Farm Bureau NewsUtah

Countryside EditionSPRING 2011

Saltof theEarth p.10

Prune Your Trees p. 16 The Love of Reading p. 8 Utah Trust Lands p. 14

Vol. 57 No. 3

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Farm Bureau NewsUtah

Countryside Edition SPRING 2011

PHOTO CREDIT DENNIS HINKAMP

Features

The Love ofReading

Salt of the Earth

State Lands Bring Value to Utahns

Prune, Don’t Ruin, Your Fruit Trees

Young FarmersGo to D.C.

Regulations Threaten Food Security

Study Flaws Taint UDOT Decision

Communicating in a Whole New Way

The Love of Reading

Health Care Reform Costs

Distracted….Driving

Baxter Black: The Horse Sale

Estate Planning & Wills

Food Production can be Controversial

The Culprits for Higher Food Costs

Classifieds

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p.18

Contents

Vol. 57 No. 3

p.16

p.14p.10

4

Chesapeake Bay Regulations Threaten Food Security BY LELAND HOGAN, PRESIDENT, UTAH FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

Just about the same time the American Farm Bureau was testifying before the US House Committee on Agriculture on an over-reaching U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth District was reigning in EPA on Clean Water Act jurisdiction.

American farmers and ranchers are being chal-lenged by an onslaught of regulations, guidance and other requirements issued by the EPA head-quarters. At the focal point of the today’s battle with EPA is the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Some are suggesting the EPA’s use of the Clean Water Act is an effort to extend their regula-tory control and to dictate how farms along the Chesapeake and across America can grow food for the American consumer.

The Chesapeake Bay watershed and EPA’s recently finalized rules on Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) is a regulatory shot at food producers that could push millions of acres of productive farmland out of production nation-wide. In the Chesapeake watershed alone, by EPA’s own estimates, about 20 percent of the cropland (600,000 acres) will be forced out of production.

Improved farming practices and conservation methods in the Chesapeake area have focused on reducing nutrients waste, such as fertilizer or manure, from getting into our waterways. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service has documented improvement estimating that 96 percent of the Chesapeake area farmland has actively implemented erosion control practices.

More farms and greater acreage incorporate ero-sion control practices every year such as no-till or minimum till. Cropping inputs like pesti-

cides and fertilizers are scientifically managed and monitored for no adverse impacts on the environment. Filter strips and buffers are be-ing implemented for nutrient and sediment control. Milk is produced by fewer cows. Each acre is more productive. Farmers and ranchers are proud of their environmental record, while at the same time producing the safest, more abundant and affordable food available in the world today.

In the Chesapeake Bay watershed, EPA moved forward with an aggressive and un-necessarily rigid new plan to regulate farming practices. In what appears to be a national test case, EPA has set in motion a significant number of new regulations that will funda-mentally alter the face of agriculture, not just in the bay, but across our nation. These new regulations are EPA’s vision of how America’s farmers will raise crops and livestock, result-ing in the likelihood of more expensive food and more lawsuits by anti-agriculture activists organizations.

The policies EPA is in the process of imple-menting will greatly expand federal control over America’s farmers and ranchers.

Increased regulatory costs for American farm-ers and ranchers will increase the cost of food at the local corner grocery store. Food pro-ducers will simply be forced to pass along the higher costs of growing fruits and vegetables, producing grain, marketing milk and cheese and growing beef, lamb, pork and poultry.

Ongoing efforts to slow the EPA regula-tory juggernaut were rewarded when the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth District unani-mously ruled that unless farms or ranches

were discharging manure into the waters of the United States, no EPA permit is required. American Farm Bureau and several other agriculture groups chal-lenged EPA’s requirement that livestock operations must apply for Clean Water Act related permits and the Court agreed.

For a second time a U.S. Court of Appeals has ruled that EPA has only limited pow-ers related to its Clean Water Act jurisdic-tion. Specifically, the Appeals Court said EPA has jurisdiction only over actual dis-charges to navigable waters of the United States, not potential discharges!

Utah Farm Bureau is concerned that EPA and the Administration are intentionally working to circumvent the U.S. Congress. Congress has left regulation of non-point source water quality matters to the states. Non-point source pollution typically refers to nutrients or pollution that runs off farms, urban areas, roads, etc. that can contaminate waterways. This could include manure on a field as much as it could mean oil leaking from your car into a drainage ditch.

Farm Bureau believes the states have a greater understanding of the regulatory needs of its citizens. U.S. EPA and the current over-reaching coming from within the Washington, D.C. beltway lacks understanding of the social, economic, business and community needs of the individual states.

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Study Flaws TaintUDOT DecisionBY RANDY PARKER, CHIEF ExECUTIVE OFFICER,UTAH FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

Fatal flaws in the Utah Department of Transporta-tion (UDOT) planning process threaten to derail an important piece of the state’s critically needed transportation infrastructure needs.

UDOT drilled down to 14 alternatives from the initial 41 plans for the expansion of the Legacy Highway, known as the West Davis Corridor, and then further to the announced final three West Davis – Weber alternatives. As the three preferred alternatives were announced, it became clear they weren’t looking at the big picture. The communi-ty-preferred Bluff Route was taken off the table—even though it has been protected for years. Cities in Davis County had the Bluff Route on their master plans for years. In fact, Erik Craythorne, Mayor of West Point points out that UDOT has already purchased $6 million worth of property in their efforts to secure the Bluff Route.

As UDOT presented their case to some 50 or 60 farmers, ranchers, county commissioners, mayors and concerned citizens in the West Point City Council Chambers in early March, it was obvi-ous their decision was tied directly to 144 acres of “wetlands”. Those wetlands acres came from an April-May walking inventory along the Bluff Route. Any problem there? A respected local engineering firm publicly challenged 105 of those acres charging they don’t meet the USDA wetlands definition. Any problem there?

In doing due diligence, at taxpayer expense, UDOT brought together a team of experts to evaluate wetlands impacts. Interesting no profes-sional team was gathered to evaluate the impacts to the areas unique, productive and economically vibrant farms and ranches.

West Davis and Weber Counties are home to one of the state’s – if not the nation’s – most unique micro-climates. Good soils, clear mountain water and temperatures moderated by the 75 mile long by 50 mile wide Great Salt Lake define this area. For more than 150, years this area has been recog-

nized for its ability to grow a wonderful array of tasty vegetables, high-quality alfalfa hay and a climate fostering some of Utah’s most produc-tive dairy farms.

The unique nature of this micro-climate calls for a special evaluation under the prime and unique farmlands provisions of the National Environ-mental Policy Act (NEPA). Federal law requires consideration of alternatives to lessen adverse effects.

Set up against the eastern shores of the Great Salt Lake is the 400 acre Black Island Farms producing corn, onions, cabbage, pumpkins and more. To protect the farm from urban encroachment, owner Charlie Black allowed 40 acres to be held as a conservations easement. This fourth generation vegetable farm is an important part of the community as well. Each fall the farm hosts a Harvest Festival, farmers market, cornfield maize, hay rides, haunted maze and field trips for lots of third graders. Charlie notes that the four-lane, divided high-way will destroy farmland, “and once it’s gone you can never get it back!”

Besides bulldozing through this conservation easement there are numerous Agricultural Protection Areas (APAs) in the way as well. Under Utah State Law, counties are authorized to provide protections to the state’s important food producing areas. UDOT identified 10 APAs but didn’t quantify how many individual business operations nor how many acres they entailed. The APA law requires the Commis-sioner of Agriculture to evaluate the impacts to the prime and unique farmland and to food production as well as alternatives available be-fore he signs off on the UDOT project.

Charlie Black, John Diamond and dozens of other farmers along the eastern shore of the Great Salt Lake are a critical part of this treasured Great Salt Lake eco-system. Canals,

ditches and irrigated farms contribute to the health of the wetlands on the shores of the Great Salt Lake. If those farms are cut through by a four-lane highway, much of the remaining land will ultimately be sold off for development. The water will be sold as well. Irrigation tail-water and subsurface water will no longer make its way to the 4,600 acre nature preserve operated by the Nature Conservancy or hundreds of addi-tional wetland acres. Ultimately, UDOT’s flawed decision offers the potential of trading 144 acres of disputed Bluff Route wetlands for the very real loss of hundreds or thousands of Great Salt Lake wetlands.

Potentially dozens of Century Farms, fami-lies farming the same land for more that 100 years, are within UDOT’s three route alternatives. A unique Utah micro-climate could be sacrificed that produces some of the nation’s most outstanding onions. Farms feeding local farmers markets up and down the Wasatch Front could be irrepara-bly damaged.

And let’s not forget about farm econom-ics. These agri-businesses that seem to have been disregarded in the UDOT study are contributing to the local economy, provid-ing jobs and paying taxes.

Every Utahn should be concerned about future food security. Utah has a rich agri-culture heritage and a belief in being self sufficient. Recognizing a growing popula-tion and more hungry people, we must not ignore our obligation to protect our prime and unique farmlands. It’s important we work together to make the best decisions for Utah’s future – food and transportation.

