Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — More people in Utah are turning to local farms to get fresh produce every week through a program called Community Supported Agriculture.
Individuals sign up with a farm or group of farms and they get a weekly box of produce all during that growing season. It helps the farmer by funding some of their operating expenses, and it gives the consumer a lot of fresh, local options for eating healthy.
"It's picked at the height of ripeness, so it's ready to go — not trucked in 1,500 miles," said Jack Wilbur, of 3 Squares Produce Farms. "It's right there, brought to places you would pick it up, in Salt Lake and other local places, so it's very convenient."
Date: Thursday, Feb. 23
Time: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Location: Wheeler Farm (6351 S. 900 E., Salt Lake City)
Swaner EcoCenter Open House
Date: Thursday, March 1
Time: 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Location: Swaner EcoCenter (1258 Center Drive, Park City)
Almost 3,000 Utahns and more than 35 farms participated last year. Farmers say they're even going high-tech now to keep customers informed on what they're planting and harvesting.
"We, like most farmers these days, are tweeting from our tractors and just trying to take advantage of all the opportunities to connect with people," Wilbur said.
Costs depend on the farm, the season and how much produce you're getting. A spring share might run for 6 weeks and cost $90. A summer share usually runs for 18 to 20 weeks and costs anywhere from $150 to $500.
If you're interested in finding out more, you can attend a free open house at Wheeler Farm on Thursday, Feb. 23, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., or next Thursday, March 1, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Swaner EcoCenter in Park City.
Several farms with CSA programs will be at these open houses so you can check out what they have to offer. For more information, visit www.csautah.org.
