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Show Wed/Thurs/Fri, June 7-9, 2017 B-7 The Park Record Utah food, produce entrepreneurs depend on farmers markets to survive each year BY MARK SAAL Standard-Examiner WEST HAVEN, Utah (AP) — Levi and Carrie Call are raising their five children on three acres of land in western Weber County. And although Levi has been running a fence company with his father and brother for a number of years, what he really wants to be is a farmer. This year will mark the fourth season the Call family has participated in Farmers Market Ogden. Rather than selling vegetables at farmers markets as a side business, Levi Call is hoping to make that into a full-time job this year. His father is retiring and the two brothers are transitioning away from the fencing business, so Levi figures this is as good a year as any to pursue his dream of full-time farming. On a smaller scale, of course. “I guess it’s farming, but it’s non-traditional — it’s on a smaller scale,” Levi said. “Because a traditional farmer around here has to have a couple hundred acres and hundreds of thousands of dollars in equipment.” But Call’s Freedom Farm, as the family refers to it, is growing produce on a little more than an acre. When Levi and Carrie first married, they moved into a small house in Roy. One of the first things Levi did was rent a sod cutter and take out a big section of lawn to put in a vegetable garden. “The whole time we were there, I was yearning for more elbow space,” Levi said. Three years ago, they found that space in West Haven. “There’s something about getting your hands in the soil and participating in the growing process,” Levi said. “Growing your own food and watching or stewarding the land and the plants — it was good for my soul.” Carrie confirms that her husband is a farmer at heart. “Levi connects to the earth,” she said. The Calls have added two greenhouses to their small operation to get an earlier jump on the growing season. In the past they’ve used the basement of their home for starting vegetables, but there were definite drawbacks to that plan. “Our basement smelled like dirt,” Carrie said. Of course, a dirt smell was preferable to the odor that developed the year Levi used fish and seaweed to fertilize the plants in the basement. A mistake, he confesses. “It kinda smelled like a salmon processing plant for a few days,” Levi said. Chad’s produce Syracuse couple Chad and Elizabeth Midgley are already living the farmer life Levi and Carrie Call seek. The Midgleys run Chad’s Produce, which makes its living off farmers markets in Northern Utah. “On Wednesdays we’re in Park City, Thursdays we’re in Bountiful, and Saturdays we’re in Ogden and Salt Lake,” Elizabeth said. “As many as we can do without killing ourselves,” Chad adds. Once upon a time, Chad worked for JCPenney’s corporate offices in Salt Lake City. But for about the last dozen years he’s been farming the land full time. In all, the Midgleys harvest about four acres in Syracuse, West Bountiful and the heart of Ogden. “This is my favorite piece of land,” Chad says, standing on a two-acre plot near 13th Street and Orchard Avenue in Ogden. “This is the best soil I’ve ever farmed on. It grows like a jungle here.” In fact, Chad refers to his garden spot as a “food forest.” He plants produce that comes back every year — including the lemon spinach he’s become famous for at Farmers Market Ogden. Chad says his Ogden land has been farmed since pioneer times. “And there’s a reason the pio- neers chose here to farm,” he said. In addition to good growing soil, nearby canyon winds stir the air and reduce the chance of frost damage in the early spring and late fall. Chad believes these small urban farms are the wave of the future, and it’s absolutely possible to make a living at it. A wise farmer can use about an acre of land to make $100,000 a year, he says. Stone urban farm Out in Farr West, Kyler Stone is growing vegetables on a quarter-acre lot behind his house. Called “bio-intensive farming,” Stone says his mini farm packs a lot of food into a small area. He grows greens, salad mixes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, beets, turnips, basil, cilantro and dill. “Basically, I do anything that’s under 60 days to maturity, so I can get out of my beds quick,” he said. “I’m always kind of cycling through my beds, so I never run out of things like lettuce.” He also uses hand tools almost exclusively. Stone says he’s always been interested in gardening and growing his own vegetables, but never “full-on farming.” But then he started learning about where the food in most grocery stores comes from and how it’s treated. “Tomatoes are picked when they’re green in Mexico,” he said. “And by the time they get here they have no nutrients.” Although selling produce at farmers markets is currently a side business, Stone hopes to eventually make it his sole job. He envisions the day networks of small farms grow “super fresh” produce that’s delivered within three hours of harvesting. And his heroes have always been farmers. “If you ate today, thank a farmer,” Stone said. “Because who’s going to grow our food in the future?” Tiffany’s sweet shop Unlike the others, Tiffany Schoenfeld didn’t go the vegetable route with the farmers markets. But that doesn’t mean she hasn’t been able to make a living off of weekend bazaars. For about four years now, the Washington Terrace woman has turned selling her fudge, lemon bars and other sweet treats at farmers markets into a career. Schoenfeld, a former 911 dispatcher, grew up around carnivals. She began with caramel apples, then added waffles, fudge, lemon and peanut butter bars, and more. ‘Jump in there’ For those with the right product, making a living selling at farmers markets is possible, according to Schoenfeld. “The secret is finding the right product to sell,” she said. She advises potential farmers market sellers to do their research and pick a product that is exclusively theirs. And Levi