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When we talk with consumers about food production, we need to check our agriculture-wonk at the door. Acronyms like CA-FOs, FTAs and NPDES should be left on the farm.

Many times we get so caught up in our operations and day-to-day work that we don’t take the opportunity to talk with consumers. They want to en-gage with us in a meaningful conversation about concerns and priorities that we all share as Americans. Preaching to the choir is okay once in awhile, but talking more often with the congregation will get far better results.

THE Ag AgEnDA

Communicating in a whole new wayBY BOB STALLMAN, PRESIDENT, AMERICAN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

We are all familiar with the saying, “preaching to the choir.” Yet, many times we fall into that old, familiar trap of talking among our farming and ranching friends, using agricul-ture lingo mixed with complaints about bad weather and falling prices, instead of having a real conversation with consumers in a language they understand. I’m also guilty of this.

But, times are changing. Consumers have not only grown more interest-ed—but have greater influence—in the type of food they consume and how it is produced. Many see farm-ers as the bad guys because of what they read in the news and hear from anti-ag groups. We need to better counter this misinformation by hav-ing our own two-way conversation with consumers.

It’s time we stop preaching to the choir and engage the congregation.

Everyone has a Bottom LineMany times we paint ourselves as downtrodden because of increased government regulations and falling commodity prices. While these are all legitimate concerns for the agri-culture industry and something we should certainly talk about with each other, consumers, understandably,

don’t want to hear about it. They don’t really care about OUR bottom lines—they care about theirs.

With a staggering economy, people want to know that we think about them and the food choices they are making for their families. A recent study shows that people don’t care so much about our ability to grow enough food to feed the world, a mes-sage we too often rely on. Consum-ers care about being able to feed their families in this difficult time.

Consumers are also concerned about food safety and the environment. As farmers, we share their concerns and work hard toward conservation im-provement and ensuring a safe food supply. So, let’s talk about what we’re doing to achieve these goals. People would rather listen to a positive mes-sage. So, let’s tell consumers what we’re for, instead of just what we’re against.

Lost in TranslationNot all audiences are the same, so we need to adapt our message depend-ing on who we’re talking to, whether it is the PTA, the local Chamber or a shopper at the supermarket. Further, if people don’t understand what we’re talking about, they will tune us out.

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I love to read. As far back as I can remember I’ve loved to read. I give credit to my mother for all the hours she spent reading to me while I was very young. Together we were transported to magical kingdoms, discovered distant coun-tries and explored the future. This reading time was so enjoyable that I was strongly motivated to learn to read for myself.

Even after children learn to read for themselves, reading aloud together should continue to be a family priority. I don’t know of a child who doesn’t love to snuggle up with a parent or grandparent and be read to whether they know how to read or not. Additional individual read-ing time for older children should be encour-aged as part of routine summer activities.

Growing up in a small rural community enough years ago that there wasn’t any organized youth sports activities, few TV channels or even close neighbors, my favorite activity on a lazy, hot summer afternoon was to sit in the shade with a cold glass of Kool-Aid and a book checked out from the Bookmobile! Today I would suggest milk or juice as a better refreshment choice, but I still recommend the book!

“The Commission on Reading, funded under the U.S. Department of Education, gathered what they believed to be conclusive evidence to support the idea that the single best way to help children build the knowledge needed for eventual success in reading was to read aloud to them. Indeed, it is believed that this activity is more effective than all the other time-honored approaches, such as homework, book reports, recitations and flash cards.

The growing complexity of our modern world has made the ability to read more essential than ever before. As with most other skills, reading is more easily mastered by those who enjoy it. We can cultivate this passion in our young ones early by reading aloud with them. This simple activity, if pursued even for a few minutes a day, will condition them to associate reading with pleasure.

Building upon this pleasurable response, they will be more likely to read on their own when they get older – to entertain themselves, satisfy their curiosity, and ultimately to find inspira-tion and knowledge.” (familylobby.com – Seth Mullins)

Wanting to help encourage the development of reading for pleasure among children, Utah Farm Bureau Women funds the “Share a Book” program. This program encourages Farm Bu-reau volunteers to read to groups of elementary school children in their local communities and then donate the book to the class so the children can take it home and share it again with their families. The books chosen by Farm Bureau Women are delightful stories with varying plots but all contain accurate agricultural informa-tion. While enjoying these stories the children also acquire appreciation for the world around them, how plants and animals grow and the processes involved in providing the food they eat. Listed below are just a few of these wonder-ful stories which we recommend for family or individual reading; not only on lazy summer afternoons, but anytime.

Foster the Love of

ReadingBy Aurline Boyack, Women’s Program Coordinator,Utah Farm Bureau Federation

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Describes how George Washington built his farm at Mount Vernon, discussing his experi-ments with seeds, fertilizers, and tools and presents related letters and diary entries.(Ages 7-11)

Cowboys aren’t necessarily boys, and they aren’t necessarily grownups either. This book is an accurate look at western cattle ranching. (Ages 5-10)

Nice photos with short explanations for young children learning how ice cream is made. (Ages 6-10)

Cass is a young shepherd who works on his family’s sheep farm. Examines life on a sheep ranch, showing how sheep need shelter, food, water, and protection from disease and preda-tors. (Ages 5-10)

If you are a parent or elementary teacher who would like a Farm Bureau volunteer to share a book in your child’s class or in your classroom, please contact me at aboyack@fbfs.com to make arrangements.

After World War II Anna needs a new coat, but her mother has no money and the stores are empty. Story explains the basics of textile production, economics and seasons. (Ages 5-11)

This book includes a description of the importance of good soil, good weather, and the power of photosynthesis to produce plants (including leaves, stems, flowers, fruit, roots and seeds) that we eat every day. (Ages 4-7)

Book is based upon a true Utah pioneer story about a young girl. Mary Ann loses her be-loved wheat-filled doll during a severe storm and makes a surprising discovery. (Ages 5-12)

On a visit to his grandparent’s houseOliver wants to eat only French Fries. Grandpa tells him that he may look in the garden for potatoes, but he must eat what he finds, whatever it may be. (Ages 5-7)

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REDMOND, Utah – Location really seems to be the name of the game when it comes to thriving as a society, finding fortune in a busi-ness, or harvesting a good crop.

Most of the ancient civilizations that have thrived the best were located along important trade routes or waterways; countless individu-als have recounted stories of success by com-bining their hard work with “being at the right place at the right time”; and location can often be the difference between a business thriving or not.

Such is the case for the Bosshardt family of Redmond, Utah – in Sevier County. Settling in on what looked like some good land to raise his livestock in the 1930s, Conard Bosshardt and his sons Milo and LaMar thought they had the ideal place in Redmond, about 23 miles

northeast of Richfield and four miles north of Salina.

Despite having neighbors on both ends of his property with established businesses dealing in salt, Bosshardt focused on farm-ing and never intended on going into the salt business.

However, in the face of a prolonged drought in 1959, Milo and LaMar Bosshardt were looking for other ways they could make a living off their land. Knowing of the exist-ing salt layer beneath their property, the two brothers ventured into the salt mining business.

“Just a few years into things, and they found how big the salt deposit was and how close to the surface it was,” said Neal Bosshardt

of Redmond Minerals and the son of Milo Bosshardt. “They went into the salt business with little more than sledgehammers, an old bulldozer and determination.”

Their salt deposit, which came about as the result of prehistoric volcanic activity that en-cased an ancient seabed, provided a naturally balanced mineral salt that local ranchers cred-ited for healthier herds.

A seabed in Utah? True indeed – what is known as the prehistoric Lake Bonneville covered much of the current boundaries of Utah. When it receded, it left what is now the Great Salt Lake, as well as salt deposits cov-ering much of the state. What makes things unique about Sevier and Sanpete Counties, is that this is the only area where it is believed that a significant seismic event shifted the

SALT OF THEEARTHBy Matt Hargreaves, Editor, Utah Farm Bureau News

11

landscape so that the salt deposit runs vertical from about 30 feet from the surface to an estimated 1,000 feet down. Most other deposits in Utah continue to run horizontal, making it too difficult to access.

It is also believed that a layer of volcanic ash known as Bentonite Clay kept the salt water from continuing to wash down to the present locations of the ocean, thus preserving its pure mineral composition. A mineral analysis of Redmond’s salt has found it to have the same make-up as sea water, mostly consisting of salt (sodium chloride) and 60 other trace elements including Calcium, Sulfur, Potassium, Magnesium, Aluminum, Boron, Bromine, Manganese and more.

As the salt’s reputation grew, the Bosshardt brothers purchased land from their neighbors, giving them access to the entire de-posit. They concentrated on selling the salt as a herd supplement to area ranchers. But it wasn’t only ranchers placing a premium on Redmond’s salt products. In the 1960’s local governments realized that Red-mond salt melted ice more efficiently than traditional white salt, and Redmond began marketing crushed salt as a premium high-way deicing agent. The product would later be known as Ice Slicer, and its often-imitated reddish color is still visible on clear winter roads throughout Utah and other western states.

