Category Archives: Sustainable Food

Salt Lake County Launches Farmlink Pilot Program

Salt Lake County Urban Farming is piloting a Farmlink program that aims to link available land in Salt Lake County with interested growers.

If you or someone you know is interested in finding land to farm, or if you have questions about our program, please contact Aaron Barlow by email at abarlow@slco.org, or by phone at 385-468-1824. You can download the Farmlink application online.

Some land may be owned by public entities such as Salt Lake County or a municipality, while some may be privately owned. Private landowners are motivated to lease land for commercial farming because the Utah Legislature has provided an opportunity for property tax reduction, given certain circumstances.

Salt Lake County Urban Farming website.

e2 Business Best Practice: Future of Food Waste

On Tuesday, e2 Business members gathered at the Central Valley Water Reclamation facility to learn about anaerobic digestion and how it can help solve the long standing issue of what to do to “recycle” food waste and prevent it from ending up in our valley’s landfills. And by food waste they mean just about anything — from bread, to fish, to expired milk and everything in between!

Glen Perry is Vice President of ALPRO Energy & Water, the project development firm that has partnered with Momentum Recycling and Central Valley Water Reclamation facility to develop the proposed food waste anaerobic digester.

The group noshed on delicious vegan sandwiches, salads and burritos from Bud’s Sandwich Company as they learned the ins and outs of anaerobic digestion (and its similarities to human digestion — interesting lunch talk!)

Kate Whitbeck with Momentum Recycling shared how their organization plans to play a roll in providing the “feedstock” for the anaerobic digester in the form of post-consumer food waste, primarily from restaurants.

Following the discussion, the group took a tour of the Central Valley Water Reclamation facility, highlights including a rooftop view of the reactors and waste digesters. Learn more about the waste operations at the facility.

Green your business with the help of Salt Lake City’s e2 business program!

Salt Lake City Announces Grant for Development of Culinary Incubator Kitchen

Salt Lake City is soliciting proposals from qualified individuals, government partners, non-profit organizations, for-profit business, and institutions to develop and manage a Culinary Incubator Kitchen (CIK) located within the Salt Lake City boundaries.

The Mayor and Salt Lake City Council have approved a total of $600,000 to support the development of a Culinary Incubator Kitchen in Salt Lake City. $350,000 will be available through a grant, while the additional $250,000 will be made available through a loan.

What is an incubator kitchen?

An incubator kitchen is designed to give small food businesses a competitive advantage when entering or continuing in the local marketplace by providing an affordable certified kitchen space for food prep.

Grant application process

Applicants should present a proposal to plan, construct, and operate the CIK in Salt Lake City using either an existing commercial kitchen or a commercial kitchen constructed specifically for this CIK project.

Interested parties must submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) to the Division of Sustainability by May 17, 2015 by 12:00 a.m. MDT.

If interested, please submit your LOI electronically to bridget.stuchly@slcgov.com, and include the following information;

Name of company or organization
Contact information
Potential location (if identified)
- Location must be in Salt Lake City
Potential partners (if identified)
Declaration of interest

Visit SLCgreen.com to download the grant application and learn more about this exciting opportunity!

Grow West Garden Fest: Free Family Event April 9 at Sorenson Unity Center

SAVE THE DATE FOR A FREE FAMILY EVENT
Thursday, April 9 from 6-8 p.m. at the Sorenson Unity Center

The Grow West Garden Fest invites the public to learn about health, nutrition, and gardening resources available to westside Salt Lake City neighborhoods. These resources include community gardens, school gardens, workshops, youth activities, and organizations & businesses that support gardening practices. For attendees who participate in event activities, free food will be served by El Ranchero Chido, a local taco cart.

For more information, visit wasatchgardens.org or check out the Facebook event page.

Downtown Farmers Market Vendor Information and Involvement Opportunities!

Would you like to be a vendor at the Downtown Salt Lake City Farmers Market? Are you a farmer or grower within 250 miles of Salt Lake City? Do you hand-make artwork or crafts? Are you a local musician? A non-profit organization? A volunteer? A sponsor?

For details about the application process and the link to apply, visit the Downtown Farmers Market application page.

The application period ends April 3^rd. Secure your involvement in something sustainable, local, and beautiful today!

Dining with Discretion: Food Choices Matter

Last week, SLCgreen’s Bridget Stuchly and Tyler Poulson unveiled a compelling presentation at the Intermountain Sustainability Summit to a packed house. Dining with Discretion: Food Choices Matter outlines how personal choices about what and how we eat impact our environment and can either contribute to, or help alleviate, climate change.

The Presentation

If you missed it, you can scroll through their presentation slides.

[slideshare id=45617624&w=595&h=485&style=border: 1px solid #CCC; border-width: 1px; margin-bottom: 5px; max-width: 100%;&sc=no]

Dining with Discretion from SLCgreen

Take Action!

Long story short, there are some very real steps you can take in your everyday eating habits that will have a positive impact on the environment:

Eat less meat & dairy
Eat more plants
Cook smart
Waste less
Speak out

Source: Meat Eaters Guide to Climate Change + Health

TEDxManhattan “Changing the Way We Eat” Viewing Party

TEDxManhattan “Changing the Way We Eat” Viewing Party

Saturday, March 7, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Gould Auditorium of the Marriott Library

TEDxManhattan, “Changing the Way We Eat,” is a one-day conference featuring a dynamic and diverse group of speakers addressing issues in the sustainable food and farming movement. Watch the webcast LIVE from the Marriott Library on the University of Utah campus from 9:30 am to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 7. Bring your lunch and enjoy a day of learning about food system innovations and networking with like-minded Utahns!

Hosted by Wasatch Cooperative Market, University of Utah Sustainability Resource Center, Salt Lake City Sustainability Division (that’s us!), Slow Food Utah, the Marriott Library, and Wasatch Community Gardens.