Call advises potential farmers market produce sellers to just “jump in there.” “You learn in the doing,” he said. But don’t wait, Levi advises. Get started as soon as possible. “My first summer I didn’t have much to sell at first because I didn’t get things done early enough,” he said. As much as Levi says he loves partnering with nature to grow healthy foods, he’s also focused on creating “a healthy environment for our kids to grow up.” The children even started their own egg business. They have about 55 chickens. “They’re all named ‘Chicken,”’ Kyler explains. The chickens produce in excess of 15 dozen eggs each week, which the boys sell to neighbors. Mom and Dad put baskets on the boys’ bicycles so they can use them to deliver the eggs. “They have literally learned not to put all their eggs in one basket,” Carrie said. 26 1990 2016 Committed To DEDI CA TE D T O PA RK CI TY FO R 26 YE AR S (435) 649-8322 theteam@parkcitytitle.com 1670 Bonanza Drive • Park Record Building Introducing... 435-645-7139 www.marketatparkcity.com Please look for our insert in today’s paper! SOME OF THE PETS AT NUZZLES & CO. LOOKING FOR LOVE These animals are available to be seen at the Nuzzles & Co. Adoption Center and Rescue Ranch. Our Adoption Center is open Monday through Friday from noon to 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is located in the Tanger Outlets in Kimball Junction. Our Rescue Ranch is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 pm., and closed Sunday. The Rescue Ranch is located at 6466 N. Highview Road in Peoa. lizy ooh la la 3.5” x 5”, b&w ad “Raise Eyebrows” michelle janelle DEER CREEK TITLE & INSURANCE Siren Vin Diesel Wags Siren is a gorgeous cat who will lure you in with her beautiful, silky coat and gold eyes. Unlike her namesake, she is sweet, friendly and only wants your love. She’s about 5 years old, and is a relaxed cat who is looking for a loving home to call her own. Vin Diesel is one buff tabby dude. This handsome 1-year-old domestic shorthair is a friendly and affectionate cat who loves to spend time with people and other cats. He’s playful and outgoing and is sure to be the center of attention in his forever home. Wags is an outgoing 6-year-old brown tabby. This handsome fella is easygoing and gets along well with everyone he meets. Wags likes other cats, loves people and would probably even do well with a canine family member. This gentle guy is a total love. Kacey McMuffin Sophie Mina Kacey is an 18-month-old border collie mix. She’s great on a leash, doesn’t pull or jump and is a happy-go-lucky girl. She could be great with cats and dogs with a proper introduction, but is dog selective. She would be a great family dog and loves to play outside. McMuffin is a friendly Chihuahua mix, and he’s about 3 or 4 years old. He is super sweet and good with most dogs and cats. He loves to go on walks, which is good, because he could use a bit of exercise to shed a few pounds and get into tip-top shape. Sophie is an energetic 7-year-old Labrador mix who loves to be outside. She would love to find an active family to spend lots of quality time with. She’s not a fan of cats but gets along with some other dogs. This happy dog loves to play, play, play. Meet Mina, an adorable 2-yearold Chihuahua. She is a little shy at first, but then a total lovebug. She loves to be held, and is good with cats and dogs with proper introduction. She loves to go on walks but is also content to be a cuddle buddy on movie night. WANTED: VOLUNTEERS These organizations are looking for volunteers. If you would like to include your group in this section, please email information to copyeditor@parkrecord.com. Please limit your entry to no more than 75 words. Beehive Homes of Park City Beehive Homes of Park City, a quality assisted-living facility that focuses on nurturing residents and fostering independence, is looking for caring and reliable volunteers to provide meaningful activities in an individual or group setting. These activities could include music, art, pet therapy, reading, current events, games and gardening. Please contact Colleen at 435-649-0977. Big Brothers Big Sisters Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah is seeking volunteers to become mentors to youth in Park City. Mentors meet two to four times per month with their “littles” to do fun activities and develop a lasting relationship. This little bit of time can make a big difference in the life of a child. For information, please contact Emily Medlock at 435-649-9366 or emily.medlock@bbbsu.org. Canines with a Cause Canines with a Cause is looking for volunteers interested in learning dog training and assessment skills. Volunteers will foster and train prospective service and companion dogs to be placed with veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. For information, please contact Cathy King at 435-640-9095. The Christian Center of Park City The Christian Center is looking for volunteers with a passion for helping the community. Open six days a week, the center needs volunteers (ages 16 and older) to help in the food pantry, boutique store and thrift store, and with seasonal events throughout the year. Fill out an online volunteer application at www.ccofpc.org or contact the center’s volunteer coordinator at 435-649-2260, ext. 15. Michelle Huggins Confidence to close! 435.659.4407 dmichellehuggins@hotmail.com Love. Truth. Hair. Sully Sully is a handsome gray tabby domestic longhair. He’s about 10 months old, and he is a relaxed and easygoing young guy. Sully is very affectionate and loves people. He’d be a wonderful addition to any loving family. Raise brows. Turn heads. Microblading is today’s most sought-after eyebrow enhancement. It also comes to Park City exclusively via Ooh La La. For permanent makeup providing natural-looking definition, filling gaps, even offering the appearance of restoring eyebrows with crisp, natural hair, give us a call. And turn a head. 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