Press Release
In keeping with Commissioner Kerry Gibson’s vision for the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) to act as “a service organization with regulatory responsibilities,” Gibson is pleased to announce an expanded focus to include economic development.
“We are going to put a laser focus on the financial health and viability of farmers and ranchers across the state,” he said. “We’ll work with industry partners as well as state, federal and non-profit organizations to find opportunities for Utah’s farmers and ranchers to strengthen the financial viability of their businesses.”
To lead out on this effort, UDAF is pleased to announce the recent addition of Linda Clark Gillmor, as the new director of “Marketing & Agricultural Economic Development.”
Linda has a lifetime of experience in agriculture production, product marketing and economic development. She and her husband, Jamie Gillmor, raised sheep and four children on their farms and desert permits near Delta and their summer lands near Morgan.
In 2001, the Gillmor’s founded Morgan Valley Lamb, LLC, a marketing company created to sell locally-grown lamb to grocery stores and high-end restaurants. Linda also served as the economic development director for Millard County in 2007 and was asked to be the director of the Office of Rural Development at the Governor’s Office of Economic Development in 2015.
“I am excited for this opportunity to work with the UDAF and our partners to create a strategy for strengthening our agricultural sector,” says Gillmor. “As parts of our state see record economic growth and skyrocketing land prices, now more than ever our farming and ranching families need to find ways to remain viable in order to provide fiber and food for Utah’s growing population.”