When I first moved to Orem in 1995, there were many orchards around the city. As time went by, those got cut down and were replaced by subdivisions. Reading the first article, they mentioned it all started when Geneva Steel came to town and changed the look of the land. As more people move to Utah, it seems that orchards and any “empty” areas are being replaced by more homes. The large cherry orchards down in Payson and Santaquin are probably still far enough away to not be encroached by too much demand for subdivisions around them, but it won’t be long before they will be surrounded and possibly pushed out of business to make way for more homes. My brother bought a home in Santaquin a few years back, and every time I go to visit him, I see new developments popping up closer to the large Apple orchards there. Every single space that is not already built on is being sold and turned into a plot for a home or apartment building. Homes are built closer together on smaller lots to accommodate more people. It seems large orchards are a rare sight these days, except further down in areas such as Payson and Santaquin. But just because these orchards are not in an area they want to develop for homes yet does not mean they are out of harm's way. The gravel industry is booming in Utah, with the need for more building supplies faster and cheaper, and those orchards are surrounded by gravel companies polluting the air. The trees are suffering already without being crowded out by homes being built all around them. The dust and pollutants in the air are already making the farmers suffer and wonder how much longer they want to stay in the farming business.
If local dust and pollution weren’t enough of a challenge for the farmers, they are now also facing challenges from competitors overseas. Turkey has found a way to sell their cherries for a fraction of the cost it takes Utah farmers to sell theirs. They can sell their cherries for such a low cost that Utah cherry growers cannot compete with the low price. With the local problems they already face to keep in business, and now the international problems on top of that, it is a miracle they are still kicking and trying to make it work. For many of these farmers, this has been their life for generations, and they don’t see their family doing anything else for a long time. They have worked the land and lived off it for many years and hope their grandkids can continue to do so. Hopefully, they can come to some sort of agreement with the government to keep production of cherries local to farmers in America without buying from other countries. Keeping our economy afloat is more important in my opinion, as these are my neighbors trying to make a living just like I am.
Just like with the Cherries, it seems foreign entities want to also interfere in the meat industry here in America. I was already aware that a lot of companies in the United States are owned by businesses from other countries, and so I was not surprised to read about this current predicament. Money makes the world go round, and so if a larger company comes in to disrupt the flow of money in America to divert it to themselves, that is not surprising at all to me. It is very sad how someone can just step in and change the entire course of history by pushing out the smaller ranchers and changing their way of life in an instant.
COVID-19 pretty much shut down the world for a while, and so all aspects of trade and business were affected to some degree. I did not realize the process for wool, and it was fascinating to learn that everyone needs to ship wool to New Zealand to be tested before being sold. I see a niche that maybe we in America need to explore and get in on. Again, in the second story, it talked about how other countries sell lamb to people in America for cheaper prices, and so local ranchers that have been doing this for generations are suffering as they cannot compete with the lower prices, then add COVID, and I am sure some ranchers had to shut down their business altogether during this time.
I found all 4 articles to be fascinating and very informative. It made me see that there is a lot more going on in the world than I think when it comes to the food industry. It also made me more determined to really look for local foods more as opposed to just buying what is available. I already try to be aware of local markets and try to spend my money locally, but I see that there are many industries that try to put the little guy out of business, and that they are ruthless when they do so. I love going to my local farmers' market on Saturday and seeing the small farmers in Utah try to keep their business afloat this way. I need to be more mindful of that and stimulate my local economy more in that way. I don’t buy meat as I have seen too many documentaries about the horrible treatment of animals, and so there is nothing different I can do there to help the sheep industry of Utah, but I can again make sure to try to purchase clothing and items containing wool from local (as in America) businesses. Next time I am at the farmer’s market, I will also be looking for Cherries, as I now need to try the local ones because I bet they are amazing.
[Written for GEOG 3200 class UVU Summer 2023]
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