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Show f DAILY HERALD Sunday, April 6, 2008 B7 Farm program feeds Utahns and the local economy Laura Hancock CANYON COUNTRY EXCHANGE KAYSVULE On Feb. 14 erf each year, organic farmer John Borski sows the seeds of some 50 tomato plants, a Valentine's Day labor of love. As tomato seedlings poke up, Borski and employeeMike Chynoweth transplant them to containers in the greenhouse. Borski monitors the tiny plants day and night, getting up at 3 a.m. daily to check propane heaters protecting the plants from freezing. When temperatures are warm enough, Borski plants them outside. "We always start them from seed," Borski said. "And if you can get that to grow up and be a good kid, you win. It takes about four, five or six months." Borski participates in community-supported agriculture, selling "shares" of his harvest from his Kaysville-base- d farm to customers along the Wasatch Front each year. Community-supported agriculture is a partnership with local farmers in which members pay a fee up front to help with the farm's operating expenses. In return, they get a portion of the farm's produce throughout the : d grow-ingseas- According to the U.S. De- partment of Agriculture, community-supported agriculture has been gaining momentum in Utah and nationwide. Farmland has decreased along the Wasatch Front because of spreading development, and the roadside stands selling fruit and vegetables have dwindled, but the demand for local produce has remained strong. The number of Utah farms participating in community-supporte- d agriculture is growing, with about 10 statewide, said Jeff Williams, a U.S. Department of Agriculture liaison for the nonprofit Great Salt Lake Resource, Conservation . and Development. This year, Draper farm Bell Organic Gardens is the latest to participate. As millions of acres of farmland have been sold to developers, community-supporte- d agriculture provides farmers with an incentive to continue working on the land. once-famili- ar This is also a great way to preserve local farmland," Williams said. A former dancer with the New York City Ballet, Borski was a Sugarplum Cavalier in "The Nutcracker" and Basil in "Don Quixote." He returned to Utah and resurrected his grandfather's farm in 1992, and he now prides himself on his varieties of tomatoes such as Martha Washington cherry tomatoes, Taxi yellow tomatoes and Zebra green and yellow tomatoes. A share at Borski's farm is one bag a week for 15 weeks containing about one pound of food. A spring bag could contain radishes, lettuce, spinach, garlic, cherries and peas. A summer bag could contain tomatoes, eggplant, corn, peppers and peaches. A fall bag could contain melons, potatoes, winter squash and apples. One share at Borski's farm costs $ 190 per share for the season and is enough for two adults. Customers pick up their shares in Salt Lake City, Kaysville and South Ogden. Borski is enrolling customers through April 30. But the number of customers he and other community-supportefarmers can accept is limited, and space is filling up fast, so customers need to sign up sooa Williams said community-supporte- d agriculture benefits individuals and the local economy. "It allows you to eat a local diet," he said. "And there's not a lot of transportation costs involved" Transportation for food in a typical meal in the United States is about 1,200 miles, he said. But community-supportefarms generally draw customers from within about 50 miles. Buying local produce keeps more money within the local economy because profits remain here rather than being sent to a large national chain, and transportation costs are vastly reduced. "The real benefit economically is it keeps dollars in this community," Williams said. . Debbie Stone, a resident of Salt Lake City's Avenues neighborhood, has been a "shareholder" for five years in East Farms, based in West , Point She said she enjoys us- Farms food, she has gotten creative with vegetables she wouldn't normally buy, such as aging community-supporte- d riculture to teach her children turnips and rutabagas. about ecology, farming and Her spinach lasagna with , diet. walnuts and mushrooms is "I think we save money," most popular with her children. she said. "There's the stuff that "Our rule is they have to try shows up in your box every everything, and if they dont week, and you've got o figure like it, that's OK," said Stone," who like many supporters of some way to use it. I'm a person who hates to waste food or community-supporte- d agriculture has read Michael Pollan's money." Stone eats a mostly vegetarbook "Omnivore's Dilemma," ian diet, and with her East which describes the adverse af J Stairway elevator features include: Battery backup for use during a power failure Easy fold-u- p leaving, the stairway clear for use bv others Swivel seat for ease and safety when getting in and out of the chair Call toll free 1 - 800 - 735 - 0408 the ELEVATOR company. ma L mm Ml A We're; om spring rMfeisnimig d aimed awe SAPPHIREL. , . - PlUSIPPILLOVJTOi- JJSy " ntt ... Quc:n, ! 2 pc. t 01199 . 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People feed their families hot dogs and fish sticks in he said. this state." But the family friend offered I Laura Hancock writes for the Borski $ 1,000 for a box of food Deseret Morning News A mzsxrmmsm I fects of most Americans' diets. Borski has one of the oldest r nr if- T - ' I H4 www.BuildingDynamics.com ;v . 2p.s.t - r..;-.::- 3 L'iE r.;3. -.- i.2rs.s:t T T;.:n,2p.!:;t kT,,!.a,2ptt Fa2pc.s:t r.'.,2;:.t:t :::: ) oAU: KCJ. ay; 2 ps, F.:j. $17:3 - retiree I am a Korean War vet, a from the postal service, and worked 7 years for Federal Express, I am concerned about the direction' the county Is taking. I would like people to vote for the best person, no matter what party they are from. Wight Jensen 32-ye- ar j Provo -L- , F ft k ... . S ft f k y Durr l k 4 t.mmm s:t t:::3 ::::3 t r w j i SU a k. . 1 U r::Frl10-- 3 turn - U ii;i i i i l . J 1 n ) I 17 S. CI:'.: t Orem, UT C01-229-CE- D8 (2337) . n 1497 v 1 Statist, Own Easy to Find l |