Food Prices Soaring in Utah

The picture to the left is in Tuscany. We were staying in a bed and breakfast called Astieto not too far from Florence. Across from the 40 acre B&B was a farm. In fact, there are all sort of beautiful farms dotting the countryside. One farm I really wanted to visit but didn't have enough time was a sheep farm where they produce sheep cheese called pecorino. One day we noticed horses running around their paddock, whinnying nervously. I looked up to see a wild pig running about. He was squealing, desperately trying to find his way out and the horses kept snorting and chasing him. I loved Tuscany so much. I loved seeing the old stone farmhouses with red tile roofs. The countryside was breathtaking. I long to have a farm in a place like this.

I read in the paper a few days ago that food prices in Utah are soaring. This isn't unlike other states I'm sure. You know what the big irony of this is?? Every day huge developers are bulldozing away good farmland. Farmland that could support and sustain our communities here in Salt Lake and Davis Counties. Farmers could barely make a living off of the land, developers are making millions. Where are our priorities? Not only is our valuable land being made into McMansions and pavement, but we are creating a rising population of people who demand the resources we are losing. It doesn't make sense! More developments mean more needs; more water being used to water huge lawns, more energy being used to heat and cool the huge homes, more people using more cars and more gas to get from here to there. Utahns need to be more responsible for their land. We need to value agriculture and farmland. No farmers no food. Period. If we insist on buying locally instead of buying food at the store that was shipped an average of 1,500 miles we won't have the problem of rising costs. Each community needs to learn how to sustain itself. CSA's are a great way to go. (This stands for Community Supported Agriculture.) CSA's are a partnership made between community members and a particular local farm. (In our case, East Farms.) In this arrangement, members buy "shares" which entail a weekly allowance of produce and sometimes milk or meat. There are certain times that members can even go and help out on the farm. This is a type of farm that I'm interested in someday having. In this way we support the family farm and help them with costs. Another way to buy locally is to support farmer's markets in the summer time. We have a few in our area. What's wonderful about this is that you are buying fresh, ripe produce grown in your own area, supporting small farmers and garden hobbyists. Co-ops are another great way to go. I belong to a milk co-op. Our members take turns going down to the farm to pick up wonderfully delicious raw milk from grass-fed cows. Also, we have the chance to buy grass-fed beef at a good, affordable price. And of course, another great way to sustain a community agriculturally is to encourage people to have their own gardens. (Another terrible thing about "developments" is that it is all house and no land. Land is sooooo important! In "Far and Away" as Joseph's "Da" is dying, he looks at his son and says something like, "Land Joseph, it's a man's very heart and soul." It's a woman's very heart and soul too. At least mine.