Craig Butters and Kelly Pehrson of the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) visited the Carbon County Commissioners on Wednesday evening for a presentation. The duo informed the commissioners that they are working to visit with all of the commissions and councils in the state of Utah to get to know them and inform them about recent changes in legislature and agriculture.
The department began in 1896 when legislature formed the Board of Horticulture for the state. In 1921, the board was combined with other agencies to create the Department of Agriculture, which is now known as the Department of Agriculture and Food. This helps to tie agriculture to food for those that might not be familiar in where their food comes from.
UDAF has general stewardship over agriculture in the state. The department conducts inspections, creates regulations, works in consumer protection, creates rules, works in loan assistance, administers pest and disease control, and works in marketing and economic development. It is important to the department to inform consumers what their food products are and that they are safe.
The department includes an office of commissioners, administrative services, the animal industry, conservation, medical cannabis and industrial hemp, the plant industry and more. Their strategic goals are agristructure, workforce development, agricultural land preservation, supply chain development, agriculture education and customer service.
Looking toward agristructure, there are market gaps in local meat processing as well as fruit and vegetable processing. There is a significant need for more young individuals to become involved in agriculture and food production.
In agricultural land preservation, issues faced are agricultural land loss due to urbanization, land price increases, and issues related to state and federal land ownership and governance. There is a program for ways to preserve agricultural land, and many of Utah’s raw agricultural products are from out of the state, which Pehrson and Butters credit as an issue, stating that Utahns must become more independent.
Benefits of agriculture in Utah include creating rural jobs, strengthening local food security, providing water and resources for wildlife, and acting as a large economic driver for rural areas.
Carbon County has 309 farms, 9,253 acres of irrigated land and 747-acre average farm sizes. Livestock is 64% of the share of sales for the county, while crops come in at 36%. Carbon County ranks 11th for sheep, goats, wool, mohair and milk for the state, and 18th in milk from cows. 37% of farmers in the county are new and beginning farmers or have military services.
Butters and Pehrson then presented some of the new programs at a glance, such as the water optimization program, the LeRay McAllister Working Farm and Ranch Protection Fund, and the Food Security Processing Grant.
UDAF partnered with USU Extension for the Agriculture Wellness Program to provide those most at risk with mental health issues. It provides free mental healthcare vouchers for farmers and their families, trains producers on how to help family members and trains 988 crisis line responders statewide.
Finally, the duo presented the takeaway from their presentation. This was to consider how the community can find ways to help agriculture remain viable and to encourage municipalities to adopt ag-frendly zoning ordinances. Those that are interested can learn more at ag.utah.gov.
