(Hot!) August in Utah: What is Seasonal Food?
Hot weather and hot real estate are impacting Utah's growers, and it all comes back to the way we value land. Plus, August's seasonal crops and calendar.
Utah’s hot desert summers are always dry and sweaty, and August is the apex—both in heat, and in the variety of produce available at the market. This summer has felt a bit different though—you’ve probably noticed our unrelenting streaks of days in the high 90s, the spikes into the 100s, and the hot, dry wind. Utah really is getting hotter—in terms of both climate change, and housing and development.
Just in time for August’s much-anticipated peach season, the Salt Lake Tribune checked in on Utah’s famous fruit farmers, finding a scorching hot development market and the withering of fertile land. Historic fruit land in Northern Utah and Utah County is selling for incredible prices to developers—and with older farmers aging out of the business without family willing to take over, the land is indeed going fast. But the piece also talks about the determined efforts of folks like Thayne Tagge (of the recognizable market name Tagge’s Famous Fruit & Veggie Farms), who, with his success in fruit farming, is trying to preserve the practice by buying up land from soon-to-retire farmers before subdivision-hungry developers can get to it and build neighborhoods with names like “Orchard Hills.”
Farmers in the Tribune piece were also highlighted for their water-efficient growing practices, which give them at least some peace of mind against Utah’s growing water shortages. This brings us back to Utah’s aridity—a more apt term to describe our increasingly dry conditions than “drought,” which implies a temporary condition—and the challenging season it’s presented for Utah farmers.
At Green Urban Lunch Box’s Back-Farms program, yields have been lower than usual for some crops, especially for tomatoes—at least according to Jessica Collette, Back-Farms Program Coordinator. At one site in Taylorsville, tomato plants have been slow to grow, eggplant are just now popping up after weeks of looking scorched, and only the squash have been steadfast, though recently attacked by a wave of squash bugs and their creepy eggs. Collette credits the heat and the wind. Last week, Stagl Organics had to cancel their CSA pickup, explaining to members that with the high heat and wind, plant immunity can be compromised by pests and disease, and that things were just growing too slowly for a sufficient yield for the week’s CSA share. A farmer of five years in the Glendale neighborhood, Stagl also noted that it’s the hottest and windiest summer he can remember.
To the north, in Rose Park, however, Top Crops’s Amanda Theobald notes that while it has been hot and bugs have been going crazy this summer, Utah’s dry climate has always made it a difficult place to grow food, especially organically. She also points out that when considering climate catastrophes plaguing people who grow food in the global south—who are also being displaced—this summer’s strange weather pales in comparison, though those kinds of extremes felt elsewhere will doubtless stay far from us for long.
As climate change manifests in different ways everywhere, the stability of the global food system that Utah relies on for the vast majority of its food is being threatened. When that happens, will we have sold off all our farmland to developers? Will we have followed the lead of water-conscious farmers and shifted our farming practices on the remaining land to conserve water and build soil health to preserve our agriculture for future generations? Will we choose to protect and respect Utah’s lands and resources, instead of wasting them?
The answers to these questions lie with us—we who buy food, grow food, and make laws about food. The Salt Lake Tribune talked to us about how we want to unite that “we” in a recent feature. Give it a read if you want to learn more about how the idea for the Utah Food Coalition came to be, what we’re doing and what we hope to do!
And here’s your list of food to look for in Utah’s August:
Fruit!
As mentioned above (and in July), it’s sweet, juicy peach season. But apples, apricots, pears, more cherries, grapes, and berries, and nectarines are all to be found, too.
Melons
While you may seek out that perfect watermelon or honeydew, look for the bright yellow canary melon if you haven’t tried one. The underrated winter melon is incredibly sweet, and stores longer than cantaloupe if you forget it on your counter.
Winter Squash
Despite the name, squash like butternut, acorn, and delicata can be summery indeed. Instead of cooking them in soups or stews, try roasting and pureeing with herbs, olive oil, and citrus for a dip or spread, or have fun with the rings of sliced delicata.
Corn
Hopefully you already have your favorite thing to make with corn, but have you tried it stripped raw off the cob and blitzed into a cool summer gazpacho? Just add tomatoes, basil, onions, (grilled, roasted, seared) zucchini, and garlic, plus a lot of red wine vin.
Many of the things we’ve included on the June and July lists will still be found in August, so take this time to stock up on your favorites, but maybe also to try something new, like the beautiful eggplant below!
Vegetables from the last July Downtown Farmers Market and SLC Top Crops. This giant eggplant was only $1!
Events coming up in August:
August 3
What's Wrong with my Veggies: Organic Pest Management Basics
Speaking of ailing crops, do you have some? Learn about how to manage pests at this Wasatch Community Gardens workshop.
August 4
West Valley City Farmers Market
The West Side just got more local food access! The West Valley City Farmer’s Market launched in July, and features fresh, locally grown and made items, ready-to-eat foods, and entertainment. Youth can participate, too, by way of the Power of Produce kids program, where kids can learn about fresh produce and use vouchers to purchase their own fruits and vegetables at the market. The market is every Thursday from 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. at Centennial Park (5405 W. 3100 S.).
August 6
Let's Sow Fall Crops
Maybe you’re reaching the finish line on your summer garden goals and it’s time to think ahead. Or maybe you got to summer planting a little late and want to dive into winter growing. Either way, learn about best practices here.
August 10
Organic Pest Management Diagnostic Working Lab
If you end up going to the “What’s Wrong with my Veggies” workshop from WCG, sign up for this one to learn even more about how to keep your crops safe from ugly bugs.
August 21
Local Food Forum at Hello!Bulk Market
If you work in local food—whether in retail, growing, non-profits, or business—mark you calendar for this bi-monthly Local Food Forum to connect with others working in various parts of the local food chain. The goal? Working together to identify and address the fundamental flaws of our current food system. RSVP here.
Earth Skills Workshop with Flaming Meatloaf Fibers
We (and Animalia) are back with another Earth Skills Workshop where you can learn to make your own botanical dyes from the wildly-named Flaming Meatloaf Fibers, over at the Mobile Moon Coop. FMF is asking for $15 to cover the cost of supplies. Sign up here.
August 23
Earth Skills Workshop with Beekeeper’s Beignets
For the beekeeper-curious, learn the basics of beekeeping and how to take care of a hive from local beekeepers and baked-goods makers Beekeeper’s Beignets. Long pants and closed-toe shoes are required—but you get honey samples for your efforts. Sign up here.
August 25
Local Food Advisory Council Meeting
Learn about what’s going on with local food by sitting in on the next food advisory council meeting. They are open to the public and to hearing locals’ thoughts and ideas about food issues in our community. A virtual option will be available too, and you can find more info on attending here.
Early Heads-up: Sept. 4
Food Skills Workshop with Slam Ranch
Get a jump on signing up to learn a very handy skill: food preservation! Head to the Slam Ranch, an independent cooperative living and sustenance farming residence in Glendale and learn about water bath and pressure canning, dehydrating and drying veggies and even lacto-fermentation. Yum! It’s $15 and you can sign up here.
A few more things:
GULB X Salt Lake Community Mutual Aid
Green Urban Lunch Box is welcoming a new food resource to their farm at 3188 S. 1100 W—a community fridge! A collaboration with Salt Lake Community Mutual Aid, the fridge is free for all to take from or to donate to—learn more about what can go in the fridge and how you can help maintain it here.
As always, send us ideas if you want to collaborate with us and share this newsletter with your friends if you find our resources and thoughts useful :)