Two acres of land in Glendale will forever be dedicated to urban agriculture needs, thanks to two non-profits.
Wasatch Community Gardens secured a ‘forever home’ for one of its farms, which will be located on banks of the Surplus Canal in Salt Lake City's Glendale neighborhood. The new green space will be called Farm Hub.
The Organization partnered with Utah Open Lands to place a conservation easement to prevent the land from being bought out by another entity.
“But we've never had a permanent home for our farm. And so this is a really big deal for us to be able to have a permanent home for our farm” said Georgina Griffith-Yates, executive director of Wasatch Community Gardens. “And so being able to focus more on the growing and eating part of our mission is a huge win for our community.”
According to Griffith-Yates the land was previously owned by a local resident of the area who also wanted see a legacy of agriculture continue in their community.
“So this land was partially donated, and then we purchased the rest to be able to find this forever home,” Griffith-Yates added.
This news is a long time coming for the organization that has relied on leases for their community gardens and farms.
Farm hub will serve as a space for learning and a job training program location for women experiencing homeless. There will be classes, workshops and resources.
Wasatch Community Garden offered the same services at their Green Phoenix farm, however, the lease on the land has ended.
Griffith-Yates says that this new site, which will open in 2025 and is all a part of a five-year growth plan for Wasatch Community Gardens. The organization hopes to expand beyond women who are facing and experiencing homelessness and dig more into local small farmers who need support either education, materials, tools and more
“It's really crucial that we do this right now,” Griffith-Yates said. “Because there is a dire need in our community to preserve green space, and to have more local food in our food system. Only 2% of the fruits and vegetables that we consume in Utah are grown in Utah, it's crucial for us that we're continuing to perpetuate that backyard gardening…”
