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Show Page 12 The Ogden Valley News Volume XXX Issue IV October 1, 2023 Assisting Family Farmers & Ranchers Weber State’s Shaw Gallery to Bring Art for 50 Years in Rural America Exhibition to Ogden’s Dumke Arts Plaza Since 1973, one core tenet of the Center for Rural Affairs has been support for family farms and ranchers. This work is at the heart of rural America and is a core component of the Center’s mission. Wyatt Fraas, Farm & Community assistant director, has focused on farm and ranch work for more than half of the Center’s 50 years. The approach to these initiatives has stayed the same throughout the organization’s history, while the strategy has evolved. “Our focus was first on resources and practices, then on markets, then on business planning, now on combining them all,” he said. One reason the strategy has been adapted is external economic factors, including consolidation of input suppliers and crop buyers as well as farm size and changing markets. “Small to medium-sized farmers and ranch- ALGAL BLOOMS cont. from page 1 • • • • Do not swim or water ski in the waterbody. Avoid areas of algae when boating. Keep animals away. Do not drink the water or get it in or near your mouth. • Clean 昀椀sh well and discard the entrails, or guts. ers are stressed, so they seek alternatives to stay viable for now and for the next generations,” Wyatt said. “Market demand for locally grown and healthful food from known farmers spawned the current direct-sales marketplaces of farmers markets, pick-your-own, farm stands, etc. These support a greater number and diversity of small farmers than the previous generation or three.” To execute these projects, Wyatt and his team work directly with several audiences, which can feed ideas, examples, and people into the other Center initiatives, such as policy and lending. This direct work also introduces the Center to more people across the country. “Our program work often directly exposes people to our values: the greater good, responsibility, participation in decision making, and access to economic opportunity,” Wyatt said. “’Being a good neighbor’ encapsulates many of the values and resonates with rural people.” These projects and more will ensure the success of rural communities and the Center. Learn more at cfra.org. Weber State University’s Mary Elizabeth Dee Shaw Gallery is bringing a new collaborative exhibition to the Dumke Arts Plaza on Oct. 6 that features dance, film, and photography. Coincidences is an interdisciplinary multimedia project and contemporary movement experience that explores shared isolation, concepts of sensory stimulation and informed trauma that impacts the human experience. The exhibition will run from Oct. 6 to April 30, 2024, with live performances on Oct. 6 and Nov. 3 at 7:30 p.m. at the plaza, located at 445 25th St. in Ogden. Performances are free and open to the public. The collaborative partners for the exhibition are jo Blake, Cam McLeod, Dylan Totaro, WSU’s Dance Program, and the Shaw Gallery. Lydia Gravis, gallery director for Shaw Gallery, said she is thrilled to elevate Ogden’s art scene with Coincidences at Dumke Arts Plaza. • Know how to recognize a harmful algal “Coincidences gives poetic form to our bloom. Below are a variety of forms that human desire for belonging and connection,” algal blooms can take. Gravis said. “Using visual and performing arts What is a Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB)? as a conduit for creative expression, this collabCyanobacteria, also known as blue-green orative exhibition invites community members algae or harmful algae, aren’t actually algae. to contemplate their individual experiences of Rather, they are aquatic bacteria that photosynthesize like a plant. Cyanobacteria natu- SUSTAINABLE cont. from page 3 rally live in every waterbody in the world. A were set up for residential development—not HAB, or harmful algal commercial. Another item I learned about in the meeting bloom, occurs when cyanobacteria multi- is that there has been a big push to change the ply quickly to form a roads in the valley, specifically to widen them “bloom” or visible colo- and change the Street Regulating Plan. If the nies of millions of cells. roads get changed, then this creates an opporSometimes the cyano- tunity for developers to bring in commercial bacteria that form these development in residential areas. WE NEED blooms can produce TO KEEP THE ROADS THE SAME and make toxins that cause illness sure that that county does not continue to use and can damage the zoning based on Street Regulating Plans, which human kidney, liver, or accommodates developers. Please write to our neurologic system. Pets Weber County Commissioners and tell them to and livestock are more back off from using Street Regulating Plans. likely to drink water and LET’S KEEP THE ROADS THE WAY THEY