Eating and Sourcing Locally With Chef Bleu Adams

Chef Bleu Adams, a renowned local chef and Director of IndigeHub—an organization that seeks to empower Indigenous communities through sustainable food and business solutions—believes in the importance of supporting Utah agriculture by sourcing everyday household ingredients from neighborhood farms and markets. As part of SLUG’s September Eat Local issue, Chef Bleu has curated a list of a few of her favorite farms and shops that prioritize sustainability, community and ethical practices. Check out the list below for inspiration on how to begin your journey into eating locally and sourcing from top-quality suppliers.

Aspen Mills Bread

3457 Wall Ave., Ogden, UT

Aspen Mills Bread is a family-owned bakery that claims to be “nature’s whole grain bakery” since their products are made without any additives or preservatives. With stone-ground wheat and honey as a natural sweetener, Chef Bleu holds Aspen Mills Bread in high regard. She says, “If I’m not eating Aspen Mills and I’m eating other breads, I can feel it. It’s weird, and I almost feel hungover because of [the other bread’s] preservatives.” With products such as Cinnamon Chip, Honey White and Jalapeno Cheddar, Aspen Mills Bread is a great option that is accessible—found through grocery chains such as Sprouts and Macey’s—and tastes better than national, processed bread options.

Heber Valley Meat

2198 S 390 W Suite 3, Heber City, UT

Beyond their humane treatment of animals and ethical harvesting practices, Chef Bleu recommends Heber Valley Meat because “they provide a service for small farmers who can’t afford to go to huge processing facilities.” Heber Valley Meat has a mobile food processing truck and butcher station that they take to farmers, ranchers and hunters to help harvest and butcher the animal while offering cold storage to maintain freshness. “It’s a way for small producers to get their meat to a market locally and available to the community,” she says. Through their share program, Heber Valley Meat offers beef, pork, lamb and wild game, all of which they say is “raised, slaughtered and processed in Utah.”

Two Crows Cultivation

twocrowscultivation.com

Two Crows Cultivation is described on their website as “a small, independent nursery and micro-farm specializing in sustainability and healthy soils.” Chef Bleu recommends their microgreens as an eco-friendly, local selection for growing your own greens. She says “we have a garden at our house, and most of our starts come from [Two Crows].” Two Crows aims to increase accessibility for Utahns to grow high-quality food at home through kits with supplies and instructions on how to get started. From microgreens, herbs and garnishes, Two Crows offers solutions for those looking to sustainably source and grow their own healthy plants. You can email them at max@twocrowscultivation.com to request your specific green and get started!

Chef Bleu also recommends Beehive Cheese in Ogden for a local cheese option, Slide Ridge Honey in Mendon for honey products and Mountain Valley Trout Farm in Smithfield for fish. There are dozens of local suppliers in Utah offering quality products that often rival what you can find on grocery shelves—all it takes to find them is a desire to eat locally and the effort to visit their websites, farms or markets. Chef Bleu emphasizes that the significance of eating locally goes beyond supporting neighborhood farms and shops. “We’re losing a lot of local food processors … and that’s really concerning for Utah,” she says. “We need to provide more support for growers and farmers.” To find out more information on IndigeHub and Chef Bleu, check out indigehub.org, and be sure to stop by your local markets to show support!

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