Home Care In Leeds, UT

December 27, 2023

Leeds, UT—Advantage Capital, a leading impact investment firm, today announced a $1.75 million investment in Utah-based baked goods manufacturer, Farmstead Manufacturing. The company will use the financing to support the land purchase and build out of a commercial bakery from 1,000-square-feet to 5,000-square-feet to expand its operations and distribution through wholesale, e-commerce, and catering.

“I am pleased to see the Utah RJA program working just as we intended it to”Post this

“Farmstead has been steadily growing for nearly two years now, and this capital came at a pivotal time as we head down a new path to continue to build our business,” said Li Hsun, COO, Farmstead Manufacturing. “We want to continue to grow at a sustainable rate, and we are eager to take these next steps to achieve our goals.”

The investment was made in connection with the Utah Rural Jobs Act (RJA)—a program that was first signed into law in 2018 and renewed in 2022. The program supports businesses in rural Utah with needed capital to create full-time, high-wage jobs by providing flexible and affordable capital.

“I am pleased to see the Utah RJA program working just as we intended it to,” said Utah State Senator Evan Vickers. “Often times rural communities are overlooked when it comes to small business financing. However, Utah is a fantastic state to grow a business, and Farmstead is a perfect example of that. With this program, we can continue to stimulate local economies and create good paying jobs for people in the community.”

With the expansion of its facility, Farmstead will become a major employer in Leeds, Utah with plans to hire 25-30 new employees, offering competitive starting wages of $21 per hour with comprehensive health, dental and vision benefits.

Advantage Capital also partnered with World Trade Center Utah and the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce to source and facilitate the transaction.

“We are excited for the growth potential of Farmstead here in our community,” said Shawn Christensen, CEO of the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce. “Seeing a local company expand on such a grand scale is further proof that Southern Utah is a great place to headquarter a business. Arranging funding for this project shows what collaboration can do when the right parties are involved. Now jobs will be added to our market, and Farmstead will have more reach than ever before.”

The new facility is slated to be completed in the spring of 2024 and will mark a major milestone in the company’s growth and production capacity.

“Farmstead Manufacturing has the kind of entrepreneurial vision we look for in a business when we invest,” said Trey Garland, Senior Associate, Advantage Capital. “We are pleased to be able to work with innovative programs such as the Utah RJA to help provide the kind of flexible financing businesses like Farmstead Manufacturing are looking for. It is exciting to see the growth potential of the company and the great jobs it will bring to the local community.”

About Advantage Capital

Advantage Capital provides financing to established and emerging companies located in communities underserved by conventional sources of capital. Since 1992, the firm has invested more than $4.1 billion in companies from a diverse array of industry sectors and has helped support more than 67,000 jobs. Learn more at advantagecap.com, or via X (formally Twitter) or LinkedIn.

About Farmstead Manufacturing

Farmstead Manufacturing is a supplier of croissants, donuts, danishes and pastries to cafes, hotels and wholesalers across Utah, while also providing catering services. Farmstead prides itself on providing the best baked goods possible to Utah residents while also shaping the community in a positive manner by offering quality jobs and a positive work environment.

Advantage Capital is an Investment Adviser registered with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission. Such registration, however, does not imply a certain level of skill or training. This release has been prepared for informational purposes and to announce a prior event, and nothing herein should be construed as an offer of investment advisory services or as an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase any securities or investment product. All offers of investment interests in any fund or investment vehicle managed directly or indirectly by Advantage Capital are and will be made only to qualified prospective investors pursuant to separate and definitive offering and subscription documents in accordance with applicable federal and state securities laws. Advantage Capital is an equal opportunity provider.

Any third-party statements herein are by persons other than current clients or investors in any private fund directly or indirectly managed by Advantage Capital. Although Advantage Capital did invest cash funds in Farmstead Manufacturing through the Utah Rural Jobs Act program and has paid the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce annual dues and sponsored its annual conference, neither Li Hsun (COO of Farmstead Manufacturing) nor Shawn Christensen (CEO of the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce) has received any direct compensation, whether in cash or non-cash form, for the statements or opinions expressed herein. There are no known material conflicts of interest on the part of any third party making or expressing such statements or opinions resulting from such party’s relationship with Advantage Capital or from Advantage Capital’s cash investment in Farmstead Manufacturing, payments to the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce or participation in any federal or state tax credit program.