“This is widely used on roads today in Utah and Colorado, but we sell to states as far away as Washington and Texas,” said Kyle Bosshardt, grandson to LaMar Bosshardt and a general manager for Redmond Natural. “In the winter, we average about 200-400 trucks a day coming through our plant to load up with salt for roads. We’re also shipping it out on rail out of a rail spur in Levan. The de-icing salt makes up the majority of our business in terms tonnage, as well as dollars.”

The process for farming the salt for agricultural and transporta-tion uses has evolved over time. As was mentioned earlier, the early pioneers in the salt mining business started off using scrap-ers and horses. Milo and Lamar took this a step further by us-ing mechanical methods, all of which progressed as the business flourished.

Using what is known as a drill & blast method, workers would drill several holes into sections of the salt wall, and then fill it with explosives to blow enough of the wall out into smaller chunks of salt. The salt that is in manageable chunks is then loaded onto 55-ton trucks (similar to those seen going in and out of the Bingham Copper mine in Salt Lake County) and taken to the mill for sizing and grinding. Other chunks too large for transportation are left until they can be further broken down inside the mine.

As I mentioned the 55-ton trucks, perhaps the image of the mine in your mind took a bit of a turn. This hole in the ground is not the small tunnel dug by young boys in their backyards. The tunnel in Redmond measures 80 feet wide by 40 feet tall and winds around for some three miles at an eight degree grade until it gets to its current low point of about 300 feet below the surface. In the absence of natural light, workers in these tunnels continue to blast and scrape for salt on a daily basis.

“We’ve hardly put a dent in the surface for how much salt there is here. There is probably many more years of harvesting that can be done,” Kyle Bosshardt said. “We currently run on a ratio of one pound of explosive for one ton of salt. In each blast, we’re using approximately 1,500 pounds of explosives and yielding 1,500 tons of salt.” 11

Another turn in fortuneDespite its effective uses for livestock and transportation, there began to be anecdotal stories of its uses for human consumption.

“Unknown to us, there was a professor that was quoted in a health magazine stating that our salt was about as near as pure sea salt as could be found and that the mineral make-up was about the same as it was in human blood, and that it would be good for human health,” said Neal Bosshardt. “We began to get all these calls for our salt out of nowhere.”

Bosshardt said that they began to get more reports of families who had used the salt for personal consumption. In the 1970s, they were approached by a family that had been us-ing the blocks of agriculture salt for personal consumption. The mother of the family was pregnant at the time and had been suffering from water retention, as she had from earlier pregnancies. She read an article by a doctor who said that consuming an unrefined and unheated form of salt could help with water retention; and so the family began consuming the Redmond salt. The problems with water retention went away and the family was con-vinced; still, the father admitted to the folks

at Redmond that he wished the salt wasn’t so gritty.

To remedy this, the Bosshardts looked at a few outlying areas of their mine where the minerals took on more of a light rose color, compared with the darker red where the agricultural and road salt was taken. The Bosshardts found that the salt in this area was of a finer consistency and not as gritty to consume. Eventually Redmond’s customers began ask-ing for salt they could use in the kitchen, so Redmond formed a separate company with the help of a young lawyer from Salt Lake City named Orrin Hatch, and began marketing what they called Orsa or Organic Salt.

In the 1970s, the Morton salt company in-troduced a product called Lite Salt, as many were becoming concerned with the effects that salt had on blood pressure. Another company came out with a product called “No Salt”. It was at this time that the folks at Redmond were thinking more about their product, and the actual health benefits that came from consuming it. Redmond decided to call their product Real Salt because it really was what salt was supposed to be.

In 1984 Redmond moved away from their “Orsa” name, and introduced the Real Salt brand sea salt. Real Salt’s distinctive hue and salty-sweet flavor has made it one of Red-mond’s most recognizable brands worldwide, and the best-selling salt in America’s health food stores.

Initially, Real Salt was only marketed by word of mouth and given to local restaurants and tourism spots.

“Larger stores liked the salt, but they thought it would need too much money in order to compete against what was already there, and so without that money, they were not interest-ed,” Neal Bosshardt said. “Eventually, Norma Roberts – our payroll clerk —volunteered to go around to restaurants and other places and give the product out and work relationships face-to-face. After that, the phone started ring-ing off the hook.”

The table salt is harvested in a different way than the agricultural and road salt products. Rather than blasting in the tunnels, the Boss-hardts target the sections with the lighter tex-ture salt with a type of grinder that scrapes the salt off and collects it.

The salt is then screened to a uniform size and then packaged at the company’s facility in He-ber City, leaving all the trace minerals intact and without heating the salt or adding things commonly found in some other salts such as anti-caking agents or sugars.

In the early 1990s, the Bosshardt family con-sidered a new direction for the company’s fu-ture. Convinced that their products had unre-alized potential, Redmond hired Rhett Roberts as a consultant to evaluate Redmond’s products and strategies. Roberts presented several ideas that would help Redmond become more than a traditional family-owned business, and the Bosshardts eventually asked him to join the company to implement the changes.

The increasing public interest into the details of the food they eat has benefited Redmond, with sales of its Real Salt continuing to in-

crease. Under Roberts, the Redmond company has expanded to include lines of farm products including raw milk, honey, beef, pork and eggs, in addition to its varieties of salts and clay products. In the early 2000s, the company branched out into the retail market and opened up Real Foods Markets in Heber City, Orem and St. George. The stores retail the Redmond products, in addition to produce and other products acquired from other growers.

Despite the impressive list of products now available from Redmond Minerals, the compa-ny and Bosshardt family remains true to their heritage and roots, with many generations of Bosshardts still working in the salt mine or ex-panding other areas of the business. Just five to six years ago, the company expanded into the hunting and outdoor recreation market, pro-ducing what it calls ‘Trophy Rock’, which is a wildlife health enhancer and hunting product

used in many eastern states to supplement their whitetail deer populations.

The years ahead should continue to offer op-portunities for Redmond to provide its supply of Real Salt as people become more aware of its healthy properties. Those interested in pur-chasing the salt can do so at most health stores, many grocery stores, Real Foods Markets or online at www.realsalt.com.

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If you were to ask most U.S. residents outside of Utah to describe our state, no doubt some of the first images that would come to mind would be the breathtaking views from some of our more popular natural resources, such as Delicate Arch near Moab, the views from Zion National Park, the hoodoos of Bryce Canyon, or Calf Creek Falls in the Grand-Staircase Escalante National Monument. Even our national forests and recre-ation areas are renowned. But do they know about our state-managed public lands? Do Utahns even know what these are?

What are Trust Lands?Commonly referred to as Trust Lands, The Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administra-tion (SITLA) administers 3.4 million acres of land across the state for the financial benefit of Utah’s schoolchildren and other public institutions.

These lands had their origin at statehood when Congress granted four square-mile sections in every township specifically to generate revenue for the financial support of the public education system. Many hundreds of thousands of acres of quantity land grant selections for 11 other trust beneficiaries were also offered at statehood. Over half of the trust lands granted at statehood have since been sold (most of the sales occurred within the first two to three decades following statehood). Interestingly, nearly a third of the private land in the state today was once trust lands.

Approximately seven percent of the state of Utah is now currently managed by SITLA. Approxi-mately 70 percent of Utah is managed by federal land agencies, with only 21 percent of land under private ownership.

Some areas of the state have large amounts of trust land, while others do not. For example, there are only 32 acres of trust land in Salt Lake County, while Millard County contains almost 403,000 acres. Rural areas have a larger number of trust land acres.

What’s more, trust lands include both surface lands and mineral lands. This means that SITLA tries to generate revenues both from those that use the surface of the land, such as farmers, ranchers and recreationists, as well as those that use what is under the land, such as oil, coal, gas and mineral users.

The revenue generated from trust lands largely goes into the Permanent School Fund, which is administered by the State Treasurer. The interest and dividends from the State Treasurer’s invest-ment portfolio from this fund are distributed each year to all public schools across the state. Com-munity councils made up of parents, teachers, and administrators from each school determine how the proceeds received each year are spent for vari-ous academic needs.

SITLA is an entirely self-funded quasi-governmental agency. While a portion of the money generated from managing trust lands is used to run the operations of the agency, no tax money is used. That means all operating expenses and capital costs are paid from the revenues accrued from managing the lands.

The ultimate goal of SITLA is to make the Permanent School Fund a major source of public school fund-ing. Since to the agency was reorganized in 1994, revenues in the Permanent School Fund have grown from $50 million to over $1 billion.

The drastic change in revenues corresponds with a change in management philosophy that took place at the agency. With so little of our state’s land base residing in private ownership, the pressure to gener-ate positive returns to fund government is high. Thus income from public lands can ease those pressures on state and local governments, as well as on private land owners.

While the largest source of revenues comes to the fund from leasing of mineral land and the royalties that come from the production of oil, coal, gas, gold, sand and gravel, SITLA also makes money through the occasional sale of trust lands. But another signifi-cant form of SITLA revenues comes in the form of land-use leases from various organizations.

Leased trust lands are currently used as telecommu-nications and industrial sites, recreational cabin areas, timber harvesting, and grazing lands for livestock.

