The Utah Farm Bureau Federation (UFBF) will be holding its annual Midyear Conference July 19-20 at the Ogden Eccles Conference Center in Ogden. The theme for this year’s conference – Building Bridges to a Brighter Future – illustrates the priority of Utah’s farmers and ranchers to bridge the gap between rural and urban understanding of what it takes to grow food as well as what consumers today are expecting from farmers and ranchers.
The conference will include several presentations on issues concerning farmers and ranchers as well as urban Utahns. Dennis Strong, Director of Utah’s Division of Water Resources, will present on the realities of developing water in Utah and what the future holds for funding water projects. Strong will be followed by Linda Hull, Policy and Legislative Services Director of Utah’s Department of Transportation, who will present on the funding of rural and urban transportation needs. Hull will discuss the realities of Utah transportation planning, including on-going projects and future concerns.
Attendees will learn about local market opportunities for the food they produce from a diverse panel of food users. Presenters will include Zeke Wray, executive chef of Talisker Restaurant; Jed Christenson, marketing director of Utah’s Own; Jana Cruz, Director of Nutrition Services for Jordan School District; and Barry Houghtalen, Vice President of Purchasing for Nicolas & Company.
Additional topics to be presented at the conference will include how to make an impact using social media for a little as 15 minutes per day. Paul Hill from the USU Extension will speak on the benefits and the process of using social media as a rancher or farmer.
The midyear conference creates a central gathering point for farmers and ranchers from across the state, where people from a variety of farming and ranching backgrounds can meet and discuss those issues that impact their livelihood on a daily basis. It also serves as a means for educating farm and ranch leaders on current issues impacting agriculture and on developing policy solutions that meet those needs. The Main
Street Journal