Contacts

Advantage CapitalJoe Stosberg, Communications Manager[email protected]

ST. GEORGE —Conflicting accounts and the lack of state-issued identification reportedly led to the recovery of more than 50 pounds of meth over the weekend.

Shortly before 6 p.m. on Saturday, a Utah Highway Patrol trooper stopped a vehicle heading north on Interstate 15 near mile marker 23 in Leeds on a window tint violation, according to charging documents filed with the court.

The trooper found two occupants in the vehicle: 37-year-old Jose Jimenez-Ortiz, of Brookfield, Illinois, and passenger, Carlos Galvez Martinez, a Honduran national.

While speaking to the pair, the trooper reportedly observed several indicators that led him to suspect there may be “clandestine activity” taking place, such as neither being able to provide identification issued in the United States.

Authorities say suspicions were further raised when the two men gave conflicting accounts in relation to travel plans.

After obtaining verbal consent from Ortiz, who was also the registered owner of the car, troopers conducted a search of the vehicle, the report states.

Inside the trunk, troopers say they found cardboard boxes containing a number of plastic bags of a white crystal-like substance consistent with methamphetamine and packaged in a way “clearly consistent with narcotic smuggling and distribution,” the trooper wrote in the report.

According to the report, the packages had a combined weight of roughly 50 pounds. If broken down into street-level sales, the amount of suspected meth seized has a street value of as much as $1.1 million, according to a U.S. Department of Justice report.

During a search of Jimenez prior to transport, troopers reportedly recovered a small amount of suspected marijuana, and more of the substance also was recovered from inside the car.

Both men were arrested, transported to Purgatory Correctional Facility and booked into jail. They each face multiple charges, including a second-degree felony for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, along with misdemeanor possession of marijuana and paraphernalia.

Martinez faces an additional misdemeanor for possession of a controlled substance.

The trooper also requested that the two men be held without bail, citing that both were traveling through Utah from out of state without any U.S. identification and provided little address information when prompted by officers.

The request was approved and a no-bail hold was placed on the men. And they both remain in custody at the time of this report.

This report is based on statements from court documents and law enforcement officials and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

ST. GEORGE —From olive oil on ice cream to ribs, this Hurricane couple has brought olive oil and authentic Italian balsamic vinegarette directly to Southern Utah. And they aren’t just stopping there.

Heather and Luke Hepworth, owners of O’ So Good Olive Oil & Balsamics, not only offer over 30 flavors of oils that can be used for cooking, baking and even skincare, they’re starting their very own olive orchard on 22 acres in Washington County this spring.

But what inspired them? Just one visit to their first olive oil farm in Arizona, and they were hooked.

“We walked in, and we believe in love at first sight because we thought it was the coolest thing ever. We couldn’t stop talking about how awesome it would be to have it in the St. George area,” Luke Hepworth said.

With work that took him to places like California often, Hepworth said they spent their weekends at various olive orchards, learning the process and loving every minute of it.

“It’s something that touches your heart and we wanted to bring that back to Southern Utah,” Heather Hepworth said. “To share our love of health and nutrition and what we have found with people here.”

Hepworth said olive oil can be used for a variety of things and is packed high with nutrients. It contains polyphenols, which are antioxidants, along with calcium, iron, potassium and vitamins A and K and E. Along with the health benefits of ingestion, it also offers many health benefits when applied topically to the skin.

“Olive oil is extremely healthy for you,” Hepworth said. “And it’s one of the best things you can cook and bake with. Much better than butter or vegetable oils, it has rich nutritional benefits.”

While some people tend to think that olive oil is “bad” based on a higher calorie count, Luke Hepworth said that they are actually nutritional calories packed full of health benefits.

“I used to have really high blood pressure and since I started this company, which can be very stressful, my blood pressure is actually down because I’m consuming a lot more olive oil, which is one of the things that doctors actually suggest that you use,” Hepworth said.

