Still Holding His Ground
May 17th, 2010
Orem farmer Verl Cook is mandated to move out of the way for big developers. . . again
Utah Stories first met farmer Verl Cook two years ago at the downtown farmers market, with a huge variety and quantity of fresh vegetables. The Cook farm is filling the localvore niche, and Verl Cook is relaxed and content. I expected to find that he was enjoying the simple life, but it turned out there is a lot more drama and complexity in the life of a modern farmer than anybody might realize -- especially a farmer located in close proximity to a major freeway.
In August 2008, Cook was being mandated by Orem City to build a massive $200,000 parking lot around his farm and greenhouses. Cook completed this project a little over a year ago. He said the parking lot helped his business and he didn't harbor any resentment toward the city in their decision to force him to build such an expensive addition.
Now, just 14 months after completing the parking lot, Cook is again being mandated to remove much of the asphalt lot to make way for the I-15 freeway expansion.
UDOT is acquiring Cook's land through eminent domain. They will be paying Cook fair market value for the property. But Cook is now forced to fight a legal battle against UDOT because they are refusing to pay him proper recovery costs: greenhouses need to be moved or torn down; an irrigation ditch will need to be relocated further West. And the entire North end of his new parking lot must be torn out to make way for an improved freeway on-ramp. Verl Cook understands the needs of the state to widen the freeway and improve the on-ramp. Cook isn't angry or bitter, but he says he feels a lot of pressure from the City and developers to move on and sell out, he said, "They want my water and they would like my land."
Cook and his family have been farming at the base of the Timpanogos Mountain in Vineyard, Utah for about a century. Over the years they have adapted to the changing marketplace and landscape.
The Cook's were once dairy farmers, but as factory dairy farms became the norm and profits dried up, they adapted to become vegetable farmers. They maintained a fruit and vegetable stand at the base of the Provo canyon for years. Then they grew so they were supplying local grocery stores. Then again competition from cheap labor reduced their ability to make profits so they started building greenhouses in order to sell their plants directly to the public.
The Cooks' greenhouses today are expansive, offering just about anything and everything a person could want to plant: trees, shrubs, ornamentals, annuals, perennials, vegetable plants, etc. They are also in a good location, just of Exit 263 outside of Lehi. From a birds' eye view, they appear a green oasis in a desert of concrete. Certainly they could acquire new land. So why not sell out? Verl says he has considered selling but he and his family enjoy their way of life and he says he has an incredible customer base. Verl Cook is still resisting the pressures to move on, but the convenience and options that corporations provide is winning in the long run.
section (red line) of Cook's farm through eminent domain
In neighboring Lehi an expansive retail center recently opened offering a Chili's, a Paradise Bakery, In-n-Out Burger and about a dozen more chains -- everyone I spoke to is pleased to see such great corporate comfort and presence in their community.
Growth is certainly the story in this area: Utah County is one of the most fertile populations in the country and most families have three or four children. Not to mention immigration to Utah for our strong economy.
But the downside to building retail centers form-fitted for corporate chains is that while they may provide more tax revenue than comparative local businesses, they often don't buy from local providers; they dumb down labor and dehumanize everything into processes and systems. This brings us back to some of the unintended consequences of factory farming.
The Cheap Calorie
Genetic engineering, fertilizer and machines continue to increase the amount of food that can be produced per acre at a fraction of the cost it was just 20 years ago. By and large, this has eliminated hunger in America. However, while calories have become cheap; fresh, wholesome and nutritious has become more expensive.
In developing countries, the poorest citizens struggle to obtain enough calories to maintain health, but they grow their own vegetables or have markets offering only fresh local food.
In the United States, we have replaced the problems associated with scarcity with the problems associated with obesity. Today thirty percent of Americans are obese. Obesity is the number one "health crisis" in America, and it's affecting low-income families more than any other segment of the population. When fast food chains offer such cheap calories and mass market their products to people who are too busy to cook, or too poor to buy healthy food, the result is our current situation: people are now full and fat, but lacking in nutrition.
Growth of the Farmers Markets
Today we see the pendulum is swinging back. The growth and popularity of farmers markets is due in part to our natural desire to be better connected with our food. For millions humans were surrounded by our food production: we would either watch it grow in a field, or watch it graze in a pasture, catch it wild in a river or ocean. The majority of food consumption was local and fresh. In less than four generations this connection has been nearly completely removed.
There is a true food renaissance occurring when we see the success of local craft food providers. Besides the cheese makers, micro-breweries, and strong devotion to local restaurants over chains; there are also chocolatiers, bread makers, sausage makers and even local independent dairy farms seeing a resurgence.
The trend of people growing their own vegetable gardens is another reconnection. It's a simple joy to watch plants flower, pollinate and ripen into something delicious. No high-def screen can compete with this wonder. And I'm glad to see the Cook farm has a hugely supportive customer base in Orem and Salt Lake City.
Two Conflicting Trends
While some people are beginning to see the value of locally produced food, more suburbanites want wider highways and chain stores and development closer to their homes.
Perhaps we can have it both ways. If farmers like the Cooks move further away and we continue to widen freeways, they can still grow and all farms can be replaced by a strip malls and homes. But is this something we will be proud of when we look back on this boom era? Relocating all our farmers so we could have more strip malls and sprawl? It's arrogant for people in the city to tell smaller cities what they should do, so I won't suggest they end their strong devotion and love affair with corporate America. But if more people recognize there is a hidden cost in the "cheap calorie" and realize the advantages of supporting local providers -- our society's health and landscape could both reap the benefits.
Learn More:
Read our previous article on Verl or check out our article on Salt Lake's Farmer's Market.
