Park City Nonprofit Highlight: Bill White Farms
For most of us, what we know about farms comes from movies and books. From the idyllic setup in Charlotte’s Web to the corporate farms featured in the documentary Food Inc., more often than not, we have no idea what it takes to grow and cultivate real produce and livestock. Bill White Farms is hoping to change that.
For decades, Bill White has operated some of the most recognizable restaurants in Park City – eight of them! – ranging from casual to fine dining. And now, the Bill White Restaurant Group is looking to give back to the community. After many years of trying, Bill White purchased a piece of property directory off of State Highway 224 and launched Bill White Farms—a 501(c) nonprofit.
The farm raises livestock—chickens, turkeys, cows, pigs and more—grows dozens of different crops, farms fish, and even has 300,000 bees to keep the whole operation moving. The farm uses a practice it calls Earthganic. The farm strives to work with the earth, not against it, to bring out the best food it has to offer.
When it comes to sustainability, here’s one example of how everything works together: “The compostable material is fed to the chickens, which creates highly nutritious and flavorful eggs. The restaurant scraps are also thrown into compost trays, where worms turn it into highly nutritious soil, which is then used to fertilize the crops, and [the worms] will eventually be used to feed the fish farm- again creating natural, organic, and flavorful food.”
Now this is lovely and sounds delicious, but how does the organization work to achieve its “number one focus [of] healing the earth”? It does so in four distinct ways.
First, it provides classes to clients at the Christian Center of Park City. We’ve told you about the CCPC’s big new community center, and one of the features there is a kitchen, perfect for cooking demos. The farm teaches free classes there to help people learn to make delicious, healthy and affordable meals the whole family will eat.
Next, it donates fundraising dinners to other nonprofits. The farm will provide the food, the location, and the serving staff, leaving the nonprofit with zero overhead costs and all the proceeds. Last year, the farm hosted a dinner for the Summit Land Conservancy with the goal of raising $200,000. 80% of the food served was grown right there on the farm—enough to feed 50 guests.
The farm also offers tours specifically geared to help community members learn about sustainable farming. The earth is changing and the farm wants to show farmers, community leaders, and anyone interested in the best ways to use biology, not chemicals, to grow food. The free tours demonstrate how to get back to the natural processes that have grown food for centuries and will allow us to continue eating healthy and nutritious produce in the years to come.
And finally, any food that is left goes to the CCPC food pantry. Fresh food can be hard to come by at a food pantry but it is incredibly important, especially when it comes to creating lifelong habits of health – not to mention, encouraging children to eat healthfully. The farm donates produce, eggs and more to the pantry through its Farm-to-Pantry program.
Just like the crops, the farm is growing and evolving. We can’t wait to see what happens next!
The Colony at White Pine Canyon is the largest gated ski-in / ski-out community in the United States. Our land spans 4600 acres, and approximately 90% of it will always be preserved as open space.
In winter, enjoy exclusive ski and snowboard access to one of North America’s largest mountain resorts, Park City Mountain. In spring, the snow melts to reveal an amazing network of hiking, biking, and horseback riding trails, connecting to more than 400 miles of single-track trails throughout the surrounding area.
The Colony is just 35 minutes from Salt Lake International Airport and 5 minutes to Park City’s historic Main Street, home to the Sundance Film Festival and world-class dining and shopping.
