I had the chance to spend an evening at La Nay Ferme last Friday to learn more about the farm, their vision, and their produce. And let’s get real: to partake of a scrumptious salad dinner.
Local food is significant to me. If I had it my way, I’d eat locally grown and locally sourced food from Utah everyday. But I don’t and it gets me mixed up and frustrated inside. Sadly enough, our food system has evolved to where most of us don’t even know (or care) when or where our food was grown. Out of necessity, we gravitate to low prices and convenience. It’s the reality. But I’m here to tell you there is light. And that we are in the process of making local, real food more available in Utah and Utah County. It's really about awareness and participation.
June through October are some of my most favorite months in Utah because it is the peak of our growing and harvesting season. You can’t argue with a vine-ripe tomato, juicy peach or corn on the cob that you shucked yourself. It’s not just the freshness I think about but also the nutrients. Can you imagine eating a salad with lettuce that was picked that same morning? I can.
That is exactly what La Nay Ferme is setting out to do. To give Utah County high-quality, local and fresh food. Not only do they want to make our summer and harvest season better, but they want to be able to supply a variety of locally grown produce year round for us Utahns. They have worked hard at building geothermal green houses and high tunnels that allow them to grow food through our harsh winters.
I heard, first-hand, the passion and commitment that Clinton Felsted, founder of La Nay Ferme, has for real food. In his brief introduction, he talked about the connection he has to the concept of hard work and real food. He has grandiose plans for La Nay Ferme, telling us that it’s not just a farm, but a Foundation focused on beauty, quality and service. Plans are in motion for cooking classes, chickens and maybe even a fish hatchery. The commitment of this successful entrepreneur to give back to the community is admirable and his passion, tangibly endearing.
Perhaps what I love most about La Nay Ferme and Flested’s concept is the emphasis on service. The saying “Will work for food” has a new and quite literal meaning for our community, maybe more aptly stated, “Will serve for delicious, naturally-grown, real food!” Anyone who would like can volunteer at La Nay Ferme in exchange for fresh produce after their service on the farm is completed.
La Nay Ferme will grow a plethora of fruits and vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, strawberries, squashes, tomatoes, leeks and more. However, what they’ve chosen to specialize in will be greens and lettuces. I couldn’t be more excited! Those lettuces were exactly what they showcased in their salad dinner that evening.
On the menu was a salad bar with delightful, just-picked lettuces in the varieties of Rex Butterhead, Rouge d’hiver and Red Salad Bowl greens. Each had distinct flavor and my body was thanking me for the nutrients and tastiness.
To top off the salad, we were offered three options for salad dressings made by Chef Ashley McPherson, of Guru's, a local Provo Restaurant who will be using La Nay Ferme produce in the coming months. (Teaser: I heard they are also revamping their menu.)
The meal that evening was a representation of produce included in their "salad packs" you'd get as part of joining their CSA. If you are not familiar with a CSA, it stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Basically you sign up to receive a share of the farms bounty during a determined period and each week you'll receive a box of fresh, locally grown produce! You can learn more about La Nay Ferme's CSA, here.
One particular aspect of La Nay Ferme’s CSA I am excited about, is the focus on greens (I love a big salad), and that each weekly share's "salad pack" will include locally made dressings and other food products from Utah companies like Raw Agi. Pretty neat idea, right? I like it. It makes them stand out.
I see a bright future with La Nay Ferme. Their foundation, clearly, is organized and has the direction and resources a farm needs to be successful. Please help me spread the word about La Nay Ferme. I hope you get the chance to visit their website, and more so, I hope you’ll tour the farm, volunteer at the farm or join their CSA program.
Lay Nay is having an open house for anyone who would like to attend and you should!
Evening at La Nay Ferme
April 12 from 6:30-8pm
For everyone! Come learn about La Nay Ferme CSA shares.
Visit Project Domestication next week to see what I made with the lovely lettuces and white turnips from La Nay Ferme.
La Nay Ferme
lanayferme.com
Facebook.com/LaNayFerme
Twitter: @LaNayFerme
YouTube.com/LaNayFerme
Farm Tours: Wednesdays 12pm-1pm and Saturdays 10am-11am
Volunteer: Wednesdays 1-3pm and Saturdays 11am-1pm
Join their CSA program.
info@lanayferme
*This is not a sponsored or compensated post. A lovely salad dinner was provided to me at the event. All opinions are my own. Photos by me.
2 comments:
What a cool place, and a cool concept. I've been lucky to be around fresh produce for a lot of my life, thanks to my own family's gardens, and I can say for a fact that fresh, local produce is leaps and bounds better than the stuff you get at the grocery store.
Glad there are people in our community who care enough about food to start farms like this.
Cool post!
I got a chance to go up to the farm today. My party of 7 got a tour and we saw plants that were just a few days old all the way up to freshly harvested products.
This is a great opportunity for the people in Utah County. Fresh food for labor or purchase a share for fresh food each week is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Go La Nay Ferme
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