A choice of tours is included with the cost of registration for the 2012 conference. These tours will be held on Wednesday, February 22.
More information will be coming soon.
Tour 1: Registration for this tour is now full.
1:30 Roberts Family Farms. Located in Layton, Tyson Roberts and his family grow green beans, Indian corn, melons, onions, peppers, potatoes, sweet corn, and tomatoes. They maintain a farm produce stand to market their produce and run a U-Pick operation. Roberts Family Farms will take participants on a tour of their high tunnel operation.
2:30 J&J Nursery and Garden Center. Originally a family farm dating back to pioneer times, brothers Jerry and Dave Stevenson now proudly own and operate J&J Garden Center on the same land their father, grandfather and great grandfather farmed for generations. The Stevenson brothers are particularly proud of the fact that they've been able to reassemble most of their grandfather's original homestead to become Utah's largest pot-in-pot tree nursery with some 100,000 trees in multiple varieties growing in their fields. Having been in business for 40 years, J&J Garden Center is Utah’s largest producing nursery with over 100 acres under cultivation, including five acres of planted greenhouses. They maintain a staff of certified nursery professionals, skilled landscape designers, and maintenance technicians. For more information on J&J, see their website: www.jjnursery.com.
3:45 Black Island Farms. Black Island Farms has been in the same family for more than 50 years. It is a working vegetable farm, with about 400 acres in cultivation. They grow carrots, onions, cabbage, corn, pumpkins, squash and gourds. Each autumn, they host a Harvest Festival and Cornfield MAiZE — Utah agri-tourism at its best, with hayrides, bonfires, and a haunted maze. They offer school field trips in September and October. And they have a Farmers Market where they sell flowers, gifts and produce. For more information on Black Island Farms, see their website: www.blackislandfarms.com.
Tour 2: Registration for this tour is now full.
1:30 Beehive Cheese. In 2005, brothers-in-law, Tim Welsh and Pat Ford, left the fast-paced world of software and real estate seeking a more simple way of life as artisan cheese makers. Instead of creating a piece of software or a well-crafted contract, Tim and Pat now turn-out delicious hand-made cheeses they can savor and share with neighbors and cheese-lovers all over. Tim and Pat wanted to bring back the local creamery, so with help from the Western Dairy Center at Utah State University, they opened shop in 2005. Beehive Cheese is among only a few artisan cheese makers in Utah. Visitors to Beehive Cheese can experience first-hand the art of cheese making through tours led by the amiable owners themselves. If you catch them at just the right moment, you may get to hear Opera while watching Tim stir the milk after the bacteria and rennet are added, you may catch the hands-on work of “cheddaring” or you may get to taste some salted cheese curds still warm from the vat. You can also browse the cozy little shop attached to the operation to sample each cheese and choose from cheese gift baskets and even Beehive wildflower honey to pair with your favorite tastes. For more information on Beehive Cheese, see their website: www.beehivecheese.com.
3:30 Snowy Mountain Sheep Creamery. For the love of Cheese… that is the reason for Snowy Mountain Sheep Creamery. Established in 2010 by Susan and Stig Hansen as the first dairy sheep operation in the state of Utah, they design European artisan cheeses handcrafted from the famous French Lacaune, East Freesian and Icelandic dairy sheep breeds grazed on high mountain pastures in the heart of ski country in Eden, Utah. They are also marketing their fleeces and lamb meat. The dual-coated Icelandic fleece is one of the most prized and desired premium fleeces in the fiber world. The undercoat, called the thel, is very fine and extremely soft, often used for felting. The longer outer coat is called the tog. The tog is a medium coarse texture with a spinning count of 50-60 and a micron count of 27-30. It grows 6 to 8 inches in six months. It is lustrous, strong, water and wear resistant, and sheds rain. For more information on Snowy Mountain Sheep Creamery, visit their website: www.snowymountainsheepcreamery.com.
Tour 3:
1:30 Rockin E Country Store. Located in Wood Cross, Since 2003 Rockin E Country Store has been dedicated to providing the best products and knowledge to keep everything in your country lifestyle looking and feeling 100%. They are more than just a store. They have greenhouses, farm store, produce stand, high tunnel and horses. They grow all their annuals and perennials in 24 greenhouses. For more information on Rockin E Country Stores, see their website: www.rockinecountrystores.com.
3:15 Utah Botanical Center. The Utah Botanical Center demonstrates and practices sustainable principles which can significantly reduce impacts on the land and other valuable resources. Demonstrations use environmentally friendly products, recycled materials, and water-conserving landscapes. Sustainable home landscaping, wetland restoration, habitat creation, and water quality enhancement are all highlighted on public open space. And while education and innovation are among their primary goals, they know that recreation and connecting with the outdoors can be an oasis for the soul in the midst of an increasingly busy world. The UBC is the result of a shared vision and partnerships between Utah State University, public agencies, individuals, civic groups, businesses, and foundations–important alliances that are bringing the UBC to fruition. For more information on the UBC, see their website: http://utahbotanicalcenter.org.
4:15 Backyard Farm Gals. Julie and Sheriden each have their own backyard gardens as well as two and a half acres in scenic East Layton, Utah. Set against the backdrop of the Wasatch Mountains, they raise chickens, plant their farm, raise their goat and horse, and enjoy a lot of laughs. Their goal is to teach those around them how to start their own backyard farm and increase self sustaining practices. They learn and teach as much as possible, always trying new things, exploring new paths, and finding their way through the seasons of gardening. For more information on Backyard Farmgals, see their website: http://backyardfarmgals.blogspot.com.
