmer But ... Olympian Shares Her Love of Food and Family You Can Learn Something From Everyone You Meet ­­— Especially Children Seven Children, Thousands of Sheep and a Famous Ski Resort FUSION Conference Southern Utah Is Nuts for the Holidays What Do Healthy Rangelands Mean to You? USU Adds a Little ‘'Willy Wonka'’ to Its Campus With Chocolate Factory Big J Milling: A Flour Business that Keeps On Rising Food Bloggers Share How Food Connects Us All Take a Food and Farm Tour This Year, Courtesy of Taste Utah Tired of Socks and Gift Cards? Give Better With Utah Food Fires Happen: Planning Is Key to Getting Out

@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 | Dale Newton, Chief Executive Officer, Utah Farm Bureau Federation | Matt Hargreaves, Managing Editor & Vice President of Communications | 4770 S 5600 West | West Valley City, UT 84170 | 801-204-6500 | utahmediagroup.com Brent Low, President & CEO | Megan Donio, Publications Manager | Kristy Kuhn, Editorial Coordinator | Camille Durtschi, Layout & Design Utah Farm and Fork is the official publication of the Utah Farm Bureau Federation. ©2019 by the Utah Farm Bureau Federation.

Periodicals Postage Paid at Sandy, Utah and at additional mailing offices.

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

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FINANCIAL RE$OLUTIONS FOR 2020

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By Amanda Christenson, AFC, Utah State University Extension Associate Professor

t’s hard to make a resolution in January and still feel passionate about keeping it when May rolls around. When it comes to financial goals, sometimes we can be more successful setting monthly goals rather than yearly goals (i.e., a savings goal in January, a spending goal in February, a debt payment goal in March). Here are five realistic monthly money goals to consider implementing in the first five months of 2020.

is meaningful to you and commit to spending money on things that matter most. In order to do this, you may need to look at your current spending patterns and understand what is helping you reach your life goals and what is not. An outing with your kids, a date with your significant other, an act of service or some “me” time at the spa may all provide more purpose than filling your online shopping cart and clicking to more mindless spending.

1. January: Pay Yourself First. This is one of

the most common financial phrases. In other words, make the first “bill” you pay every month be a portion of your paycheck into your own savings account. There are countless reasons why regularly contributing money to savings is a good financial strategy. Anyone who has had to draw on their savings during a financial emergency will tell you that the peace of mind of having some funds stockpiled is well worth the sacrifice.

3. March: Examine Your Side Hustle. Nowadays, it’s common to find people thinking outside the box to earn a bit of money on the side. There are numerous examples of people who make extra money simply by sharing their talents with others (i.e., photography, childcare, art, teaching a skill, baking, etc). Do you have a side hustle? If so, examine your efforts. If not, think outside the box. What can you do to improve your income during this month in 2020?

2. February: Spend with a Purpose.

4. April: Plan to Prosper. It's okay to say to

Discretionary income is the income that remains after the deduction of taxes, mandatory expenses and expenditures on necessary items. (Investopedia.com). Instead of a focus on restricting spending, turn the perspective to spending more meaningfully. Decide what

yourself, “I expect to succeed financially!” A positive mindset is much more likely to lead to positive results, and paired with positive actions, we can really beef up our bank accounts! For example, one common budget buster is food expenses. In fact, MarketWatch published a

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survey showing that 45% of Americans cite food costs as their biggest budget buster, which proves that for one reason or another, eating out is an easy trap many of us fall into. So … plan ahead, and not when you are exhausted or hungry.

Stock up on freezer meals, take advantage of free grocery pickup, plan your meals for a week, set up a meal swap with a trusted friend or family member, etc. If you know that a great meal is waiting for you at home, the impulse to dine out will be less. Try this for a month. You may be surprised at how much you can cut your food expenses with a little planning.

5. May: Invest in Yourself. Whether it’s formal

or informal education, every bit of knowledge we gather contributes to our human capital (the collective skills, knowledge or other intangible assets that can be used to create economic value; Gary Becker, economist, University of Chicago).

Investing in ourselves can reap great rewards that spill over into our financial lives — from learning a new skill to taking a mental health day. Investing in yourself will affect every aspect of your life — including your financial well-being.

Photos courtesy of USU Extension.

utah farm & fork

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U

tah Farm and Fork caught up with Noelle Pikus-Pace, silver-medalist in skeleton from the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia and local Utahn to talk about her time growing up in Utah, her Olympic adventures, and her connections to food. Pikus-Pace was born in Provo, and grew up in Orem, Utah, attending Mountain View High School and Utah Valley University. Pikus-Pace participated in the Winter Olympic Games in 2006 (Torino, Italy), 2010 (Vancouver, Canada), and 2014 (Sochi, Russia). After a devastating leg injury caused by a runaway bobsled during preliminary runs in Vancouver, Pikus-Pace retired from skeleton. She later picked the sport back up and earned a silver medal at the 2014 Olympics.

Q. What’s your hometown? Where have you lived during your life?

A. My husband, Janson, and I both grew up in Orem, Utah. Throughout our marriage, we have lived in Orem, Eagle Mountain, Alajuela, Costa Rica, Chanhassen, Minnesota and I currently live in Saratoga Springs, Utah.

Q. Do you have siblings? Where do you fit in the birth order?

A. I am the youngest of eight children and totally believe that if in fact I was spoiled in my later years, it was just the reward for actually surviving the younger years.

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Q. Did you grow up on a farm/ranch? Or if not, did your family have a garden when you were growing up? What experiences with growing food did you and your family have?

A. Although I didn’t grow up on a farm or ranch, our fruit trees and garden were always something I was proud of. I would anxiously watch day by day as things would grow and anticipate when we could reap the rewards of our work. It’s very fulfilling to be self-reliant.

We had plum, peach, apricot, apple and cherry trees growing up. My favorite fruits to pick were the green apples and the cherries because the tree branches were fun to climb. One of my favorite memories as a child was building a make-shift little fort in our huge cherry tree. Near the end of each summer, I would happily volunteer to climb that big tree and pick cherries (eating handfuls as I picked). I loved making “inventions” that could help me to be more efficient at picking and gathering the fruit.

Q. Did you have favorite things to do as a child? Or things you hated doing?

A. I loved adventure wherever I could find it. I remember going into seventh grade with an assignment to read Tom Sawyer. To add [excitement] to this assignment, my best friend, Oliva Burr and I decided it would be best to experience a little bit of Tom Sawyer’s life as we read about him, so we built a raft (out of 50 two-liter soda bottles) and floated down the Provo River as we read the book. We floated that river more times than I can count, but the days of reading about

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Tom and Huck while floating the river were definitely a highlight of my childhood.

Q. Were you the perfect child? Or perhaps a little less than perfect?

A. Ha, ha, ha, now that’s a funny question. Definitely less than perfect.

Q. What type of student were you while growing up?

A. I was a good student. I know that my grades were in-part a reflection of my competitive nature. My parents always instilled in us a great desire to learn and to give our best effort in every aspect of our lives.

