
Gwen Crist has been a force in Salt Lake’s local food movement, chairing the local Slow Food Chapter for over 10 years and lending her expertise to so many folks working and volunteering in this space (myself included). She agreed to answer ten questions for the
co-op. Bless her heart.
Gwen, you do so much. Don’t you get tired??
Haha, yes I get tired but that’s what naps are for. ;) Also my husband and I do a lot of camping and birding, which restores my soul.
In all seriousness, you’ve been dedicated to this cause for a while now. Tell us about the passion you have for local food.
I love food, I love farmers, I love big open spaces with farms and ranches, I love the flavor and sensory overload of a fresh-picked, sun-warmed, ripe tomato or peach. Food tastes better when it’s grown locally and doesn’t have to be picked green or shipped from a thousand miles away. Local food is full of nutrients from local soil and water and air, it’s part of the broad ecosystem that we live in and breathe in, it just makes so much sense!
"Farming is a physical prayer, it is an occupation that is full of hope and optimism, farmers are the best humans. Food is our common language as humans, everyone eats, we can all come together over a shared meal and see common ground and common good in each other."
You also have been involved in food since childhood, growing up on a farm. What do you remember most vividly about that experience?
Two things really stand out in my memory. One is how tied to the seasons our lives were, everything we did and planned was connected to what the weather would be like and what the plants and animals we cared for needed. The second thing is the community, how neighbors really worked together to help out someone in need and how they joined together to celebrate and to support each other.
You are co-op member number 86 (I checked). Now we have almost 1500 member-owners. What’s changed in the Utah food scene between then and now?
So much has changed - much of our farmland has been developed and lost, farming has become more of an urban thing rather than the rural Utah way, with small-scale backyard farmers and gardeners now growing much of the food available at the local farmers markets. But we also have a more vibrant restaurant scene and a strong community focused on supporting local ag and food production. I think people in general are more aware of the benefits of local food and of the importance of preserving it. There are farmers markets all over the state now!
There’s a lot of bad news in the world lately. Is there any good new locally you’ve been inspired by recently?
Well the progress of the Co-op is exciting! I try to focus on local groups who are doing great things to support and preserve wildlands, agriculture and open space, like Summit County Land Conservancy and the Red Acre Center to just mention a couple. There are so many people working hard every day behind the scenes, we just don’t get to hear about them because the negativity sucks up all the air. You have to seek out the good people and the good news, they are out there!
Currently you are working for USU and the Utah Farmers Market Network (UFMN). For folks who don’t know- what is UFMN?
UFMN is a program of USU Extension that works to support, educate, collaborate and engage with farmers market managers from all across Utah. Our mission is to support Utah agriculture by creating a network of thriving farmers markets in Utah. We provide trainings and professional development for managers, including a Handbook of resources and a series of workshops and networking opportunities. Our next effort will be to create a Vendor Handbook that will provide resources to farmers and food producers who want to sell at Utah farmers markets.
Speaking of farmers- what’s your favorite Utah grown or made product that Wasatch Food Co-op absolutely must carry?
Wow, that’s a tough question! I’d say fruit - Utah grown peaches are the best on the planet. And raspberries! And tomatoes! And corn!
Have you ever shopped at a food co-op? Which one(s)?
I love the ones in Boise, Idaho and Bozeman, Montana, they are both fantastic. When we travel I like to seek out farmers markets and co-ops to find local food. When I was a kid, we belonged to a food co-op - more of a buying club really, where you put your order in and once a month a big truck would come with bulk supplies and volunteers would separate it all out into packages for orders. It was wonderful, what a sense of community there was in that little co-op! We would all get together and have a big party and pot luck while we separated the food orders.
Tell us your favorite cookbook or cooking secret.
My favorite cookbook is a 1965 version of the Farm Journal Cookbook, still the best. My cooking secret is to let my husband do most of the cooking. He keeps me well-fed. ;)
Pick your fighter: dutch oven or cast iron pan?
Oh cast iron hands down, we could not cook without our cast iron! But we have cast iron dutch ovens too!
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