utah farmers

Episode 228 What Came First the Punk Rock or the Farmer

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The beginning of October brings the close of traditional growing season. We see pumpkins, gourds, and sweet potatoes sending out the season. We invited Aldine Grossi, the famous Punk Rock Farmer aka Aldine Strycnine of KRCL, to join us for episode 228 to talk about his mad cooking skills, making homemade plum wine, and being an integral part of the Utah urban farming community.

Al made his way to Utah via New York state. Growing up on a massive farm we had to ask him what came first? The love of his farm or his love for cooking. We think in this case the farm came first. Al is the perfect example of practicing farm to table. You can always find him sharing his picks and creations on his Instagram. We agree with Al that produce from the store never tastes the way it should. No one likes “mass produced shit. “

Some of the other things you will find the Punk Rock Farmer involved in around Utah is KRCL’s Friday night RadioACTive program. He is working on seed propagation to integrate into a future seed swap. Al also plays guitar! His love of music came from his hippie brother. He plays part in organizing a musical event down at Rim Rock in Captiol Reef called With a Little Help from my Friends, two times a year, pre-COVID.

If you want to follow his journey through urban farming you can find him on Facebook and Instagram. Keep updated for upcoming concerts, radio shows, and community involvement.

We will ALWAYS love your “likes” BUT don’t forget to click that little SHARE button (or retweet) *sharing IS indeed caring* You can find us and subscribe on Soundcloud, Spotify, Stitcher, or Itunes, IHeartRadio, Google Play, and TuneIN. Leave us a review and Follow us on the Twitter @tnupodcast, Instagram @Tnupodcast, or on Facebook The New Utah Podcast

Music By: Folk Hogan. Bootleggers Dance.

Episode 156 Teaching Seasonal Eating

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It seems like just yesterday we had director of the Downtown Salt Lake Farmers Market and Urban Food Connections, Alison Einerson, join us to talk about the farmers market. Episode 102 she joined us for a behind the scenes look at the market.

Fast forward a year… Episode 156 Alison sat down again with us to share some updates on what the farmers market is doing this year and plans for a growing future in Salt Lake. The Downtown Farmers Market starts on June 8th at the Pioneer park and runs from 8am until 2pm every Saturday until October. Alison told us that this year’s farmers market is bringing in 6 new farms! The market is really working on teaching seasonal eating. You can sign up for their weekly newsletter that will give you a guide for what will be at the market. *You can subscribe at the bottom of the page linked above.* They are challenging people to make a meal from what you buy at the market!

We want to see what you make this season! Tag us on Instagram with #SLFMTNUP

Photo: Downtown Farmers Market

We want to make mention that the Downtown Farmers market and the Urban Food Connections program are advocating for farmers around the state of Utah. After all, blessed are the cheese makers! They assist in quality control, they make sure that the locally grown and produced items are catering to the clientele of the market, and they are teaching people to eat seasonally and locally. After all, local is better for your health and for the community!

Ever wondered how to get into the market? Applications are due in February and close in April. They pick products based on the need and what holes need to be filled. If you are new to the industry, Alison suggests applying for the Tuesday market so you can get your feet wet! Also, everyone has to re-apply every year!

Did you know that the Salt Lake Downtown Farmers market is the largest in the Inter-mountain West? We only hope that it will continue to grow! Alison had some great advice as the market is about to open:

  1. Park at the Gateway!!! It is only a block away and you can get a validation from the Farmers Market booth. There is a veggie valet who will hold your veggies, when you buy all the things, so you can get your car! -> FREE PARKING <-!
  2. Bike to the market!! There is bike parking, and the green bike program in Salt Lake on the South East corner of the market.
  3. BRING YOUR OWN BAGS!!! There will not be free bags handed out this year. You can purchase a reusable bag for $1. Vendors do not have bags to give out.

Make sure to follow the Downtown Farmers market on their Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for updates!

We will ALWAYS love your “likes” BUT don’t forget to click that little SHARE button (or retweet) *sharing IS indeed caring* You can find us and subscribe on Soundcloud, Spotify, Stitcher, or Itunes, and Google Play and TuneIN. Leave us a review and Follow us on the Twitter @tnupodcast, Instagram @Tnupodcast, or on Facebook The New Utah Podcast

Music By: Folk Hogan. Bootleggers Dance.