They always emphasized the need to obtain as much education as possible. They also emphasized that much learning isn’t necessarily in a classroom either. They taught us in many ways about a variety of life-skills and how to become self-reliant.

Q. What about your career? How did you end up becoming an Olympic athlete?

A. First and foremost, I am a mom of four great kids. I am also an author, high performance consultant and keynote speaker. I was introduced to skeleton (the crazy winter Olympic sport where you run and jump, head-first, onto a little sled and slide down the side of a mountain at speeds above 90 miles/hour) when I was in high school. I ran track at Mountain View and one of my coaches, Steve Revelli, asked if I wanted to try bobsledding. It was one of those right time, right

place moments in life and I am forever grateful for the opportunity.

go, I become someone who eats because I really need the energy but don’t necessarily have the time to eat.

Q. Did you go to college?

A. I graduated from Utah Valley University with a bachelor’s degree in community health. Go Wolverines! I competed in track & field while I was there and then went on to earn an online master’s degree in business administration from Colorado Technical University.

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

A. I love Ernie’s Sports Deli in Orem, Yummy’s Korean BBQ in Orem, and CoreLife Eatery.

Q. Describe a typical workday A. My schedule changes from day to day and is fairly flexible, which is a huge blessing as a mom. Sometimes I need time on my computer to write, create, plan and organize while other times I am in an auditorium in front of elementary school children, on a large televised stage in front of corporate executives, or in a room with a sales team helping them to align their goals. It is very rewarding to see excitement and growth in those I work with.

Q. What are your favorite foods?

A. Vegetable – Can homemade salsa count as one vegetable? I’d definitely have to add sweet corn on the cob. Fruit – White peaches, apples, and of course, cherries. Meat – Chicken, beef and pork.

Q. How would you classify yourself from an eating standpoint? Are you an omnivore (someone who eats any and everything), an herbivore (someone who just eats plants), someone on a paleo diet (just meats and dairy products), or something else?

A. I am definitely an omnivore.

Q. Are you someone who eats because they have to or are you someone who eats because you love to eat?

A. It depends on the day. If I have a lazy or relaxing day or evening, I am definitely eating because I love to eat. If my day is packed with things to do and places to

Q. What’s the worst thing you’ve ever eaten?

A. Warm pureed salmon paste for Thanksgiving dinner during a World Cup event in Austria. I felt obligated to eat it and still have regrets for doing so.

Q. What’s the best meal you’ve ever had and why?

A. The “Pikus Christmas Casserole.” It’s my mom’s sausage, egg and cheese casserole. It is absolutely delicious, and I have never found anyone that makes it the way that she does. I have carried over the tradition that we had growing up to make this casserole every Christmas and Easter morning. Although it isn’t quite as good when I make it (there’s something about a mother’s love that gives it that special ingredient), my kids now love it and the memories continue to grow.

Q. What was the favorite meal/food you ate growing up? Or what food memories to you have from your childhood?

A. My most memorable memories surrounding food all took place around our kitchen table. My parents placed a very high priority on having dinner together as a family every night. Although my mom and dad both worked full-time jobs, my mom was consistent in her effort to make a variety of meals. My parents left no room and no question in our home for picky eaters. We would have to sit at the table until every bite on our plate was consumed, or else we would have to eat it for breakfast. As a seven-year-old not wanting to swallow my clam chowder, it was a little traumatic.

Now looking back, and after having the many cultural experiences that I have had in my life, I am extremely grateful for the way that I was raised to appreciate a

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wide variety of foods. Another memory is that my dad rarely cooked … but when he did, it was epic. My dad always prided himself with making two meals very well: Very hearty, healthy and meaty spaghetti sauce … and the biggest buckwheat pancakes you have ever seen in your entire life. The buckwheat pancakes would soak up the syrup so quickly that as kids, I remember times we would literally have to take a bite of the buckwheat pancake and then immediately pour the syrup in our mouth to compensate.

Q. Describe to me your favorite kind of meal, something you eat on a fairly regular basis.

A. One of my favorite meals is fajitas. I love that it has vegetables, protein and carbohydrates all in the palm of your hand.

Q. Do you like to cook? What is your go-to meal/ dish/recipe?

A. I like to eat a variety of foods and try to find balance in what we eat, but sometimes with kids, life gets crazy and there isn’t much time for cooking or meal preparation. One thing I love to do is buy a larger quantity of ground beef, cook it all at once, let it cool and then put it into baggies and freeze it. This makes meals when there isn’t much time to prepare, quick and easy.

Q. Do you have a favorite recipe?

A. Butternut squash soup, cheesy cauliflower casserole, stuffed green peppers, fresh homemade bread, meatloaf, and my moms Christmas casserole.

Q. Is there anything else you’d like to add?

A. A huge thank you to each of you for working so hard and producing such high-quality foods for Utah!

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YOU CAN LEARN SOMETHING FROM EVERYONE YOU MEET — ESPECIALLY CHILDREN

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By Susan Furner, Vice President — Administration, Utah Farm Bureau Federation

’ve always been a firm believer you can learn something from everyone you meet if you are open enough to listen.

As parents, we feel a sense of responsibility to teach our children every good thing. How to brush their teeth, say their prayers, and work hard. We teach them to take care of what they have, to be kind, to share, and to say thank you, along with a thousand other lessons both intentional and unintentional. Many pages have been written about valuable life lessons children have learned from their parents. But, it’s a wonderful surprise that some of the greatest life lessons parents learn are taught by their children — many times by simply standing by and observing them.

Lee Sorenson is eight years old and from Millard County. He showed his first lamb this year at the state fair. Lee doesn’t mind hard work and he always wants to do his best. He worked with a wether lamb (a castrated male sheep) all summer. And when I say “worked,” I mean Lee devoted many hours over several months to the proper care, feeding and management of his potentially award-winning lamb. He learned how to exercise, feed and care for his lamb.

Lee’s mom, Erin, describes the lamb as “terrible.”

He was difficult to work with and often fought and pushed back. There were times when it was hard to want to work with the lamb. But Lee, with the guidance of his mom and dad, worked hard to the end to show the lamb.

Lee had the opportunity to show his lamb at the county fair, the first step toward showing at the state fair. He was called back for the final round of showmanship and then moved on to the state fair, where things didn’t go as planned. It was a hard and good week.

“If you asked us how this week went from a showing perspective, it was not good, but Lee has taught us a few things,” Erin Sorenson said. “He came in last and smiled through the show and didn’t stop even when his lamb wouldn’t cooperate. It’s hard to lose, but at eight years old, I watched him keep trying even after he knew it wasn’t his day.”

“Other kids who were showing at the fair made a big difference for Lee,” Erin added. “They came up to tell him ‘You’re doing a good job,’ or ‘Try this,’ or ‘I had a lamb just like that last year.’”

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“I was worried he wouldn’t want to do this again, but instead he came up to me with ‘ideal’ changes he wants to make,” Erin concluded. “He wants to invest in new equipment like a new blower and clippers. He’s going to build a jump to exercise the lamb so it will grow strong leg muscles. He told me he was glad he got to learn from the ‘best of the state’ (his words, not mine).