Five Quick Tips for a Greener Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude, delicious food and great company. Unfortunately this most American of holidays can generate a lot of waste: food waste, disposable plates, plastic utensils and cups, and wasted energy.

Here are five quick tips to reduce waste and focus on the things that matter.

1. An Organic Bird: When it comes to buying the holiday turkey, we recommend buying an organic bird. Look for labels saying, “USDA certified organic” or “No Antibiotics Administered” with a “USDA Process Verified” seal. e2 Business Liberty Heights Fresh offers some great options.

2. Local Sides: Swing by the Winter Farmers Market this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Rio Grande Depot to pick up local greens, squash, root vegetables, etc. Also, think about minimizing your use of meat in recipes — vegetarian dishes have a lower carbon footprint. For recipe suggestions, visit our Green Thanksgiving Pinterest board.

3. Durable Tableware: We understand the temptation, but please resist the urge to purchase single-use table settings. After their one use, they go right to the landfill where they take years to degrade (if they ever!) If you’re hosting, ask your guests to pitch in to help wash dishes. If you’re headed to a celebration away from your home, pack up some silverware, plates, and cups (or a water bottle) and bring them along. The extra ten seconds it takes to pack up your own dishes saves landfill space and energy.

4. Creative Leftovers: Thanksgiving dinner is wonderful, but we all know that there is plenty of food left over after the big meal. If you’re planning to take some leftovers home with you, bring along a few empty glass food containers from home, which will eliminate the need for disposable containers. You can also minimize food waste by turning your turkey, potatoes, stuffing, and other foodstuff into innovative leftover recipes. Dispose of spoiled fruits and vegetables food in a compost bin.

5. Compost and Recycle: For those hosting Thanksgiving meals, be sure to clearly mark bins for recycling and composting. This will eliminate the build-up of trash in your home and will keep unnecessary waste out of the landfill.

For more information, visit these websites:

Growing Community Gardens Leadership Training Series – Apply Now!

Great news! Our friends at Wasatch Community Gardens will once again offer their popular Growing Community Gardens leadership series.

Growing Community Gardens is a 6-week leadership training series facilitated through community gardening concepts. This is ideal for individuals or groups interested in community garden organization and development, focused on building skills, sharing ideas and identifying resources for developing successful community gardens and school gardens.

Upon completion of the training, participants whose projects meet program requirements are invited to join our network of garden leaders, continuing to connect their community gardens with Wasatch Community Gardens resources, as available, throughout the year.

Location
Sorenson Unity Center, 1383 S 900 W, SLC, UT 84104

Dates
Tuesdays, 6 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
January 6 – February 10, 2015
Optional Garden Tour in March, Date TBD

Topics
Classes focus on community organizing, and cover such topics as leadership, diversity, volunteer management, facilitation, and garden design.

Program Fees
$65 for all 6 sessions. Scholarships available.
Payment is due upon acceptance into the training.

Applications are due by December 1, 2014 — enrollment is limited so apply today!

Download the application.

For assistance in preparing an application, or more information, please contact:

Susan Finlayson, Community Gardens Program Director for Wasatch Community Gardens
Phone: (801) 359-2658 x 12
Email: susan@wasatchgardens.org

Winter Farmers Market Opens this Saturday!

Hooray!

Saturday, November 8th is the opening day of the Winter Market at Rio Grande Depot. Featuring a stunning array of fresh, local produce, grass fed meats, artisan cheeses, and unique packaged foods – this market has it all! Hours are 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM. Support your local producers and reap the benefits of fresh, local food. And, of course, remember to bring your reusable bags. Next market is November 22!

Fruit: Local apples are in season. Enjoy many varieties including; Rome, Beauty, Johnathan, Fuji, Golden, Red Delicious and Granny Smith. Also, Asian Pears if you’re not feeling the apple spirit.

Vegetables: sweet potatoes, tomatillos, winter squash, pumpkins, peppers, onions, lettuce, leeks, kohlrabi, eggplant, broccoli rabe, potatoes, broccoli, tomatoes, chilis, cabbage, radish, and beets.

Vendor List for November 8

On the Portico:
Amour Spreads
Asian & Heirlooms
Biocentric Bros
Blue Spring Farm
BlueTree Cattle Co.
Canyon Meadows Ranch
Chad’s Produce
Charming Beard
Clifford Family Farm
Crumb Brothers
Drake Family Goat Dairy
Earth First Eco-Farm
Epicurean Chefs
Farmer Next Door
Frisky Fresh Fish
Garden Goodies
Lau Family Farm
Laziz Foods
Parker Farms
Pyne Farms
Red Rock Pistachios
Rico’s Mexican
Riley’s Farm Fresh
Rino’s Italian Heirloom
Salt Lake County Jail
SLC Walnuts
Smith Orchards
Spring Creek Farms
Tequenos Factory
Zoe’s Natural Garden

Upstairs on the Mezzanine:
Beehive Cheese Co.
Beltex Meats
Blue Copper Roasters
Caputo’s Market and Deli
Cheese Bread Mania
Chili Beak
Chocolate Conspiracy
Cupcakes by Kasthuri
Desire Dessert
Good Grains Gluten Free Baking Co.
Grandma Sandino’s Sicilian Sauce
Mamachari Kombucha
Mountain Town Olive Oil
Oolite Cheese Co.
Rosemain
Salsa Del Diablo
Slide Ridge
Sugar House Libations
Sugared
Terrapin Station
The Queen’sTea
Tulie Bakery
Urban Pioneer Foods
Van Kwartel
Vive Juicery
Vosen’s Bread Paradise
White Lake Farms
Winder Farms

slcGreen Blog

Updates and musings from the Salt Lake City Sustainability Department