State ManagedPublic Lands

Producing More

For UtahnsBY MATT HARGREAVES, EDITOR,UTAH FARM BUREAU NEWS

Photo: NormaLee McMichael

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Livestock Grazing on Trust LandsAlthough not a major direct contributor to the an-nual generation of revenue, more of the 3.4 million surface acres administered by SITLA are used for grazing than for any other type of use. Almost 95 percent of all trust lands are contained in a grazing permit, which means the grazing program is a sig-nificant part of SITLA’s management portfolio and is important to farmers, ranchers, and local econo-mies in almost all counties in Utah.

Given the importance of the grazing program to a significant segment of Utah’s economy and the

SITLA has a legal mandate to receive no less than fair-market value for the use of its lands to support its beneficiaries. To make sure it was doing this, SITLA’s Board of Trustees directed the agency in March 2003 to evaluate whether or not it should create a separate grazing fee structure and explore ways of improving the overall grazing program, in-cluding how the land was managed.

SITLA wanted to see what other western trust land states were charging for grazing fees, how long those grazing terms were, and similar questions relating to land management.

After two years of extensive analysis, including pro-fessional guidance from two respected agricultural economists and input from industry leaders and other stakeholders, a new structure for grazing fees was adopted by the Board of Trustees.

The new structure implemented by the Board of Trustees included items such as a two-tiered grazing

fee, an increased standard grazing fee, a commit-ment on SITLA’s behalf to provide up to 10 percent of the agency’s annual grazing proceeds for range improvement projects, and an ability to increase the terms of leases when ranchers managing the land put substantial improvements into the land.

Better Management Leads to Greater BenefitsDespite the general agreement in the benefits com-ing from the changes, there have been adjustments to be made by ranchers using the land, and their cooperation should not go unrecognized.

“At first I thought they were going to far in mak-ing these changes,” said Gary Hallows, a rancher from Wayne County and a Farm Bureau member. “But [SITLA] has been good to work with and have made good improvements in the land. They have been much better to work with than the federal land managers…in helping to spray brush, putting in cattle guards and fending.”

“We were opposed to raising the grazing fees, be-cause the cow business was tough at that time,” said Steven Osguthorpe, Utah Farm Bureau Vice Presi-dent and a sheep rancher with trust land permits in Millard County. “But those of us who were staying in it for the long haul felt that it was worth more to be on those SITLA lands in the future. Those lands are just better. Now our land prices are up, wool prices are up, so it’s easier to pay those costs.”

These comments could be echoed by many others, who have felt the added benefits from working with state land managers as opposed to federal managers. The consideration given to the concerns of local us-

ers and of rural communities, the commitment to put money back on the ground for land improvements and the more active management are all improve-ments of having state-managed lands.

“We were more proactive and wanted to improve the grazing situation for local ranchers,” said John Ferry, a rancher in Box Elder County and the former chair-man of the SITLA Board. It should be known that while on the board, Ferry did not have any SITLA grazing permits. “Federal land managers want to shut down everything and act like an absentee landlord, whereas SITLA is progressive in its approach and were active in groups like the Society of Range Man-agement, showing its commitment to effective land management.”

Adjustments to trust lands’ grazing program a win/win/winThe results of these changes have been generally posi-tive for SITLA, Utah’s school children and ranchers. The grazing program revenues have increased from $400,000 in 2003 to $800,000 in 2010 and it is ex-pected that annual revenue from the grazing program will reach $900,000. The changes have also resulted in increased security for ranchers as well as increased stewardship through the implementation of a wide variety of rangeland improvement projects around the state.

The SITLA Board of Trustees’ ultimate goal was to re-ceive fair-market value for grazing and any other uses of any of its land, and to work in a spirit of fairness as well as sensitivity to the economic viability of the live-stock industry. Most involve believe they a reasonable balance has been met with the recent changes.

Photo: Richard Wilcox

16

Gardens have been used as analogies on life’s twists and turns before, with the central message frequently being that while some cuts, raking and pruning done by the gardener have hurt, they have been for the well-being of the plant in question. The reason the analogy works so well is because it is true in a biological sense…in order to get good fruits from your labors, fruit trees, vines, flowers and other plants need to be pruned.

“I like to tell people that we worry too much about what we’re going to prune, and not enough about what we’re going to keep” said Jerry Goodspeed, USU Extension horticulturist and Weber County Extension director. “Instead of thinking ‘cut, cut, cut’, either put the cutting tool down or put it to the side, and look and see what I want to keep. If I know what I want to keep, then the rest is easy because I can just cut out and get rid of everything else.”

Pruning is the intentional removal of plant parts with the goal of promoting tree health, reduc-ing potential hazards that could be caused by a tree, to encourage a particular shape of a tree and most especially – in terms of fruit trees – to en-courage the growth of the best tasting fruit you’ll ever eat.

The removing of plant parts on fruit trees is done to ensure that the right amount of light, nutrients, and space is given to each fruit pro-ducing area so that you have the right amount of sweet tasting fruit which is of a good size; as opposed to lots of small, bad-tasting, worthless fruit or over-sized, tasteless fruit.

“You want to maximize high-quality fruit pro-duction. To do this, you need to give it enough energy to achieve its genetically assigned poten-tial,” said Adrian Hinton, USU Extension hor-ticulturist in Utah County. “These are not shade trees…these are for producing great fruit. You usually don’t prune shade trees unless there is disease or damage to the tree.”

In his Deseret News column, Master Gardener Larry Sagers explained that pruning keeps the tree open to let in light. That light is what is needed for the leaves to produce sugars in the fruit and to give the fruit its beautiful color.

When to Start and With Which Trees?Most fruit trees need pruning in order to be pro-ductive, but there is an order in Utah that can be followed as to which trees to prune first and when.

Some of the hardiest fruit trees are those which can be pruned first and the rest follow the timing of which fruit arrives first. A good rule of thumb is to start with apples and pears, followed by cher-ries, apricots, plums, peaches and finally with nec-tarines according to Hinton.

There will be different kinds of pruning and thin-ning which take place throughout the growth cycle, but you are generally safe to begin pruning after the harshest part of winter has passed, and nighttime temperatures begin to climb out of the high 30s and into the low 40s.

Depending on the type of fruit, some trees will require more extensive pruning than others.

“While some fruit trees will produce fruit with minimal pruning, peaches are not among them,” Sagers said. “If you are going to grow peaches, you must learn to prune trees. Unless peach trees are pruned heavily each season, they quit growing new wood and stop producing fruit.”

“Peaches and nectarines require that you prune at least 50 percent of the tree each season…and that’s if the tree is healthy,” Hinton said. “You’re cutting off last year’s growth to spur on new growth and keep things open. You want to keep the center of the tree open to get plenty of sun in the center.”

Give Your Fruit a BoostPrune now for Bigger Fruit LaterBY MATT HARGREAVES, EDITOR, UTAH FARM BUREAU NEWS

Photo: Tracee Breeze Photography

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Tools of the TradeNow that you realize you need to prune your trees, you need to know which tools to use before you start cut-ting. Hinton recommends four tools everyone should have before starting to prune:1. A pruning saw. This saw has a thin, curved blade with teeth that are angled back to cut mainly as you pull, rather than push.2. Long-handled bypass loppers. Make sure you get bypass, as opposed to anvil, loppers. These work just like scissors and have two sharpened blades, rather than one blade and a flat end. Also look for a pair with a rub-ber buffer in the middle, which helps alleviate pressure on your elbows and lets you prune for longer.3. Bypass hand shearers or pruners. Again, the bypass variety lets you cut cleaner.4. Your thumb and finger. While simplistic, this is the best method for removing little sprouting buds and branches in early growth stages.

Cut on Purpose and Don’t Look BackBut how do you go about pruning? Is it as easy as a little cut here and there? Not so say the experts at USU Extension.

“I tell those who attend our pruning classes to walk around the tree two or three times, looking at what branches we’re going to want to keep and remove,” Hinton said. “People have to remember that we are cut-ting on purpose to keep the tree healthy and fruitful. Then I tell them not to look down on the ground until the end…just cut off the branches and don’t look down to see how much you’ve done until the end.”

The first thing to look for when pruning is for larger branches or main limbs coming off of the trunk that are dead or diseased. You also want to look for branch-es which have angles that make them more prone to breaking in harsh weather.

“Branch angle is critical,” Sagers said. “Try to de-velop branches coming off the main trunk at 45-90 degree angles. These create strong branches that support the fruit crop without breaking down the tree. In contrast, narrow or V-shaped crotch angles are weak.”

When removing these larger branches, you want to cut next to the branch collar. This looks like a swol-len ring at the base the branch, right next to the main trunk of the tree. If you cut too far away, it will take a long time to heal and will leave a stub. If you cut too close, the cut will not heal.

Once you have four or five main branches, start looking at the secondary branches coming off of those primary ones. You want to give these branches – and the buds that will come off of them – plenty of space to receive sunlight and so that the result-ing fruit has room to grow without bumping into other fruit.