be hurt by these toxins. ARE! Is there anything more wonderful than a For more informa- windy, slow country road? It would be my guess that most people move tion, visit DEQ’s website at deq.utah.gov/ to the Valley because they desire to live away water-quality/recre- from the hustle and bustle of city centers. It is ational-water-quality- why we all moved here and chose to live here and raise our families here… because we enjoy home. the country’s slower pace and the quiet life. It surprised me to hear, in the meeting on May 23, Mr. Ewert (a planner hired by the county) continually referring to “city centers” in the Valley. He used the term multiple times and yet the Ogden Valley General Plan refers to “villages”—not city centers. As we all know, city centers look, feel, and sound very different from villages. Residents in Ogden Valley were told that the general plan was created to ensure sustainable development and preserve the agricultural character of Ogden Valley. City centers do not keep the unique character of the Valley. And herein lies the wakeup call for all valley residents who desire to keep this beautiful region a place where our children and future generations can thrive while enjoying the natural wonders it has to offer. Lastly, In Utah, if you are not currently in a drought, you are preparing for a drought. Increased high-density housing takes up water. Water is already scarce in the valley. We already know that more water rights are issued in Ogden Valley than can be fulfilled with available water. We have all experienced years where our ability to water has been limited due to lack of water, and this is without additional proposed highdensity developments being approved. It is my fear that overdevelopment of Ogden Valley isolation, and the potential to dissolve illusions of ‘otherness’ by recognizing our common humanity.” Shaw Gallery is committed to curating quality outdoor, rotating exhibitions at the Dumke Arts Plaza in partnership with Ogden City. These exhibitions showcase the work of regional, national, and international artists and share world-class art with the community in a dynamic, outdoor civic space. Continuous support from Dr. Ezekiel R. and Edna Wattis Dumke Foundation, Weber County RAMP, Ogden City Arts, the Austad Endowment for Visual Arts, and the Utah Division of Arts & Museums provides these opportunities to the community for free. will create an ongoing crisis in our water-level situation—a new, unacceptable normal. Now is the time to address this issue while we still have the opportunity to avert such a crisis—before it is too late. Overdevelopment will lead to a lack of available water in Ogden Valley. In the Valley’s general plan, the desire to protect and keep the agricultural nature of the Valley is repeated multiple times, and yet it is impossible to have agriculture if you don’t have water. Excessive development in Ogden Valley will lead to a lack of water for irrigation and farming, and for the residents who already live here that depend on it. This is a fact that no one can dispute. Also, recycled sewer water is not a viable alternative, as recycled water still takes… water! We need to say, “No” to Eden’s most recent rezone request and those pushing for higher density. I understand the importance of economic development, but it should not come at the expense of our environment, the community, and our community values and quality of life. Striking a balance between growth and conservation is achievable through careful planning with those who live in the community and through real collaboration and forward-thinking policies. Ogden Valley, with its breathtaking natural beauty and close-knit community, is a gem that deserves careful attention when it comes to managing growth. I urge all concerned Valley residents who value living in a rural area, where the deer and the racoons roam, to write our representatives—are county commissioners who have final administrative and legislative authority where we live. Demand that the roads stay the same and free of Street Regulating Plan zoning. Ask them to revisit the OV General Plan with input from the residents who reside in this mountain home, and to have a frank discussion about TDRs and who they are really benefiting. Let us work together to ensure that this beautiful region remains a place where our children and future generations can get away from the hustle and bustle of the “city center.” You may reach the commissioners by phone at 801-399-8406 (commission office) or by email: Gage Froerer - gfroerer@co.weber.ut.us Sharon Bolos - sbolos@webercountyutah.gov Jim Harvey - jharvey@co.weber.ut.us Kelli K Booth, Eden Subscriptions available for out-of-area residents at $18 annually. Send payment with mailing address to: The Ogden Valley News PO BOX 522, EDEN UT 84310 Property Maintenance Handyman Services 385-487-9366 *Licensed & Insured* |