He told me he should’ve worked harder, that he let his team down (talking about him and his lamb) and that he knows he has to put in even more time.”

Who wouldn’t put that experience in the winning column? Think of what could happen at your place of

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work if everyone had a positive “Lee Sorenson Kind of Attitude.”

Kids teach us resilience and how to pick up and keep going even after a big disappointment. To children, every day is a fresh start and they’re excited to try again.

They’re eager to learn, and they aren’t afraid to share what they’ve learned.

It’s true, you can learn something from everyone you meet. What are the best lessons you’ve learned from children, or from someone else you’ve met along the way?

W

hat do seven children, thousands of sheep and a famous ski resort have in common? The Osguthorpe family!

Steve Osguthorpe’s family farm is located in the heart of Park City, Utah on the world-renowned Park City Mountain Resort — the venue of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games.

Steve grew up on a dairy and raised sheep from the time he was a kid, but his wife, Vickie, did not. She had a big awakening when she said “I do” to Mr. Osguthorpe.

“Whatever came up on the farm I learned how to do, Vickie said. “I learned how to drive stick right away.”

She helped her boys change the sprinklers and says that the best gift Steve ever bought her was a center pivot, which irrigates fields in a circular pattern around a central pivot point and vastly improves the efficiency and ease of irrigation. “Better than diamonds,” Vickie said. Over the years Vickie has helped with everything on the farm — well almost everything. She drew a line in the sand when it came to learning how to drive a semi.

The Osguthorpes’ have seven children; Stevie, Roger, Brian, Maria, Mike, Brad and Chad. All the children along with their spouses and 17 grandchildren are involved in the farm in some way.

When asked what they are most proud of, Steve and Vickie agree, “We’re most proud that our children want their kids to grow up as they did. All of them know their roots. They know where they came from.

They’re responsible people with common sense. They know how to work, and they know how to give back.”

Hard work was instilled at a very young age in the Osguthorpe children. Their son, Roger, had perfect attendance in school because he knew there would be harder work at home than going to school! Vickie recalls, “When the kids had a job, they had to finish it because no one else would finish it for them.”

The Osguthorpe own a sheep ranch. During summer months hikers, bikers, and outdoor enthusiasts can see the sheep grazing in their natural habitat right on the ski slopes of the Park City Mountain Resort. They take pride in knowing they are one of the only ranches in North America to graze on a ski resort.

Sheep graze in the mountains in the cooler summer months, and when winter comes around, and skiers invade the slopes to enjoy the best snow on earth, the sheep are moved by truck to graze the rangeland near Delta. You might think that skiers would be a bother to the farm, but it allows the Osguthorpe family to share

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natural fiber that is water-resistant, fireresistant, breathable and durable making it a perfect fit for uniforms.

There’s a common misconception that wool is bulky, scratchy and can’t be worn next to skin, but the Osguthorpes raise Merino sheep whose wool is incredibly fine — making a fabric that feels soft and gentle to the skin. This wool is used in suits, sweaters, cardigans, pullovers and the rising trend of stylish wool socks.

their family story and their ranching heritage.

“We value our relationship with the Osguthorpe family and share their deep appreciation and commitment for the land where we work and play.

It’s a win-win scenario where the family gets to work the land as they have for generations and our guests create experiences of a lifetime skiing and snowboarding in an amazingly beautiful setting,” said Bill Rock, senior vice president and chief operating officer of Park City Mountain Resort.

All photos courtesy of Osguthorpe family.

“It’s satisfying to know the base layer clothing and socks skiers wear could very well have come from the wool from our sheep. The sheep that grazed the vegetation beneath their feet,” said Brad Osguthorpe, one of Steve and Vickie’s sons.

Wool is an important part of their ranch business plan as the family supplies high-quality wool to the United States military for uniforms. Wool is a

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Wool pulls moisture vapor away from the skin and can absorb more than 30% of its weight before it even feels damp. At the microscopic level, wool fibers overlap like shingles on a roof. This keeps dirt and moisture on the surface, making wool breathable and easy to clean. Wool is regaining popularity as a natural fiber that is also good for the environment.

In addition to Merino sheep, the Osguthorpe's raise Suffolk sheep for meat. Lamb is a flavorful, nutrientrich lean meat. A single portion of lamb provides almost half the daily protein recommendation — an ideal fuel for active skiers. Lamb chops and ribs are favorite cuts, but chefs are getting creative when cooking with lamb as it is becoming more and more popular especially among millennials, who are spontaneous and adventurous about trying new foods.

The family partners with the resort’s food and beverage department to add their lamb to the menus throughout the resort restaurants as well as restaurants along Park City’s famous Main Street. The resort also uses lambskins as décor throughout their lodges.

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In addition to grazing sheep, the Osguthorpe's plant and harvest 280 acres (think 280 football fields) of alfalfa, and rotate that with oats, in Park City. The family also has more than 600 acres in Delta, Utah where they grow corn, hay, barley, and oats.

The family also incorporated an agri-tourism component into their business. Red Pine Adventures is an outdoor recreation business that offers guided horseback tours in the summer and snowmobile trips in the winter. This allows guests to tour their ranch, enjoy and observe livestock and view the beauty of Park City atop mountain vantage points.

In an industry like agriculture that is both risky and challenging, what has kept this farming family successful? Foresight, price making, and conservation play major roles in the success of the family business.

Steve Osguthorpe credits his father’s foresight. In 1945, when people were leaving Park City’s silver mining industry due to the drop in the price of silver, Steve’s father, “Doc,” began buying ranches in and around Park City. Little did he know then what Park City would become.

“Park City changed, but it didn’t change us,” Brad said.

Leasing land to the ski resorts for multiple uses was also forward-thinking. The arrangement is mutually beneficial, with the understanding that sheep are the top priority; nothing interferes with raising the sheep.

They’ve worked hard to make their farm compatible with the recreational activities of the growing mountain town.

The Osguthorpe family is known for using the highest standards regarding animal welfare, responsible land management, and providing quality products.

“For too long farmers have operated as ‘price takers.’

They take whatever price they are offered for their products,” Steve said. “I decided early on that I was going to be a ‘price maker’.”

If the price for his wool isn’t satisfactory, Steve will hold onto the lambs or the wool and sell at a different time when the price is right. They can do this by keeping the sheep at the family’s feedlot in Delta. This has helped the family receive the highest price per pound for wool for the past two years — even higher than Australian wool.

The Osguthorpe's have strong feelings about their stewardship over the land, and conservation has always been a family tradition.

“One thing my father taught us is if you have land, you leave it in better condition than you found it, for the

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benefit of the next generation,” Steve said. “We know that if we are going to be in business tomorrow, we’ve got to take care of the land today.”

“Conservation is not the non-use of land, it’s the wise use of land resources,” Steve added. In 2011, the Osguthorpe family received the Sand County Foundation’s ‘Leopold Conservation Award’ which recognizes agricultural landowners actively committed to a land ethic. The award is one of the nation’s top conservation awards for private landowners.