“You want to have fruit about six inches apart,” Hinton said. “Also, to maximize fruit production, you want to have at least 28-30 nice, full-size leaves per fruit when the fruit is starting to grow in size. The leaves are what take in the energy and give it to the fruit.”

Sagers says that secondary branches will typically begin about four feet out on the main branches, so that fruit has plenty of space to grow. This is where you begin to prune so that branches are not crowd-ed or obstructed.

Another key to look for is the color of the wood. Of-ten, grey or pale colored wood is weak or diseased, and can be removed. Brightly-colored wood is often productive, growing wood and should be left alone.

A Few Remaining Fruit Tree TipsWhile not a pruning tip, Hinton also suggests that with fruit trees, owners need to work to ensure that trunks do not become sun-scalded. This happens when unprotected trees are exposed during the winter time and when snow begins to melt. Often, the sun during these winter months can scald the wood once the snow melts away. To guard against this, Hinton suggests painting fruit trees with a white, latex paint from the ground up to the bottom branches along the main trunk. This is visibly apparent in most com-mercial fruit orchards, but Hinton emphasizes that it needs to be a white latex paint, not tar or black paint.

To help pick the right size of fruit tree for your home orchard or small farm, Hinton suggests selecting semi-dwarf varieties, as opposed to full, dwarf or miniature sizes. This will provide you with the high-est production and best use of space. Trees should be planted in areas where they will receive full-sun all day long.

For more information, readers can visit extension.usu.edu and watch pruning demonstration videos, read more suggestions and also contact their County Extension office for more help. Lastly, Hinton en-couraged all growers, commercial orchard or back-yard hobbyist, to visit http://utahpests.usu.edu/ipm and click on the ‘Subscribe to IPM Advisories’ button for weekly updates on managing pests and diseases. These reports can be customized for fruit trees, veg-etables and plants, or turf grass care and are temper-ature-based to give accurate information on what to look for in terms of disease and pest prevention.

Photo: Tracee Breeze Photography

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Fifty-four of Utah’s brightest young farm-ers and ranchers (YF&R) recently traveled back east to our nation’s capitol to visit with Utah’s congressional delegation. The trip, which is usually taken every four or five years by the YF&R’s, was a success in every sense of the word. There were 19 County Farm Bureau’s represented on the trip that mostly consisted of young mar-ried couples who are involved in an agri-cultural enterprise and have a passion for agriculture.

While in Washington, D.C. participants were able to visit both of Utah’s Senators as well as all three Representatives. At each visit, different couples were assigned an agricultural issue to discuss with their congressman for a few minutes. Prior to

meeting with Utah’s congressional del-egation, the group met at the American Farm Bureau office headquarters and vis-ited with members of the American Farm Bureau staff. Staff members briefed the group on American Farm Bureau prior-ity issues such as: Energy, Farm Labor/Immigration, Free Trade, Clean Air Act/Climate Change and the Clean Water Act. Participants also received some public re-lations and media training which will help these young farmers and ranchers tell their story better.

Each issue that was presented and dis-cussed was prefaced by a personal story of how these priority issues impacted agri-culture in Utah and particularly how these issues affect these young farmers’ and

ranchers’ own agricultural enterprises. Time was given for each congressman to respond and discuss what they are doing to protect and enhance the future vitality of Utah and American agriculture. The format of these visits was met with genuine respect from both the participants and the congressmen. For most of the participants this experience was a first and a unique opportunity to be involved with meeting of their congressman in such a personal and intimate setting.

After visiting with our one of our elected officials, attendee Zak Miller from Cache County remarked “Marcy and I were im-pressed with our leaders’ grasp of the issues that currently affect us in agriculture and those that could impact us in the future. We also realized that we need to make sure

Utah’s Young farmers and ranchers travel toWashington, D.C. to meet with Utah’scongressional delegationBY DAVID BAILEY, VICE PRESIDENT – ORGANIzATION, UTAH FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

19

that fact is never lost due to inaction on our part.”

In a thoughtful gesture as Senator Hatch was finishing up his remarks and visit with the group, he presented each young farmer and rancher couple with an American flag that had hung over the United States Capitol Building.

In addition to the training and the con-gressional visits, participants had the opportunity to visit some of the most historical places in and around Wash-ington, D.C. The group toured popular historical sites such as Mt. Vernon (Pres-ident George Washington’s estate), the Holocaust Museum, Gettysburg, Penn.,

Arlington National Cemetery and many National monuments and museums.

“Going to Washington DC was an ex-ceptional experience. It was inspiring to learn what incredible men our found-ing fathers were and how the process of liberty they established still works to-day,” said John & Dusty Reese of Kane County. “It reminded us that we all have an important role in that process and all need to hold ourselves to that same stan-dard. If we let ourselves be heard, we can make a difference.”

The unique opportunity of being in Washington, D.C. to visit our congress-men and the historical sites and learning

first-hand about our nation is one that each participant will not soon forget. For most, the experience was an once-in-a-lifetime event. To travel with other young couples that have a unique perspective concerning the future of agriculture was truly life changing for many of the par-ticipants.

Christy Thornock, attendee from Rich County stated “We loved the trip to Washington, D.C. Visiting the different war memorials gave me such a deeper respect for the men and women in the armed forces. They have sacrificed so much, and are still sacrificing for us to enjoy the freedoms that are offered in the United States.”

“This was an incredible trip. I learned that we as agriculture producers have to stay actively engaged in the political process in order to make sure the needs of Utah’s farmers and ranchers are heard and understood. It was really impressive to see all the work that Farm Bureau has done to build relationships with our Congressmen and Senators. I now have a bet-ter understanding of how important it is for us to have a personal relationship with our congressmen and their staff to be able to inform them of issues with regulations, laws, and events that impact our farms and ranches.” - JoeL FerrY, DaviS CoUNtY

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Utah Farm Bureau is committed to making this type of trip not only possible but meaningful as well. We cannot do it alone. Without some very generous sponsors, this experience would not have been possible. The following is a list of our gracious sponsors who help make this trip a reality:

Utah Farm Bureau Federation Greenline EquipmentRedmond Minerals Utah SeedWestern Ag Credit Walco InternationalFarm Bureau Financial Services Burn’s SaddleryUtah Rural Electric Circle Four FarmsGurney Trucking Gossner FoodsButtars Tractor Pfizer – Animal HealthUtah’s Own Salina Marketing

We give special thanks to these Agri-businesses for helping us make this trip successful and for the services and products they provide our industry and communities. Collectively, these sponsors contributed more than $20,000 which resulted in a $900 reduction in each young farmer and rancher couples overall conference expenses.

“I gained an even greater appreciation for the young agricultural leaders in our state. They are intelligent, articulate and passionate about agriculture. It was amazing to see them stand and boldly speak to our elected officials about issues that impact their farms and ranches,” said Sara Buttars of Western AgCredit. “The future of agriculture is bright with the leaders we have in our state, especially with the resources Farm Bureau provides to assist them in getting involved in the political process and making their voices heard. Our sponsorship dollars were well spent.”

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22

In March 2010, Congress passed and President Barack Obama signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The name of this act alone is a contradiction in terms. Early on, the Heritage Foun-dation predicted that the cost of health insurance premiums would go up even faster than they have been rising already. The Govern-ment Actuary confirms Heritage’s prediction. Another report by the Republican Joint Economic Com-mittee points out that a $14.3 bil-lion per year tax on health insurance takes effect in 2014. This tax alone will raise the price tag of premiums for private coverage, costing an av-erage family of four with job-based insurance an additional $1,000 per year.

The Obama plan proposes a com-prehensive, standardized federal health benefits structure; a massive expansion of federal regulatory pow-er over health care delivery, includ-ing the defining of what constitutes “quality” care. It will give the federal government even more control of health care dollars and decisions—accelerating the federal domination of the U.S. health care system.

In this article, I have tried to pres-ent a timeline summary of the com-plex Affordable Care Act provisions and when they are to take place. As you read down through all of these provisions, consider this question, “Who is going to pay for all of these new benefits, taxes, penalties, pro-grams and additional people being covered with health care?”

For health plan years beginning on or after 9/23/2010:

1. New rules to prevent insurance companies from denying coverage to children under 19 years old with pre-existing conditions.2. Prohibits insurance companies from dropping coverage.3. Insurance companies will be prohibited from imposing lifetime dollar limits on essential benefits.4. Insurance companies’ use of annual dollar limits on the amount of insurance coverage a patient may receive is sharply restricted.5. Provides consumers with an easy way to appeal to their insurance company if they are denied coverage.6. Creates an easy to use website where consumers can compare health insurance coverage options. (Effective July 1, 2010)7. Provides a small business health insurance tax credit.8. Seniors who hit the donut-hole gap in Medicare prescription drug coverage received a rebate of $250.00 in June 2010.9. All new plans must cover certain preventive services such as mammograms and colonoscopies without charg-ing a deductible, co-pay or coinsurance.10. A new $15 billion Prevention and Public Health Fund will invest in proven prevention and public health programs such as smoking cessation, and combating obesity.11. Access to insurance for uninsured Americans with pre-existing conditions.12. Extending coverage for young adults-they will be allowed to stay on their parents’ plan until they turn 26 years old unless they are offered insurance at work.13. Coverage for early retirees-creates a $5 billion program to help people who retire before age 65 maintains the affordable care they need.14. Holding insurance companies accountable for unreasonable rate hikes. 15. Allowing states to cover more people on Medicaid.16. Payment for rural health care providers.

