Marney and Garrett’s plans:
I was raised in an extended family that grew a large garden for fresh food as well as preserving, this seemed like a chore at the time.  After high school I began to travel and found myself in Grass Valley CA for about five years. It wasn’t until I grew a garden as a young adult that I discovered the joy and abundance a home garden could provide. Fortunately my mentor was well steeped in organic methods and through that small garden, a life long love was born.

Three years ago my husband, Garrett and I found out that we were going to have a baby. In search of the perfect place to raise our child we returned to my hometown of Vernal Utah. We had no intention of staying here. It was supposed to be a stopping point. As the economy took a turn, Garrett returned to college. We have been active in our food supply for several years and I knew that I wanted to continue that work, as well as being able to stay home with our daughter Kian.

Plans for 2011 and beyond:
We are currently farming a half acre of our two acre property. We have been vending at our farmers market for the last two summers. Last year we had between 150 to 200 pounds of produce for market sales. This year our focus will be a CSA program. Our goal is to grow enough produce for 50 weekly subscriptions, our weekly farmers market and a few specialty crops for restaurant sales. To accomplish this we will be increasing to a full acre of growing space, adding a hoop house, and building a garage that will include a kitchen space and a small section of greenhouse on the south face.

The land that we are farming has been in my family since 1879. My great great grandparents started their original homestead here. In that day their only option was to produce the things that they consumed. It’s ironic that in our current day of many choices we are aspiring to a life similar to that of my ancestors. The more I learn about the industrial agricultural model, the more motivated I am to take charge of our food supply. When I watch my child identify and consume the food that we have grown as a family I am continually convinced that our work is so important.