In November 2019, the couple decided to make an adventurous trip to Italy, where olive oil and balsamic originated, in order to study and learn. They attended an olive oil festival, then traveled to Modena, Italy, which is considered the balsamic capital of the world. Upon tasting the Italian balsalmics, Luke Hepworth said it tasted like nothing they had ever experienced in the U.S. They spent a full month in Europe and say they were excited to bring “the real stuff” back to the states.

With a goal to start their business in 2020, the couple said they submitted their business license in March, right as the pandemic struck. Instead of putting the business on the back burner, they decided to start a shop right out of their home. Already zoned for commercial, the right side of their home is now a storefront that even features a small area for customer parking.

O’ So Good Olive Oil & Balsamics got its name from Luke Hepworth’s childhood, where his mom frequently made “O’ So Good Salad,” a delicious salad that stuck with him.

“When we were coming up with the name, it just rang for us. So my mom kind of named it actually,” Luke Hepworth said.

There are a large variety of flavors from O’ So Good, which range from hickory smoked to white peach. Outside of the hickory flavor, Hepworth said all other flavors are extremely tasty on ice cream. When baking, flavors such as chocolate oil only increases the chocolate taste of desserts like chocolate chip cookies and even cake. Olive oil can be used as a substitute for any oil or butter, which is a much healthier option.

“It just takes things to the next level. If you’re a bad cook, you’ll be good. If you’re a good cook, you’ll be amazing,” Hepworth said.

When it comes to main entrees, white balsamic goes great with creamy pasta, while dark balsamic goes great with red pasta, such as spaghetti. They can also be used for meat marinades, such as applewood smoked olive oil to cook and hickory balsamic on top, which makes for the best rib recipe. To see a full list of flavors, click here.

“I used to tell people they’re good on everything but cereal, but I used our blueberry balsamic one time on Cheerios and it was really good,” Hepworth said.

Olives have to be pressed and done within 24 hours, and Hepworth said that means they have to be created at an orchard. With no local olive orchards in the area, Hepworth said they get their olive oils from California, with most of the flavors uniquely theirs. Their balsamics all come from Italy, through a direct relationship with an Italian family whose balsalmics have been perfected through multiple generations.

“The family we work with has been doing it for over 100 years. And we want people to actually be able to taste that,” Hepworth said,

They aren’t just selling the best olive oil and balsamic on the market, they plan to make it themselves, with a full olive orchard in Washington County. Five months ago, the couple purchased 22 acres right outside of Leeds, where they plan to offer not only the best olive oils but an immersive experience for those who visit. The orchard will feature the ability to see pressings done and have full taste testings.

“We plan to actually let people come press their own olives and go home with that bottle,” Hepworth said. “You’ll hear that extra virgin olive oil is the best, but the best of the best is actually Nuevo extra virgin olive oil, because it’s as fresh as you can get, right off the tree. And that’s what you’ll get.”

The couple plans to plant olive trees this upcoming spring, which will coincide with the opening of a storefront on the new property, with a goal to have their first onsite olive oil pressing in 2025.

To order from O’ So Good Olive Oil & Balsamics, visit their website. See them in person at the St. George Downtown Farmers Market as well as the Tuacahn Saturday Market. Shop their storefront at 80 West 100 North in Hurricane, Monday through Thursday, 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

ST. GEORGE — Two people were injured in a single-vehicle rollover crash on Interstate 15 near Leeds on Saturday morning.

Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Larry Mower told St. George News the incident involved a gray Lexus SUV with two occupants, a married couple in their mid- to late-70s.

Mower said the vehicle was traveling on northbound I-15 in the far right lane.

“He was at milepost 23 and he left the roadway to the right,” Mower said of the male driver, adding that the vehicle struck some large boulders and rolled before coming to rest on its wheels, facing west, back toward the road.

The driver was unconscious and unresponsive when rescuers first arrived on scene, Mower said.

“Some other motorists who were following stopped to help out,” he said, adding that the bystanders initiated CPR on the man, after which a Highway Patrol trooper continued the resuscitation efforts until medical personnel arrived.

Using an AED (automated external defibrillator), the medical personnel were able to revive the man and get him breathing again, Mower said, adding that the driver transported to Dixie Regional Medical Center via ambulance in “extremely critical” condition.