Effective January 1, 2011:

1. Seniors who fall in the coverage gap will receive a 50% discount when buying Medicare Part D brand name prescriptions.2. Free preventive care for seniors on Medicare.3. Creates a new center for Medicare & Medicaid innovation that will begin testing new ways of delivering care to patients and reduce rate of growth in costs for Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP.4. Community care transitions program-help Medicare patients avoid unnecessary readmissions.5. Independent payment advisory board will begin operations to develop and submit proposals to Congress aimed at improving benefits for seniors and extending the life of the Medicare Trust Fund. (Fund available 10/1/2011)6. Community first choice option allows states to offer home and community based services to disabled indi-viduals through Medicaid.7. New funding to support construction of community health centers.8. Requires 80-85% of premium dollars collected by insurance companies to be spent on health care services and health care quality improvement. Plans that spend too much on overhead must provide rebates to consumers.9. Gradually eliminates Medicare Advantage overpayments to insurance companies.

Health Care Reform

An Affordability ContradictionBy Jane E. Ashby, CPA, Director of Finance, Utah Farm Bureau Federation

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Effective 2012:

1. Establishes a hospital value-based purchasing program in traditional Medicare. It offers incentives to hospitals to improve the quality of care. (Effective 10/1/2012)2. Provides incentives for physicians to join together to form Accountable Care Organizations. If Accountable Care Organizations reduce costs they can keep some of the money that they have helped to save. (Effective 1/1/2012)3. Institute changes to standardize billing and implement rules for the secure, confidential, electronic exchange of health information. (Effective 10/1/2012)4. Requires any new federal health program to collect and report racial, ethnic and language data. (Effective March 2012)5. Creates a voluntary long-term care insurance program to provide cash benefits to adults who become disabled. (Effective 10/1/2012)6. Employers must disclose the value of the benefits they provided for employee’s health insurance coverage on the employee’s annual W-2. (Effective for 2012)

Effective 2013:

1. New funding to state Medicaid programs that choose to cover preventive services for patients at little or no cost. (Effective 1/1/2013)2. Expanded authority to bundle payments- under payment bundling, hospitals, doctors, and providers are paid a flat rate for the team for an episode of care rather than where each service or test is billed separately to Medicare.(Effective 1/1/2013)3. Requires states to pay primary care physicians no less than 100% of Medicare rates in 2013 and 2014 for primary care services. (Effective 1/1/2013)4. States will receive two more years of funding to continue coverage for children no eligible for Medicaid. (Effective 10/1/2013)

Effective 2014:

1. No discrimination due to pre-existing conditions 2. Eliminates annual limits on insurance coverage.3. Ensures coverage for individuals participating in clinical trials.4. Includes tax credits for individuals between ($43,000 if single and $88,000 for a family of 4) who are not eligible for or offered other affordable coverage. These individuals may also qualify for reduced cost-sharing.5. Calls for health insurance exchanges to open in each state to allow people to shop for affordable private insurance.6. Small business tax credit second phase. Credit is up to 50% of the employer’s contribution to provide health insurance.7. Americans who earn less ($14,000 if single, $29,000 for family of four) will be eligible to enroll in Medicaid. States will receive three years of 100% sup-port from federal government.8. Most individuals will be required to obtain basic health insurance or pay a fee to help offset the costs of caring for uninsured Americans. If affordable coverage is not available they will be eligible for an exemption.9. Workers who cannot afford the plans their employers offer, can take their employer’s contribution and purchase a more affordable plan in the new ex-changes.10. A new provision will tie physician payments to the quality of care they provide.11. Mandate all employers with 50+ employees provide health coverage.

How will the reformed health care law affect our rural, small business and farm families unless this law can be repealed? By the year 2014, you will face having to purchase individual health insurance, either from health insurance companies or from the new health insurance exchange. There will be a partial federal subsidy if your family of four earns below the $88,000 (4 times the federal poverty level). You will also have the choice of not buying health insurance and paying a penalty (1% of income in 2014, 2% in 2015, and 2.5% in 2016). For this penalty, there are also exemptions of financial hardship, religious objections or if plan cost is greater than 8% of income.

Brian T. Whilock, CPA, JD, LLM of Blackman Kallick, an accounting firm that provides audit, tax and consulting services for privately held and public compa-nies as well as not-for-profit organizations, gave a presentation in September 2010 at the American Farm Bureau’s Administrators and Financial Officers conference, entitled, How Will Federal Health Care Changes Impact Your Organization? He indicated on almost every page of the presentation that costs will likely be passed on via higher premiums.

At the government level there are some revenue offsets to these provisions includ-ing annual health insurance provider fees, annual brand name drug company fees, and medical device excise taxes. Even taking this into consideration, many of these costs will be passed on to the health insurance carriers. This, of course, means that it will be you and me who will pay for the cost of the Affordable Care Act!! As one of my fellow employees made an analogy, “Wow, it is like sitting in a jaguar and taking it for a test drive. It all looks and feels so good, especially if someone else is paying the bill, but if you’re the one paying the sticker price you might realize that your Ford provides adequate transportation.”

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Ever feel there isn’t enough time in the day to accomplish everything on the list of chores, work or shuttling of family members to their various activities? Everyone feels this way once in a while or possibly more often than they would care to admit. Being in too big of a hurry can be dangerous when it involves a car or truck. Each year, there are news reports on parents that unintentionally back over a family member because they were in a hurry. What about all the drivers trying to change a CD or scroll through their music list on a digital player, and others trying to text or talk on their cell phone or eating? Distractions while driving can lead to serious life changing consequences.

What are the consequences of distracted driving?•  According to Primary Children’s Medical Center (PCMC) between 1997 and 2005 more than 36 Utah children were killed and more than 570 were seriously injured by back-overs. •  PCMC also reported that in 2004 alone, 10 children were killed.

According to police-reported data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System and the National Automotive Sampling: •  In 2009, 5,474 people were killed in crashes involving driver distraction.  (16% of total fatalities)•  The number of drivers reportedly distracted, at the time of the fatal crash, increased from 7% in 2005 to 11% in 2009. •  Of those drivers reportedly distracted during a fatal crash, the 30 to 39 year-old drivers were the group with the greatest proportion distracted by cell phones. Cell phone distraction was reported for 24% of the 30 to 39 year-old distracted drivers in fatal crashes.•  An estimated 20% of 1,517,000 injury crashes were reported to have involved distracted driving in 2009.

What can be done to help reduce the dangers in driveways and roadways? According to PCMC:•  Before backing the car or truck out of the driveway, check driveway and around the vehicle before backing up. Drivers can also acquire ‘Spot the Tot’ stickers to put on their driver-side windows to serve as a reminder.•  Check the street for children.•  Teach children to not play in, under or around vehicles.•  Roll down windows to hear children.•  Adjust side and rear mirrors to reduce blind spots.•  Adjust the driver’s seat as high as needed to see clearly out of the rear window.•  Supervise children when a driver is leaving the home. •  Remember, high-profile vehicles such as SUVs, vans, and trucks make it harder to see children. 

Distracted driving can be broken into three categories of distraction:1. Visual – Taking your eyes off the road.2. Manual – Taking your hands off the wheel.3. Cognitive – Taking your mind off what you’re doing.

Be careful about the activities or habits that could lead to visual, manual or cognitive distractions, such as: •  Cell phone use•  Eating and drinking•  Talking to passengers•  Caring for children in the vehicle•  Grooming •  Reading 

Also, remember that texting while driving is against the law, cited as a class C Misdemeanor and a $70 fine. If texting while driving causes an accident, it is considered a Class B Misdemeanor, which includes a higher fine and possibly jail time or license suspension. More information can be found at: http://www.safekidsutah.org, http://www.distraction.gov or http://intermountainhealthcare.org.

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There was a horse sold last summer down in Missouri. Probably the most famous horse in the world…Trigger. RFD-TV paid a lot of money to own the mounted figure of this celebrity equine, Roy Rogers’ Paramount Palomino. They also purchased his dog Bullet. They did it for the sentimental value, but also to recognize an era when kids had good heroes to look up to.

I like horses. I like pretty horses, but like most cow-boys, I like good horses. Even the roughest, no-non-sense workin’ cowboy could look at Roy Rogers and say, “Well…he rode good horses.” I am of the age that can remember when Roy Rogers was King of the Hollywood cowboys. To my misfor-tune, I thought at the time, we didn’t have a television and didn’t go to the movies! But we did have radio and through it, Roy and Dale, Pat Brady and Nel-lybelle, Gabby, Trigger, Buttercup and Bullet became part of my idiom.

Think about it. When you can still recognize some-body’s voice in speech or song that you became ac-

quainted with in grade school, that’s a pretty deep impression.