The family has created conservation easements on their land to protect their heritage for generations to come. A conservation easement contract is between a landowner and land trust. The contract specifies how the land will be used forever and landowners make those choices.

“People don’t always understand farmers and what it means to be able to maintain a farm, but they all enjoy the green space and farmland surrounding them. The Osguthorpe family has had opportunities to walk away from farming and ranching and the fact that they haven’t speaks of their deep commitment to their family, farm, and community,” said Cheryl Fox, director of Summit Land Conservancy. “It’s an honor to work with a family who wants to preserve their heritage. They are heroes. Over and over you see their commitment to this community. Their honesty and commitment are deep and genuine. We are so lucky the family lives and farms here.”

Hard work, vision, wisdom, and a strong sense of family and stewardship are fibers woven into the very fabric of this four-generation farm family, a family and legacy that will be a part of the Park City landscape for generations to come.

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Photo of Osguthorpe Children from left to right: Stevie, Roger, Brian, Maria, Mike, Brad and Chad.

Utah Company Hopes Your Meals Go Up in Smoke

By Matt Hargreaves, Editor, Utah Farm and Fork Magazine

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hile barbequing outdoors is fairly synonymous with summer, there’s nothing that says you can’t enjoy the succulent tastes of tender meat or flavor of reimagined vegetable sides while staring down Old Man Winter at the same time. And thanks to the simplicity of Utahbased Traeger Grills, a smoky-themed take on a holiday classic is easier than ever before.

Traeger is the original wood-pellet grill, and it was founded in 1985 by Joe Traeger in Mt. Angel, Oregon. Traeger and his family owned an Oregon heating company and had begun experimenting with a pellet-burning furnace a few years earlier.

The legend of how the company got started was on July 4, 1985, Joe Traeger had stepped away from his gas BBQ and came back to find it engulfed in flames. So, he set out to build a better grill.

With his background in wood pellet heating, he experimented with pellets and in 1988 the first Traeger was sold commercially.

Cooking with wood and the flavor of smoke is nothing new, going back possibly as old as mankind itself. But never has it been easier than in recent years with the advent of wood-pellet smokers and the enhancement of modern luxuries at the touch of your smartphone screen.

“I've cooked on a lot of grills over the years, but nothing rivals the Traeger. The versatility of cooking is unmatched and the taste is unbelievable,” said Chad Ward, pitmaster and director of BBQ for Traeger.

Cooking with smoke has been increasing in popularity in recent years, in part because

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technology and innovation have made it easier than ever before.

“Grilling is a big industry … [but] it hadn’t innovated since the 1970s,” Traeger CEO Jeremy Andrus told Forbes magazine back in 2017. “The last innovation was the gas grill. Now I can pick up my iPhone, which is connected to the cloud, and my [Traeger] Timberline grill is connected to the cloud, and I can touch base with my brisket on my mountain ride.”

In 2017, the company innovated and disrupted the grilling market with the introduction of its Timberline grill, a WiFi-enabled (Traeger calls this technology WiFIRE) wood-pellet grill that can be controlled with the Traeger app.

You can also check in on the app to see what’s going

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on with your food and change the temperature of the grill if you’d like. Home chefs can also use the app to pick from one of the hundreds of recipes, click “Cook Now” and the grill will do the rest. You can also create custom cook cycles so, if you cooked brisket perfectly, you can save what you did and use it again and again.

“Whether you’re cooking a tomahawk steak or a prime rib, the wood-fired flavor the Traeger gives the meat leaves people coming back for more,” Ward said. “And because you are not cooking with direct heat like a gas or charcoal grill, you get a consistent cook and allows you to cook it just the way you want it.”

The company also provides a variety of wood pellets to cook with, depending on the type of food being grilled. Alder is great for fish, with a lighter smoke flavor. Mesquite has a robust flavor, which is great for game meats and pulled pork. Oak is an allaround flavor enhancer, boosting everything from beef to chicken.

While many families have a prized recipe for cooking a nice cut of beef during the holidays, Traeger has provided a recipe for its salt-crusted prime rib on its website — traegergrills.com. Along with countless other recipes and cooking tips, Traeger is confident your holiday meals will go up in smoke this year — and you’ll love it.

With the ease and preciseness of cooking with a smoker, holiday meals have been reimagined with a distinct smoky flare. Imagine your traditional apple pie or lobster tail meal, now smoked to perfection. Want a roasted cauliflower side dish?

That’s available too. But don’t forget about beef for the holidays.

Photos of smoked prime rib from Traeger Grills

SALT-CRUSTED PRIME RIB

DIFFICULTY

PREP TIME

COOK TIME

SERVES

HARDWOOD

3/5

10 MINS

3 HRS

8-12

CHERRY

Rub, Roast, Rest, then Relish. Salt encrusts the Prime Rib to flavor & tenderize until extraordinary.

INGREDIENTS 1-1/2 CUPS JACOBSEN KOSHER SALT 3/4 CUP BLACK PEPPER, COARSELY GROUND 1 HEAD GARLIC, PEELED

In a food processor, combine the salt, pepper, garlic cloves, rosemary and chile powder and process until fine. Add the olive oil and pulse to form a paste.

Place the prime rib roast on a cutting board, bone-side up and rub with 1 tablespoon of the salt paste.

Transfer the meat to a large roasting pan and pack the salt paste all over the fatty surface, pressing to help it adhere. Let the prime rib stand at room temperature for 1 hour.

When ready to cook, start the Traeger

1/2 CUP ROSEMARY 2 TBSP. CHILI POWDER

3/4 CUP EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL 1 QTY. 15 TO 16 LB. (6 BONES) PRIME RIB ROAST

PREPARATION on Smoke, lid open, until a fire is established (4 to 5 minutes). Increase the temperature to 450°F and preheat, lid closed, for 10 to 15 minutes.

Roast the prime rib for 1 hour, or until the crust is slightly darkened.

Lower the Traeger temperature to 300°F and roast for about 2 hours and 15 minutes longer, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the roast (not touching the bone) registers 135°F.

Carefully lift the salt crust off the meat and transfer to a bowl. Brush away any excess salt.

To remove the roast in one piece while keeping the rib rack intact, run a long sharp carving knife along the bones, using them as your guide. Leave on 1/2 inch of meat, more if reserving for leftovers.

Carve the prime rib roast 1/2 inch thick and serve, passing some of the crumbled salt crust as a condiment.

Transfer the roast to a large carving board and let the meat rest for 30 minutes.

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utah farm & fork

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FUSION 2020

CONFERENCE

WHERE UTAH FARMERS AND RANCHERS GATHER JAN 30 -FEB 1 DIXIE CENTER ST. GEORGE, UT UTAHFARMBUREAU.ORG/CALENDAR

Top and middle right photos courtesy of Adobe Stock Images.

Other photos courtesy of Matt Hargreaves.

