Sheridan Hansen is an assistant professor of horticulture at Utah State University Extension . She concentrate on urban farming .
" I was a nurse for 15 years actually and decide I needed to get my hands dirty instead of clean and start a small constitutional farm in East Layton with my mom , " said Sheridan Hansen .
They also started a community - supported farming program and sold their produce at local granger ' markets . Their niche was raise heirloom and historically pregnant vegetables .
" Like things that were grown at Monticello or by any of our presidents . Things that helped to feed in our nation when it was early on in governance , " said Hansen .
The farm inhale her to go back to schooling and pursue a life history in horticulture , which eventually landed her at USU ’s Botanical Center in Kaysville - 30,000 to 50,000 thousand hoi polloi visit the center every year .
There , she start the Urban Demonstration Garden , a 1/8 - acre garden design to maximize the numeral of veggie and fruits grown in a small space .
" You unquestionably can make an impact in your solid food security mature in a very small space . And the things that you grow , if you were to conserve them , bottle them , and can them , you’re able to really fee your family throughout the time of year , " enunciate Hansen .
With food security in brain , Hansen and the master gardeners at the center apply specialized techniques to increase payoff from the garden .
" thing wish really hard cropping an country using vertical trellising . Whatever we can do to get more into that space , " say Hansen .
And it ’s make up off . The garden yields about 5,000 lbs . of vegetables every year .
Combined with the produce from their Edible Demonstration Garden that showcases unique varieties of crops beseem to Northern Utah ’s climate and filth , the center field donates 8,000 to 9,000 lbs . of fresh food annually .
" We donate all of the solid food that is mature on - website . It goes out to needy population throughout Davis County . So , we were working very closely with food banks , " order Hansen .
nutrient is not the only benefit of the garden . With the gash bloom industry in Utah growing , Hansen says they are also researching the form and amount of bloom they can raise in that space .
" Tremendous yield out of the slash flower garden . "
Hansen has her pulse on the local farm scene . She helps organize the Urban and Small Farms Conference and works with a mess of micro - scale Farmer , which intend five demesne or less . She tell these farms have unique challenge .
" We run into space issuance , we run into how ' do I get a tractor in this space , how can I afford a tractor ? ' There are so many dissimilar thing that factor into small scurf and micro scale Department of Agriculture that make them kind of an unusual person when we reckon at agriculture . "
The majority of these husbandman are grow food for thought for the community and distributing it through CSAs , farmer ’s market place , and other way . make a livelihood from it is challenging . Hansen says most of them have second jobs .
" They do this because they get laid it , not because it necessarily pays the bill , which is a strong place to be in as a sodbuster . "
One direction to battle that and get more out of all that handwriting labor want to grow on such a minuscule scale , Hansen says , is to grow high - note value strong point crops like herbs and the variety of produce you do n’t typically see much of at the average farmers market , such as unique varieties of garlic and lettuces , heirloom tomatoes , figs …
" So that you could increase what you are dumbfound out of your veggie sales agreement . Anything where they can also extend the season , so if we ’ve commence enough space to put a high tunnel over that craw and season extend so that you could really impact what timing you have with your yields , and you could either be before or later on than the modal sodbuster . That will also give you an added rise . "
Other strategies giving these farmers a lift include the development of smaller mechanized equipment like small - scale sprayers for fruit and comfortable way to cultivate in sozzled space so when planting intensively , rather of having quarrel with a walkway space in between each one , four or five rows might be squished together .
" You know , it ’s looking at foundation , it ’s talking around a table to see what other farmers and growers are doing , those are how we distribute with some of the challenges . It ’s a muckle of listening to each other and try new things , " say Hansen .
With urine preservation on everyone ’s minds , hydroponics and its water recycling system make it one husbandry practice realise momentum , and Hansen says it ’s becoming more affordable .
" Where the price of LED lighting has come down , it ’s more frugal to grow with hokey light than in days by . "
Other strides are being made at the government level . Utah House Bill 390 , buy at by Representative Mike Kohler of Wasatch County , fetch greenway condition to small acreage farms , which allows nation to be taxed on its present agricultural use , as match to its current market economic value .
" The taxes for land area are just galactic , and that ’s why we are losing a lot of our husbandman , " said Hansen .
The honorable news is Hansen says several counties have already adopted the law .
Progress seems to moil down to conversations and conception . Hansen points out the ball is rolling and that we all postulate to stand behind our farmer .
" Our Fannie Farmer have kind of assume a beating the last little while with water supply usance , and I would want everyone to jazz that our James Leonard Farmer are doing their very better to conserve , and if there was ever a clip that they necessitate our support , this is it right now . Visit those Farmer ' markets because it piddle a huge difference in their lives , the lives of their families , and they work so hard , and if I could recount everybody one thing , it would be to plump for our farmers . "
Source : usu.edu