RFD-TV buying Trigger and Bullet kinda makes me feel good. It means there’s still a place, outside of my mind, that I can go and be in the company of such fine animals. Animals and their keepers, who represented the kind of people we could aspire to be.

In my mind I can’t separate the animals from the humans. I can’t think of Roy without thinking ‘bout Trigger. It’s hard to explain to teens today that being a good person pays off. Instant technology and instant answers to almost any question can be found on the internet. The one question that the internet can’t answer is “What’s the right thing to do?”

That’s what Roy taught us. He and Hoppy, Rex, Gene, Cisco, Lone, Sky, Bobby Benson and the B bar B Riders and their great sidekicks. In their sim-ple parables they showed us the difference between good and bad, between right and wrong. They led us to believe that the Code of the West boils down

to “doin’ the right thing.” That it was real, had value and was worth living and dying for.

I mentioned Roy’s voice. If he called me on the phone tonight I’d recognize him immediately. If he asked me what was goin’ on I’d tell him about the great honor that we have paid his horse and his dog. And that we still think about him, that kids are still watchin’ his old movies, because there’s still a market for heroes in our kids and grandkids. I’d also mention that many of us appreciate that in his private life he lived up to the im-age of his movie character. A decent man. That’s not a bad way to be remembered.

Of course, speakin’ of bein’ remembered, there’s the horse sale Haythorn’s horse Profit sold for $50,000, I took a paint gelding in trade for a speakin’ job, and RFDTV paid $266,600 for Trigger. They also bought Bullet for $35,000. You’d have thought at that price they’d have throwed Bullet in for free!www.baxterblack.com

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Just as a farmer makes plans, prepares his soil, and plants seeds in spring to insure a good harvest, making a plan as a family for times of emergency or end of life can bring about great peace of mind. This can be an emotionally difficult task to address. However, not having a plan in place can cause great stress, increase family conflict and disharmony and often leave financial burdens for survivors to deal with.

Get started making your plan by reviewing some questions. You might want to discuss them with your loved ones.

•  Do you have a will or trust?  If so, where is it located? How long ago was it updated? If you feel you don’t have the time or money to prepare a will or trust immediately, a Holographic Will can be written as a temporary fix until you can arrange for a more formalized plan. A “Holographic Will” is a Will written by hand. To be valid in Utah, it must be entirely in your own handwriting and have your signature. It is helpful to include the date on which it was written. Neither Witnesses nor a Notary seal are required, but are permitted. (Refer to www.utahlegalservices.org, search box: holographic will for more details.)•  Have you a plan for minor children? Have you arranged for and designated guardianship for them in a will? Is it up-to-date? Who has knowledge of it?•  Do you have  a durable power of  attorney designated? If so, who has the power to act for you and where it is located?•  Do you have a written power of attorney for health care? If so, who has the power and where it is located?

•  Have  you  made  any  arrangements  made for your funeral and burial? If so, who knows where the information and/or prepayment documentation are located? •  Do you have  any  insurance or other plan with a death benefit? Retirement programs, veteran’s benefits, insurance policies, checking and savings accounts may have death benefits to cover funeral or burial expenses. List all sources and who your survivors should contact to access those resources?•    Do  you  have  all  retirement,  pensions, and other insurance policies listed with beneficiaries? Have they been reviewed and adjusted to make sure they indicate your current wishes? •  Where  are  your  life,  health  and  property insurance policies kept? Are they current? Have beneficiaries been designated and updated?•  Do you have a safe deposit box? Where is the list of contents? Where is it located and where is the key stored? Who knows about it?•  Where  is  the  location  of  your  important personal papers? Birth, marriage and death certificates, divorce documents, Social Security and military records should be stored in a secure place? You should also have a list of all banking accounts.•  Do you have a list of all your investments? Include savings accounts, certificate of deposits, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, etc. What are the mailing addresses and contact information of the institutions holding or managing the investments? Does anyone have a loan you are financing? What is the balance owed to you? •  Have you made a  list of real and personal property that you own? Where is the list located

and has it been updated? Do you have a mortgage, auto loan, etc.? What is the current balance of the loan? •  Do  you  have  a  plan  for  distributing  your personal property to your loved ones? Who knows about it? Including a list of personal property (non-titled property) in a will makes it accessible to the public. To maintain privacy, consider preparing the list and your desires for distribution as a separate document mentioned in the will but not included in it. Indicate where it is located. (Contact USU Extension in Salt Lake at 801-4680-3177 for more information.)•  Have you developed a letter of last instruction for your loved ones? Is it current and if so, who knows where it is?•  Who  are  your financial  advisors? What are their names and addresses?•  Who is your attorney?  What is his/her contact information?•  Last of all, if you have made no plans, what does that mean for your loved ones? Do you know what will happen when you die? •  What  it  will  cost  financially  for  your  loved ones to settle your estate? Have you considered the emotional stress that might occur for your loved ones left behind? Planning now can save a lot of grief and financial problems later.

Sources: Property Ownership: Estate Planning MontGuide MT198907HR Reprint 7/08, Marsha A. Ghoetting, Ph.D, Professor & Extension Family Economics Specialist, Montana State University Extension. Met Life Estate Planning – Life Advice Guide, Metlife, http://eforms.metlife.comwcm8/cmsclient/eForms PRPD Deployment2/15400/15294.pdf.; Utah Legal Services .org, Holographic wills.

Making Preparations for Estate Planning and Distribution of Personal Property M

oney

Mat

ters

:

MARILYN ALBERTSON, UTAH STATE UNIVER-SITY ExTENSION ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF ExTENSION - SALT LAKE COUNTY

Below are the dates for the remaining County Farm Bureau Spring Issue Surfacing Meetings.Please contact your County Farm Bureau for more information on how to participate.

-Beaver County, April 12.-Cache County, April 12, 11 a.m. at the Copper Mill Restaurant in Logan-Garfield County, April 11, 1:30 p.m. at the Garfield County Courthouse-Millard County, April 13, 7 p.m. at the IFA in Delta-Morgan, April 13, 7 p.m. at the Morgan County Courthouse-Piute, April 11, 11 p.m. at the County Courthouse in Junction-Salt Lake County, April 5, 7 p.m. at the Utah Farm Bureau State Office-San Juan County, April 14, 6 p.m. at Lewis Farms-Sanpete County, April 21-Sevier County, April 28, 7 p.m. at the County Administration building-Summit County, April 19, 7 p.m. at the County Courthouse in Coalville-Utah County, April 28, 7 p.m. at the Utah County Courthouse-Wayne County, April 4, 11 a.m. at the County Courthouse in Loa-Weber County, April 28, 7 p.m.

SpringIssueSurfacing Meetings

Almost all foods are of plant or animal ori-gin. These foods contain essential nutri-ents, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. Humans digest these nutrients for purposes of gaining energy, maintaining life and stimulating growth.

Historically, people have secured food through two methods: hunting and gath-ering, and agriculture. Today, most food is produced on family farms using best management practices and scientifically tested products. Most food production is regulated and monitored to ensure con-sumer safety and confidence.

Sustainable agriculture is producing abun-dant food without depleting the earth’s resources or polluting its environment. Sustainable agriculture follows the prin-ciples of nature to develop systems for raising crops and livestock that are—like nature—self-sustaining. No matter how elegant the system or how accomplished the farmer, no agriculture is sustainable if it’s not also profitable and able to provide a healthy family income and a good qual-ity of life through the generations.

More and more, consumers are working to create local markets and farm policies that support sustainable agricultural practices. They are working to raise consumers’ awareness about how their food is grown and processed, how plants and animals are

raised and how the soil and water is treat-ed. They are working to forge stronger bonds between producers and consumers that will, in time, cement the foundations of local self-sufficient food systems.

Food producers are working to secure and promote local markets in addition to ex-panding and anchoring global partners. For many food producers, exporting food to global markets leads to sustainable ag-riculture.

Sustainable agriculture is based on long-term goals and not a specific set of farm-ing practices. Lots of people confuse sus-tainable agriculture with organic farming, but the two terms do not mean the same thing. An organic label means the food was grown or raised without the use of synthetic chemicals—not without any chemicals. Organic and traditional meth-ods of farming can still damage the envi-ronment and threaten public health in a variety of ways if not managed properly.

Ecosystems can still be ruined by wide-spread monoculture, pesticides can be still be applied, soils can still be depleted of nu-trients and organic matter, pollution can still be created and exorbitant amounts of fossil fuels can still be spent and wasted. It is the care of farmers, not the method of farming, that ensures a quality environ-ment and good food year after year.

Twenty years ago, Congress addressed sus-tainable agriculture by passing the 1990 Farm Bill. Under the law, the term sustain-able agriculture means practices that will: satisfy human food and fiber needs, en-hance environmental quality and the natu-ral resource base upon which the agriculture industry depends, make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources, sustain the economic viability of farm operations and enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole.