Meanwhile, the driver’s wife, who was in the front passenger seat, sustained only minor injuries.

“She has some rib pain and shoulder pain, but she’s doing fine,” Mower said, adding that the woman and her husband had both been wearing their seat belts.

Mower said the preliminary investigation indicates the driver may have experienced some sort of medical problem that contributed to the crash

“Right before the wreck, he told his wife that he felt like something was wrong, a little funny or fuzzy,” Mower said. “He made a comment that ‘it felt like what happened to him last time,’ but we don’t really know what that meant. And so, she told him to pull over, and that was the last thing she remembers.”

The Lexus was heavily damaged and needed to be towed from the scene.

This report is based on information provided by law enforcement and may not contain the full scope of findings.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.

ST. GEORGE — Southern Utah is widely known for its stunning beauty and access to outdoor recreation, but it is also a haven for artists who are inspired by the land, the history and the serenity the area offers.

Renowned sculptor Jerry Anderson’s love affair with the southwest began in his youth and continues to this day. His passion for telling the stories of the landscape, animals and peoples of the southwest is reflected in award-winning artwork that can be seen on display around the country and at his home.

Anderson’s home is a museum in its own right – and is even occasionally open to the public – filled with paintings, sketches and sculptures that have been inspired both by the spirit of the West and the people he loves.

A student of the Famous Artists School – an art correspondence course founded by New York Society of Illustrators artists, including Norman Rockwell – Anderson learned from the masters when he was in his 20s, he said.

While art was always part of his life, he spent 25 years working with steel in California before purchasing property in the Silver Reef area of Leeds and pursuing art full time.

An accomplished painter and sketch artist, Anderson quickly learned more about 3-D art and how to create an armature, the framework around which a sculpture is built. He built a few pieces, he said, and after that, he and his wife, Fawn, went all in.

The pair purchased a large motor home and began traveling around the United States to various art shows and galleries making connections, as well as a name in the art world.

Since 1979, when the Andersons built their home in Southern Utah, Jerry Anderson said he has been totally immersed in his art while his wife takes care of the business side of things.

“As a result, I’ve got some pretty nice pieces out there,” he said.

Some of his most notable pieces that can be seen in Southern Utah include the Come Unto Me sculpture located inside Spilsbury Mortuary in St. George, depicting a woman crossing the veil between life and death into the waiting arms of Jesus Christ; the Old Sorrel sculpture, located on the Southern Utah University campus depicting the famous horse credited with helping settlers build Cedar City; and The Centurion, also on the SUU campus depicting 12 great thinkers over the centuries including, Aristotle, Plato, Marie Curie, Socrates, John Stuart Mills, William Shakespeare, Thomas Jefferson, Germaine De Stail, Albert Einstein, Leonardo Da Vinci, Isaac Newton and Gallileo Gallei.

Each piece that Anderson creates is unique, but if you ask him which piece is his greatest, he will say he hasn’t created it yet.

“With that feeling inside, you always want to strive to do your best,” he said.

Fawn Anderson said that as a true artist’s artist, her husband could have a conversation with a person and not remember their name nor a single thing that was said, but he will remember how that person smiled or how the light moved across their face.

That is a small example of the amount of passion he puts into his craft, and he said that art is in his heart constantly.”

“In fact,” he said, “if it weren’t heart and my soul, I wouldn’t do a bit of it.”

Anderson works in many mediums, including bronze sculpture, painting, ink on paper, stone and wood carving, found objects and even jewelry. Several of his works and a history of his life as an artist are on display in his home gallery by appointment or on every fourth Saturday of the month from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Anderson’s art gallery is located just north of the Silver Reef Museum, 1903 Wells Fargo Road, Leeds.

A member of the Southern Utah Art Guild, Anderson has a piece in the guild’s “Capturing the Light” art show that is currently on display at the Red Cliff Gallery in the St. George City Commons building, 220 N. 200 East, St. George.

Anderson’s piece titled Why took first place in the 3-D category. The piece, depicting a pregnant Native American woman is actually part of an art triplet, which is completed by two other statuettes: a male Native American titled How and a horse titled Where.

“The three of them make up a piece that’s pretty nice,” Anderson said.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.