Southern Utah is Nuts for the Holidays

By Matt Hargreaves, Editor, Utah Farm and Fork magazine

W

ith the cold temperatures of winter setting in, many would be surprised to know that it is the prime harvest time for a holiday favorite. While not a dominant food crop in the state, southern Utah’s Dixie does have a pocket known for producing excellent pecans, and the Thompson family has been growing them well for years.

The name ‘pecan’ comes from Algonquin, referring to a “nut that requires a stone to crack.” The nuts are native to northern Mexico and the southern United States, which produces about 80% of the world’s pecans.

Related to hickory trees, the wood of the pecan trees is used for furniture, flooring and smoking meats.

Early settlers to Southern Utah left a legacy of trying new crops they had seen prosper in the southern United States, including cotton, silkworm trees and others. Despite their efforts, these initial crops did not last long term. The area is unique, however, for growing nuts, as it has the perfect climate. Just a few miles south in St. George, and the temperatures get too hot for pecans to thrive, but keep traveling north and the cold poses similar problems.

Tim and Lea Thompson have raised their family of six children on the five-acre farm, near Hurricane,

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they bought in 1985. The orchard of approximately 200 trees produces close to 15,000 pounds of pecans each year, or about 70 pounds per tree, according to an interview the Thompson's did with food writer Valerie Phillips on her Chew & Chat blog.

buttery flavor, being used in pralines as well as the renowned pecan pie. Pecans are even celebrated with their own holiday's, with Pecan Day celebrated April 14th, Pralines Day on June 24th, and Pecan Pie day on July 12th.

Having grown all summer, the clusters of pecans grow inside a husk, which is discarded upon harvest.

Temperatures need to drop before the nuts are mature enough to harvest, which usually takes place between December and February. As any previous customer can attest, a great benefit to eating local pecans is the freshness, with there being a noticeable flavor difference from other nuts. Though Tim Thompson said the nuts don’t have to be eaten right away, as they can be put in the fridge or freezer for long-term storage.

Aside from its decadent side, pecans are naturally nutritious, as they are high in vitamin E, zinc, fiber, and several anti-oxidants. According to Good Housekeeping’s Jaclyn London, pecans pair well with apples, grapes, and strawberries. The Thompson's pecans can also be used in salads, hot and cold cereals, or to form a crust around baked cheeses.

Early on, the Thompsons and their kids sold their pecans at farmers markets throughout the state, traveling as far north as Sandy to the Utah Farm Bureau farmers market to sell directly to consumers.

With their kids grown and away from home, the Thompsons now rely on word-of-mouth to sell their pecans from their farm.

A popular addition to kitchen tables during the holidays, pecans take a starring role because of their

23

As you sit down with your holiday meal this year, treat your dinner guests to the fresh, buttery flavor of Utah pecans. They can be ordered by phone, 435-635-4921 or by visiting the farm in person, which is located at 2012 Flora Tech Rd. in Hurricane.

The name ‘pecan’ comes from Algonquin, referring to a ‘nut that requires a stone to crack.’”

WHAT DO HEALTHY RANGELANDS MEAN TO YOU?

By Sterling C. Brown, Vice President ­— Public Policy, Utah Farm Bureau Federation

W

hat does healthy rangeland mean to you? Does it make you think of new life? Food? Open space?

Livestock and wildlife?

Thousands of Utah ranchers and their families depend on the health of rangelands for their livelihoods.

Rangelands encompass a wide variety of landscapes, including some grasslands, shrublands, wetlands, tundra and deserts. Rangelands, primarily covered by natural vegetation, provide grazing and forage for livestock and wildlife.

Rangelands provide benefits vital to agriculture and the environment including: land for farming; grazing and forage for livestock and native animals; watersheds for rural and urban uses; habitat for plants, insects, and animals; water for sustainable landscapes; areas for recreational activities; and potential renewable energy and mineral resources.

Livestock is the foundation of Utah agriculture, and abundant rangelands are the foundation of that livestock industry — supporting more than 6,000 livestock ranching families and contributing $1.3 billion into Utah’s economy every year. To be economically viable Utah ranching businesses require a combination of

private and public lands to be sustainable. All Utahns benefit in some way from healthy and sustainable rangelands throughout the state.

Stewards of the rangeland are those who directly use and/or have ownership of the rangeland. Society benefits from the work and investment of stewards.

Stewards have experience, expertise and an incentive to achieve healthy rangelands.

Public land management practices can, and should be promoted under a strategy that allows multiple uses of the land and long-term sustaintability. There will always be uncertainty in managing vast landscapes due to natural and political forces; however, sustainable, healthy rangelands are the direct result of lasting trust between ranchers and land and wildlife agencies.

Healthy rangelands happen when self-interests are removed, partnerships determine incentives, and when commitment to principles overrides popularity or the threat of litigation.

Much of Utah’s public land is managed by a state agency known as the School and Institutional Trust Lands Association. This agency, along with other state and federal agencies, is guided by healthy rangeland initiatives. For example, the Utah

24

Watershed Restoration Initiative is a partnership to conserve, restore and manage ecosystems in priority areas across the state in response to invasions of exotic species, increased wildfire threat and conversion of production habitat.

Another program that helps manage these lands is the Landowner Incentive Program, a voluntary program that provides technical and financial assistance to private landowners for the protection and management of habitat to benefit protected species on private lands. Others such as the Grazing Improvement Program, Environmental Quality Incentive Program, Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program, and others are aimed at improving the productivity and sustainability of rangelands and watersheds for livestock, wildlife and those who enjoy public lands.

The responsibility of maintaining and improving healthy rangelands remains with a proud, proven steward of Utah’s rangelands — the ranching family.

They are driven to build a sustainable ranching legacy for their family and leave the rangelands in better condition for the next and next generation. This is what healthy rangeland means to me.

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UTAH FARM BUREAU ‘UP IN SMOKE’ TRAEGER GIVEAWAY! With the launch of the new Utah Farm and Fork magazine, the Utah Farm Bureau and Traeger Grills are teaming up to make your holidays go ‘Up in Smoke’ by giving away a Traeger Pro 575 grill, right in time for the holidays.

Visit www.utahfarmbureau.org/grill to enter the drawing and for official rules. You will need to provide your name, Utah Farm Bureau membership number, and email on the form to be entered into the drawing for the all-new Traeger Pro 575 grill. The grand prize, which features the grill with WiFIRE® technology, also includes a cover, shelf, and pellets — all worth more than $900!

The giveaway registration begins November 15, 2019 and closes at 11:59 p.m. MST, December 15, 2019, and is only open to Utah Farm Bureau members.

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Story

by

Hannah Haslam, Programs Assistant, Utah Farm Bureau Federation

W

hen you think of chocolate, what do you dream of? Hershey's?

Callebaut? Guittard? Everyone has their favorite, and generally, people tend to be firmly rooted in their belief that milk, dark, or white chocolate is the best. I love a good dark chocolate, so when I was given the opportunity to visit the Utah State University Chocolate lab, I jumped at the chance.