Episode 109 Urban Farm Wars

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What do you do after you’ve Wikipedia’d and You-Tubed how to sail, buy a boat, travel the Pacific ocean, and come back home? Well, you start a non-profit of course!

This week we were honored to have the founder of Green Urban Lunch Box, Shawn Peterson, join us. No, he is not related to Farmer Luke Petersen. Shawn sat down with us to talk about the journey that lead up to the creation of GULB. Once we got there, he told us about the amazing programs that are being offered through the Green Urban Lunch Box. Apprenticeships, senior gardening programs, garden and fruit share’s, and the local businesses that they have partnered with to make sure that a “community growing for community” is happening here in the Wasatch Front!

Some of their partnerships include Waterpocket Distillery, Mountain West Cider, the Pago group, and The Rose Establishment. We guarantee that this list will continue to grow! Each fall you can taste a cider that MWC makes from apples from all around the valley! It is truly unique to Utah!

You may also know the Green Urban Lunch Box for the school bus greenhouse that they drive around Salt Lake City on occasion. Shawn gave us the story behind finding that bus and how it has evolved over the past few years. He also shared with us how they help seniors farm their own land.  Green Urban Lunchbox also has property that they are cultivating in South Salt Lake.

Shawn has an amazing heart, a problem solving mind, he wants to give the community real food that helps them connect, and most importantly he wants to make sure that he gives seniors street cred.

If you are interested in volunteering some of your time or participating in the fruit or garden share program, sign up for their newsletters and visit them at their website GULB. Also if you want to just make a financial contribution you can do that on their website.

You can find them on Instagram and on Facebook!

We will ALWAYS love your “likes” BUT don’t forget to click that little SHARE button (or retweet) *sharing IS indeed caring* You can find us and subscribe on Soundcloud, Stitcher, or Itunes, and Google Play and TuneIN. Leave us a review and Follow us on the Twitter @tnupodcast, Instagram @Tnupodcast, or on Facebook The New Utah Podcast

Episode 95 How NOT to Sell Your Kids to a Farmer.

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When you think farm talk, you would think of some kind of NPR conversation, but not this farm talk! First of all, you’ll want to listen because you want to hear about how a mom tried to sell her son to the farm!

Farmer Luke Petersen, of Petersen Family Farms, joined us this week on the New Utah Podcast. As a 5th generation farmer, on the same land in Riverton Utah, Luke’s passion for what he and his family do for the community and for farming was apparent as soon as he started telling us about it.

What is better than knowing that this is what you wanted to do when you grew up? That you were day dreaming of being a farmer. Luke taught us this week that farms are more than food, but rather they are a place where you can grow connected to the essence of the farm, learn about it, and create an understanding. Luke also dispelled Utah algae bloom myths for us! Teaching us that Utah Lake is a eutrophic lake and what is growing in the lake is actually a type of bacteria, zombie bacteria, but bacteria. Great news, no one is going to lose hair unless you are drinking it in copious amounts.

Luke’s passion for finding a better place to live where life slows down is apparent. At Petersen Family Farms there is no shortage of education which gives the farm intrinsic value. They offer a pre-school for 3-5 year old kids. Then summer camp comes along for 5-12 year old kids, as well as continuing education classes you can find on their website and Facebook events. In the fall and winter he offers the community pumpkin picking and Christmas tree’s, and then the farm gives a space to recycle the tree’s at the end of the season! You can find Petersen Family Farms on their website, you can go visit their store where you can purchase a lot of local business goods as well as what is grown on the farm at 11800 S 4000 W in Riverton Utah, and you can follow them on Facebook & Instagram for updates!

Also, the farm is NOT for sell.

We will ALWAYS love your “likes” BUT don’t forget to click that little SHARE button (or retweet) *sharing IS indeed caring* You can find us and subscribe on Soundcloud, Stitcher, or Itunes, and Google Play and TuneIN. Leave us a review and follow us on the Twitter @tnupodcast Instagram @tnupodcast and on Facebook The New Utah Podcast

LISTEN HERE: Ep95 Planting Rooster Seeds

Music: Bootleggers Dance by local Utah Band Folk Hogan