The USU lab is unique in that no other university in the U.S. has a lab that teaches students to make chocolate from “bean-to-bar.” While the lab has only been open for a little under a year, the idea and process of tying the lab into the university’s teaching curriculum have been years in the making.

The lab is the brainchild of Steve Shelton, the business manager of the Aggie Creamery. Before he worked for the university, Shelton started his own candy shop, Copper Cauldron Candy Co., where he

sold his world-famous truffle bars. Steve is teaching students the secrets of chocolate making that so many others hold dear and he wants his students and the surrounding community to view the lab as a resource for their own businesses.

“There’s all sorts of chemistry involved in [the lab],” Shelton said. “Would you rather learn chemistry in a chocolate lab or a chemistry lab? I would hope most people would say chocolate!”

The goal for the lab is to become self-sustaining, and Shelton wants to be able to teach students the craft of chocolate making that he learned from his mentors — including the master candy maker at Disneyland. He also wants to produce enough chocolate to sell in the chocolate shop that sits in front of the lab to cover the costs of the lab itself.

Steve made it clear during our tour that there is a difference between chocolatiers and chocolate

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makers. Chocolatiers use another’s chocolate to make their confections, while a chocolate maker is making chocolate from bean to bar. Large chocolate companies want chocolate that tastes uniform no matter where you buy their product, so they roast their beans so hot that they remove all unique flavor from the beans. They then add flavor back into the chocolate to make it taste the same every time.

Craft chocolate makers like Steve, however, focus on the nuances of beans from different origins. Soil, rain and local fermentation of the beans all play a part in the flavor of the chocolate. You can taste everything from citrus and berries to smoke and caramel in different bars of chocolate. Right now, the Aggie lab uses two different fair-trade beans to produce their chocolate — one is from Belize and the other is from Ecuador. They are also in the process of testing eight other beans from different origins to add a wider range of flavor profiles to their repertoire.

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Aggie chocolate uses a ratio of 30% sugar to 70% cacao nib in their chocolate, but Steve said that two 70% cacao bars made by different companies are not necessarily made equal. The type of cacao used in chocolate bars — cocoa powder, cocoa butter, and/or cocoa nib — is not regulated, so two bars with the same percentage of cacao in them may taste dramatically different. Cocoa nibs, which are the innards of the cocoa seeds, have the strongest flavor and therefore will produce a darker, more flavorful chocolate.

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The Aggie lab not only produces rich, flavorful chocolate, it’s also some of the smoothest chocolate you will ever taste. The human mouth cannot feel texture at a level of 20 microns, so Steve and his lab students grind their cacao nib and sugar for six to seven days, 24-hours-a-day until they reach a micron of 10, which is twice as smooth as the industry standard.

The production of chocolate creates some waste in the form of cacao bean husks, which are removed after the bean has been roasted. The Aggie lab is always innovating and trying to come up with ways to use every part of the bean, including those husks. Some of the ways they have found they can use the husks include chocolate granola bars, a cocoa spread, mulch (which is a good fertilizer, but also keeps the deer out

27

of your garden as they don’t like the taste), chocolate tea, and the husks can even be pressed into pellets and used for fuel.

Whether you are a student wanting to learn the art of chocolate making, a conscious consumer with questions, or just an avid chocolate lover, you will find something positive at the USU Chocolate factory. It's definitely worth stopping by for a bar!

The factory sells bars of its signature chocolate, ‘Thistle and Rose,’ as well as other cocoa desserts. To learn more or take a virtual tour, visit aggiechocolate.com.

Photos courtesy of USU College of Agriculture.

By Matt Hargreaves, Editor, Utah Farm & Fork Magazine

Historic photos from Big J Milling.

Color photos from Matt Hargreaves.

F

ew smells are tied to the holidays more than that of baking bread, rolls, or Grandma’s super-secret pie crust recipe. You can almost taste the savory, buttery flavor walking by ‘just to check’ if it’s ready. What’s the secret? The proportions of ingredients used? Sure. The decision to use butter or lard? Possibly. Those and other ingredient decisions all play a role, but in the end, it comes down to the key player — the right flour.

The smell of success is one that Big J Milling, a fourth generation flour milling business from Brigham City, has been working on since its founder Mads Christian Jensen was asked by Lorenzo Snow to help settle the town back in the 1800s. A native of Denmark, Jensen was trained as a miller and was asked to help run the Box Elder Flour Mill in the town then known as Box

28

Elder. Eventually, his sons founded Jensen Brothers Milling Company in 1909, later changing the name to Big J Milling in 1946.

Up in Smoke As any home baker can attest, success in the kitchen doesn’t come without some setbacks, and even an item or to going up in flames. Such was the case for Big J Milling — literally — as the flour mill suffered a tragic fire in 1959, leaving nothing but the steel roller

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winter, until warmer temperatures come in the spring.

As temperatures rise and snow begins to melt, it will burst forward into multiple heads of grain. It will then be harvested in late summer or early fall and brought to a flour mill. Spring wheat is planted in spring, and then matures and is harvested in the fall, but will not typically give the same yield as winter wheat.

From Grain to Your Home Once shipments of grain arrive at the mill, it is stored as it continues to dry before being processed. Big J Milling will store up to 30-days-worth of wheat at a time, as it works to process orders for restaurants, food service companies and home use.

A Little, Golden Grain Even before Big J can produce amazing flour, the company recognizes that it all comes from the farm and the care of local farmers in growing high-quality wheat.

mills used to grind wheat, while everything else had to be restored.

Despite the setback, the mill was rebuilt and has continued to thrive. With only 19 employees — including some fifth-and sixth-generation Jensen relatives — the company produces approximately 220,000 pounds of flour per day. This has come as a result of strong relationships with local farmers and the use of automation to reduce physical strain on employees. This has allowed the company to run 24 hours per day, seven days a week. While some of the equipment is the latest, state-of-the-art technology, other pieces continue to prove their worth after more than 50 years.

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“We’ve been doing business with local farmers for more than 100 years, and with multiple generations of the same farm families,” said Jeremy Bischoff, a manager with Big J Milling. “These farmers are great to grow the varieties of wheat that are needed for the mill and the blends that are used. We’re fortunate to be in a good spot geographically, so we buy as much as we can from these local farmers. It’s a very mutually-beneficial relationship.”

The company mills mostly Hard Red Winter Wheat, but also works with Hard White, and Hard Red Spring Wheat. The different categories of wheat come from the color of the grain (red/white), the hardness of the grain, and whether or not the grain goes into what could be considered a hibernation of sorts during the winter.

Winter wheat is planted in early fall, will germinate and then remain in a mostly dormant state through the

29

Wheat is cleaned to make sure any parts of chaff, straw or rocks are taken out. The kernels then go through a series of rollers that crush the wheat and separate out the flour, bran and wheat germ. The flour comes from the center part of the grain and is further refined and cleaned before being packaged in large, 25-pound sacks for foodservice companies or restaurants, or the traditional five-pound bags sold in stores.

The flour can be purchased in three different grades: • All-Purpose Flour – Used for a great variety of cooking, including pie crusts, cakes, rolls and for thickening sauces.

• Golden Loaf Baker’s Flour — Used for breads and rolls • High-Gluten Flour — Used for chewy crusts (i.e., pizza), sourdough and other artisan and hearth breads.

With a reputation for quality and craftsmanship, Big J Milling ships its flour for use in California, Idaho and Nevada — in addition to finding its way into restaurants and cafeterias throughout Utah. Big J flour can also be purchased in Harmons and Associated Food Stores, including Fresh Market, Kent’s Market, Maceys, Lin’s, Dan’s, Reams, and Dick’s. It can also be purchased directly at the mill in Brigham City or online at bigjmill.com.

FOOD BLOGGERS SHARE HOW

FOOD CONNECTS US ALL

By Bailee Woolstenhulme, Event Planner & Communications Specialist, Utah Farm Bureau Federation

Photos courtesy of 'Oh Sweet Basil' blog.

T

here is a reason why most gatherings end up with everyone in the kitchen and many meetings are had while sharing a meal. Food connects us at a deeper level than most activities. Why is that, you ask? Because food is something we can all relate to. We love to talk to those influencers who talk about food every day, and we have some great ones here in Utah. Oh Sweet Basil (ohsweetbasil.com) has been a great influence on food, family life, and bringing people together through the love of food. We got to chat with one of the creators, Carrian Cheney, and ask her some of our questions about food.

Q.Tell me about Oh Sweet Basil. How did you get started and why? What message do you hope to spread to your readers?

A.Oh, Sweet Basil is not what we thought we would be doing with our lives when this first began. Cade, my husband, and I just loved to cook and eat with friends. Often, they would ask us for a recipe, and I'd forget to send it to them, so I decided to try out this whole blogging thing.

I figured our friends could get on at any time and find the recipes we were loving. Suddenly people all over the world were commenting and 11 years later it's our full-time job!

Cade was unemployed for about 2 years and during that time we realized that the blog, while a huge blessing for helping us to create a way to bring in income when we desperately needed it, had a much bigger purpose.

At Oh, Sweet Basil we’ve gathered millions of readers and share about finding hope in the darkness, light in the midst of chaos and how family, love, food and memories all make that happen. It’s about growth, it’s about real people and how we can all stand together.

Q.Tell me a little bit about your background.

When and how did your interest in food start?

A.Cade and I met at BYU-Idaho, Cade studying exercise science and I studied health science. We were broke college students that needed to cook at home to save money. We quickly discovered that it was also a great way to spend time together utah farm & fork

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and build a life together. We shared recipes from our childhood and created new ones together.

Q.Why do you feel it is so important to connect people and families together with food?

A.If I asked you to tell me about your grandma, or your mom or dad what would you say? Generally, there’s something about their personality and how they showed you love. Without fail a memory involving a meal or recipe pops up. There’s something about standing side-by-side to create and share in something delicious that sits in our minds forever. The smells, the tastes, the feelings are all wrapped around recipes and when we share them with each other we connect in ways that only the heart understands.

Q.What inspires your recipes? What is your process for developing recipes?

A.Oh, everything inspires us! It's almost ridiculous the list we keep with new ideas.

A restaurant, a recipe from our past, an idea sparked while mixing up a recipe only to decide that doing a chocolate chip version would be awesome too, I mean, the list goes on and on.

Developing recipes is a process. The more you cook the more your mind can start with a baseline recipe, like a cake for example. Then you experiment with leaveners and flavors and writing each new test down with notes on what you liked and didn't like.

Q. What are the current food trends that you are seeing? What new food trends are starting?

A. Food has come a long way but right now we are seeing things work backwards a bit.

Everyone has made the new and exciting but there seems to be a longing for the classics we grew up on again. Mom’s casserole is just as popular as a quinoa salad. But discovering healthier add-ins like cauliflower rice or chickpeas in salads are as popular as ever.

Q. Do you get requests for specific food content/

recipes? If so, what is most commonly asked for?

A. We often get asked for more chicken and ground beef recipes. People are busy and they need dinner on the table, stat!

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Q. What influences your food purchases?

Does price/cost or labels/brands have more of an affect?

A. We try to purchase local and at a good cost as much as possible. In fact, I'll plan my menu around what’s in season and on sale.

Q. What do you feel influences consumers food purchases? What do people look for when buying groceries at the store?

A. Price, price, price. We want to say it’s all about organic, local etc., but honestly it looks like people are still trying to make ends meet. A close second is for sure making better, and wiser choices for their bodies and to support local.

Q.What have you found to be the biggest concern about food amongst consumers?

A.Just trying to put things into their bodies that will help them to live a healthier and happier life. Long gone are the days of convenience. Now we want food that is recognizable and that we don’t have to worry has been filled with artificial anything.

Q.Do you feel most people are interested in knowing where the food they purchase in the grocery stores comes from? Why or why not?

A.It seems like more and more people want to support the farmers and know where things come from. I think that’s something everyone wants to stand behind lately, but because it can often be more spendy, they can push back a bit out of fear of not being able to afford it. It’s easier to get premade than to pay more money.

Q.What do you feel is the best way that farmers and ranchers could reach out to consumers to help make that connection to who grows their food?

A.Be visual. Get out there. Let people see behind the scenes on social media and bringing in social media influencers to help tell their story. And there are stories! Let’s hear what the cherry farmers are making in their homes, share their 100-year-old recipes and their story of picking cherries with their grandparents.

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By K aty Sine, Utah Restaurant Association

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he seasonal shift from fall to winter in Utah is celebrated across the state. As the dazzling natural display of autumn colors gives way to the cool, still beauty of winter, it is the perfect time for a Taste Utah road trip. North to south, east to west, Utah offers culinary adventures to accompany eye pleasing landscapes for days. Read a few of Taste Utah’s Culinary Road Trip Guides and get your appetite ready.

Situated just four miles beyond the east entrance of Zion’s National Park, Cordwood (formerly Buffalo Grill) is an unexpected gem and “can’t miss” for the Southern Utah traveler. Above all else, Cordwood is a ranch where careful management of the land and healthy, sustainable food production is at the heart of their operation. Buffalo are sustainably raised on the multi-acre property, rabbits and chickens also support the ranch ecosystem and a truly unique dining experience where guests are nourished not only from the extraordinary backdrop of southern Utah, but from a menu that lifts the spirit and nurtures the soul.

Southern Region Cordwood Restaurant 9065 West Hwy 9, Zion National Park, UT 84755 435-648-2555

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Left 2 photos: Cordwood Restaurant.

Middle photos: Redrock Brewery.

Right 2 photos: Rockhill Creamery.

Wasatch Front Redrock Brewery

Northern Rockhill Creamery

1640 Redstone Center Dr, Park City, UT 84098 435-575-0295

563 S. State Street, Richmond, UT 84333 435-258-1278

Just off I-80 at the Kimball Junction exit, Red Rock Brewery is located in the Redstone Center, amongst many fun family activities such as Cold Stone Creamery and the Redstone Cinema. It’s the perfect spot to get away from the hustle and bustle of Park City’s Main Street. With high-quality, award-winning craft brews, a full liquor and wine selection, and a menu that boasts much more than your typical pub fare, you’re sure to find Red Rock Brewery an enticing stop after an exquisite drive up Provo Canyon, Big Cottonwood Canyon or Parley’s Canyon. The staff is more than eager to guide you toward a beer-vana and/or food coma bliss.

A small-batch creamery complete with an onsite cheese cave for impeccable aging and quality. Located on a historic farmstead, Brown Swiss milking cows feed in the pastures nearby. This small dairy resembles something you’d read in a children’s storybook and is a welcome site for anyone’s hectic day. Rockhill cheeses are featured in several Utah restaurants and local markets. Enjoy a day trip through Northern Utah and stop by Rockhill Creamery to meet the cows, peek in the aging cave, and shop for local cheese, bread, produce, and more.

utah farm & fork

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Tired of Socks and Gift Cards?

Give Better With Utah Food

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By Julia Misiego, Member Services Coordinator, Utah Farm Bureau Federation

ooking for a gift for that ‘hard to buy for’ person on your list this holiday season? Consider these food products with a Utah-flare that will please any palate.

Popcorn on the Cob with Redmond Salt You can always pop the separated kernels, but popping them off the cob has much more novelty.

It pairs as a fun activity for kids too! Simply put the entire cob in a paper bag, fold over the top several times, and hit the popcorn button on your microwave. The kernels will pop straight off the cob and you will be left with an empty cob and a bag full of fresh popcorn!

You can find popcorn on the cob from Petersen Family Farms’ store in Riverton or on their website, petersenfamilyfarm.com. You can purchase the cobs now and gift them later, they last a long time!

Top your popcorn off with some Redmond Real Salt, from the only salt mine in Utah. The salt is mined from an underground salt deposit left by an ancient sea and has a unique flavor from its blend of minerals.

You can find Redmond’s Real Salt at your local grocery store or online at realsalt.com.

Sheepskin With popular dark fiction TV shows like Vikings and Game of Thrones, sheepskins have become

all the rage in home décor. You can find faux pelts at almost any home goods store, but it’s worth it to spend a little extra ($100 apiece) to have the real thing and to support Utah sheep ranchers.

You can order from a variety of colors online at utahwoolgrowers.com or make arrangements to pick up by emailing utahwoolers@gmail.com. The sheepskin pelts are made in America from various lambs. I have a white with brown tips and a gray pelt myself, and I highly recommend these as a luxurious feeling décor gift.

with some fun cooking utensils or a pan (I fangirl over Pioneer Woman products, personally), and it’s a perfect set!

Cheese

Though the cold weather may not have you thinking of fruit season, there are still a great variety of apples that can be purchased directly from Utah farmers.

You can visit https://bit.ly/2IPBfUx for a listing of local orchards.

Want to jazz it up a little? Ready for a road trip?

Consider visiting Rowley’s Red Barn in Santaquin for some fresh apple cider, delicious ice cream, and fruit as well. You can also purchase locally-grown, dried cherries — in either original, chocolatecovered, or yogurt-covered varieties. You can also order online by visiting rowleysredbarn.com.

As far as cheese goes, it’s hard to beat Heber Valley Artisan Cheese and Gossner Foods. Both utilize local milk and focus on quality production.

You can purchase Heber Valley Artisan Cheese online at hebervalleyartisancheese.com or retailers Harmons, Whole Foods and Smith’s. My personal favorite is the 6-Year Sharp Cheddar, but the Honey Lavender Cheddar is also divine. You can also gift a cheese tasting or cheese-making class if you prefer to give an experience versus a product.

Gossner’s cheese has a local store in Logan, but you can purchase their shelf-stable milk and variety of cheeses online at gossner.com. This milk can stay in your pantry until needed and comes in a variety of flavors like Cookies & Cream, Vanilla, Strawberry and, of course, chocolate.

Ranked as the ninth fastest-growing company in Utah

by Utah Business in September 2019, Kodiak Cakes is a company from Park City best known for their high protein pancake mix. My favorite is their dark chocolate flavor. You can buy Kodiak Cakes at your local grocery store or online at kodiakcakes.com.

Fruit

Happy gifting!

Kodiak Cakes It’s not weird to gift pancake mix! Just combine it

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Top left: Utah Wool Growers Sheepskins.

Top right: Gossner Chocolate Milk.

Middle left: Kodiak Cakes.

Middle right: Redmond Real Salt.

Bottom left: Honey Lavender Heber Valley Artisan Cheese.

Bottom right: Petersen Popcorn on the Cob.

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Fires Happen: Planning is key to Getting out

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By A.J. Ferguson, Vice President – Farm Safety, Utah Farm Bureau Federation

here are few worse feelings than to be startled out of bed early in the morning with the smoke alarms going off. Your heart is racing, and you have worries like: Are the kids safe? Does everyone know where to go and what to do? Don’t wait until the fire happens to wonder if you are prepared — now is the time to act.

Step one: The first part of any emergency is to know you are having one. Making sure smoke alarms are functioning is a must for your fire escape plan to work.

Place the alarms in and outside of bedrooms. The NFPA recommends having one on every level of your home and advises to install interconnected alarms, which all sound at once. You should also conduct a monthly test of alarms and replace units 10 years after their date of manufacture.

Now is the best time to prepare for potential fires in the home. Furnaces, heaters, Christmas lights and fireplaces have recently been used or will be soon. The number of fatalities and injuries is staggering from home fires. Home fires resulted in an annual average of 2,510 deaths and 12,300 injuries nationally (excluding first responders) between 2011-2015 according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

Step two: Have a fire escape plan. The NFPA says to identify at least two exit routes out, including windows and doors, from every room. If you have kids, draw up a detailed floor plan for them. Also, don’t forget to identify a place outside — far away from the home for a meeting place.

Preparing now, by having a practiced and reviewed fire escape plan, is a great way to help protect yourself and your loved ones.

Step three: Practice, practice, practice. Now that there is a plan, it’s time to practice. Data from the NFPA indicates that although 71% of Americans say they have a plan only 47% have practiced their plan.

It is wise to conduct a home fire drill at least twice a

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year — once in the day and another time at night. The NFPA encourages you to make it as real as possible.

This can be done by making sure to depress the button on the alarm so that it sounds the alarm allowing everyone in the opportunity to hear what it sounds like and can recognize what the sound means.

Step four: Have a scenario. Yes, practice with the fire starting in different areas, or in case the normal route can’t be used. Another good scenario is to pretend that the smoke is so thick you will have to “get low and go” meaning exiting the house by crawling or crouching to avoid smoke.

The last step: Get out and stay out. Remember the purpose of these drills is to be prepared to get out quickly. Try to resist the temptation to go back inside — even to rescue pets. It is best to leave that to the firefighters.

For more information go to https://bit.ly/2IXKd0O.

utah farm & fork

| winter 2019/2020

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