Food consumers are increasingly demand-ing an ethical dimension of food quality. This relates to the process of production and trade and its broad impacts on society and the environment. It includes a wide range of social, environmental or cultural issues such as the treatment of workers, a fair return to producers, environmental im-pacts and animal welfare. Today’s farmers and ranchers are keenly aware of a growing environmental movement to ensure a sus-tainable agriculture industry. Farmers are environmentalist. They are proactive and responsible stewards of the soil and water. They and others working to support the in-dustry are meeting the challenges of feeding the world—all while giving back to the soil, water and the environment.

Maintaining sustainable agriculture will re-quire on-going commitment to embracing principles associated with sustainable agri-culture.

Food Production can beControversialBY STERLING C. BROWN, VICE PRESIDENT – PUBLIC POLICY,UTAH FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

Energy was the largest contributor to increased inflation in February, according to the Con-sumer Price Index (CPI) released March 17. The cost of living went up 0.5 percent during the month and up 2.1 percent compared to February of last year.

Gasoline rose 4.7 percent in February and 19.2 percent over the previous year. Fuel oil was up 5.8 percent in February and a whopping 27.1 percent for the year, making it far and away the most inflationary item in the index.

While the increase in food prices, 0.6 percent in February and 2.3 percent over the previous 12 months, was modest compared to energy, food landed in the No. 2 spot on the index.

Meanwhile, the Producer Price Index released March 16 showed a 3.9 percent jump in wholesale food prices (not retail prices paid by consumers) in February. USA Today reported that to be the largest increase since 1974.

Most of the increase in both the consumer and producer food price indices was due to higher prices for fruits and vegetables. Vegetable pric-es went up 6.7 percent in February, according to the CPI.

“We are seeing the impact of a record-breaking freeze in Florida and in Mexico this past win-ter,” explained Matt Erickson, American Farm Bureau Federation economist. “We’re also see-ing the impact of higher gasoline and oil prices because it takes a lot of fuel to get any product to market.”

The crops that continue to show negative im-pacts from Florida’s cold weather in December and January are snap beans, cabbage, sweet corn, cucumbers, eggplant, grapefruit, juice oranges and bell peppers, according to Flori-da’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

“We also have some restaurant chains that have just stopped using tomatoes because of events in Mexico,” Erickson added.

Other gainers in the CPI food index include meats, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products and non-alcoholic beverages.

“Demand is improving domestically and increas-ing around the world for meat and other high-quality sources of protein in a relatively tight meat supply situation,” said Erickson. “Meanwhile, the U.S. economy has started to recover, and that is bound to increase demand. The Florida freeze also hurt our sugar production, so that is a fac-tor in the rising price of non-alcoholic beverages.”

Erickson expects the reports of higher food prices to drive continued criticism of ethanol made from corn and federal policies that boost its pro-duction.

“Some have been quick to jump to the conclu-sion that it is ethanol production that is creating higher corn prices and that’s causing higher food

prices,” he said. “The truth, as usual, is much more complex.”

“We need to come to terms that higher energy costs will generate higher prices across the board, especially for food,” Erickson added. “After all, if you just look at the energy value of corn as a fuel compared to oil priced at $100 per barrel, the energy content is worth $6.50 a bushel, and that’s about where corn is trading right now.”

Sens. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and Ben Cardin (D-Md.) on March 9 introduced a bill to re-peal the volumetric ethanol excise tax credit or “blender’s tax credit,” which provides 45 cents per gallon to blenders of ethanol.

Growth Energy, a pro-ethanol group, responded that “when gas prices are rising due to our de-pendence on foreign oil,” now is not the time to repeal a tax incentive for a domestically pro-duced fuel.

AFBF supports production of domestic, renew-able fuels, and continuing the ethanol tax credit.

“The numbers suggest people may be missing the point when looking at ethanol,” Erickson said.

Ethanol, in fact, is saving consumers money at the fuel pump. The higher oil prices go, the more ethanol is a bargain compared to gasoline. Gasoline futures prices in early March traded at approximately $3.05 per gallon, compared to $2.62 per gallon for ethanol. With the ethanol tax credit, the price came down to $2.17 per gal-lon and ethanol was discounted by $0.88 per gallon compared to gasoline.

“It’s important for the U.S. to diversify its fuel supplies and strengthen a domestic energy source,” says Erickson. “If recent world events have shown us anything, it is that it doesn’t take much to spur fears of potential supply disrup-tions and cause a spike in the price of oil. It has shown us how dependent we are on unstable, foreign sources. The more we include domesti-cally produced fuel in our fuel supply, the less volatile our energy costs, and by extension our food prices, will be.”

Blame $100-a-barrel oil for rising food prices

RETAIL FOODcost by the numbers

44%

29%

19%

8%

Fuel, transportation & energy

Raw farm products

Labor costs

Other expenses

IMPORTANT NOTICE1. Non‑commercial ads for Utah Farm Bureau members selling items they grow or make themselves, or used machinery, household items, etc., they themselves have used in the past. Each member family is entitled to one such ad free in each three‑month period. Ads can be up to 40 words or numbers such as phone number or Zip. Words such as “For Sale” are included, initials and numbers count as a word. All words over 40 cost 25 cents each. Ads over 40 words not accompanied by the extra payment, or not meeting the above requirements, will be returned to the sender. Family memberships cannot be combined to create larger ads, nor can a membership be used for free classified ad purposes by anyone other than immediate family members. Ads run for three months.

2. Commercial ads for Utah Farm Bureau members where the member is acting as an agent or dealer (real estate, machinery, handicraft items made by people outside the member family, etc.) cost 25 cents per word. Payment MUST accompany such ads or they will be returned to the sender. Members are entitled to one such ad. Ads run for one month.

3. Ads for non‑Utah Farm Bureau members cost 50 cents per word. Payment MUST accompany such ads or they will be returned to the sender. Ads run for one month.In all ads, short lines requested by the advertiser, extra lines of white space, and lines with words in all caps count as 6 words per line. Ads with borders and bold headlines may be submitted and placed within the classified section, but will be charged the display advertising rate. Please contact the classified advertising department for further information. No insurance ads will be accepted.

***DEADLINE: ALL ADS MUST BE RECEIVED BY THE 15TH OF THE MONTH IN ORDER TO APPEAR IN THE NEXT ISSUE. EXCEPT FOR THE JANUARY ISSUE, WHICH HAS A CLASSIFIED DEADLINE OF DEC. 5.

Only free ads (Category 1 ads of 40 words or less) will be accepted by telephone at 801‑233‑3010, by fax at 801‑233‑3030 or e‑mail at aboyack@fbfs.com. Please include your membership number. Ads must be received no later than the 15th of the month

Mail ads, typed or neatly printed, with any payment due, to Utah Farm Bureau News, Classified Ad Depart‑ment, 9865 South State Street, Sandy, UT 84070‑2305. Free ads must be resubmitted by mail, telephone or fax after running for three months. Ads for which there is a payment due will be run as long as payment is received in advance.

ALL CLASSIFIED ADS will be listed on the Utah Farm Bureau web page unless the Utah Farm Bureau member specifies otherwise when placing the ad. The ads on the web site will run concurrently with the classified ads in the Utah Farm Bureau News.

NOTE: The appearance of any ad in the Utah Farm Bureau News does not constitute an endorsement or ap‑proval of the service or merchandise offered. While every effort is made to ensure the legitimacy of services or merchandise advertised, the Utah Farm Bureau News or the Utah Farm Bureau Federation accepts no responsibility or liability for services or products advertised.

FARM EQUIPMENTI BUY, SELL, TRADE AND LOCATE all kinds of farm machinery. Bale wagons, tractors, tillage, planting, harvesting equip‑ment, etc. I have a large inventory at this time. Palmer Equipment is located one mile south of Manti on Highway 89. 435‑835‑5111 or Cell: 435‑340‑1111. www.balewagons.com.FOR SALE: 2007 New Holland Big Baler 3x4, 5500 bales, always shedded. $64,900 Delivery available. Call Charles Redd 435‑686‑2221.WANTED TO BUY: Offset disk 8‑9 ft on rubber. Good Condition. Call Reed 435‑436‑8792. FOR SALE: JD 450 10’ Grain Drill DD 7” spacing, no alfalfa box, excellent condition $5500. Call Charles Redd 435‑686‑2221.FOR SALE: small JD baler model # 468. Field ready with warranty, many extras. Hyd oiler, Hyd tension, ram in tong. Factory lights, fiber glass sleeves in chamber, side wheel. 435‑257‑5053.FOR SALE: Three Ford tractors in good condition. Two have low and high range transmission with three speed gears. The other a four speed. Built 1946 to 1954. Loader, plows, blades, disks and harrows too. Call 435‑458‑3360.FOR SALE: ’87 Volvo forward cab box truck, 22’ bed. Model FE613, 170 HD diesel engine. LWB 28000. 79,500 miles. 1 ex truck. $7,000. Ray Child, Clinton 801‑825‑1701.FOR SALE: Baler, John Deere 2‑wire small bales, older model 224.Still works! $300.00 OBO. St. George (435) 632‑5536.FOR SALE: John Deere 38 forage chopper 5ft hay pickup head, 2rw corn head. Very good condition. $3900. Paul Macdonald 435 678 2984.PARTING OUT 2670 Case 4‑wheel tractor. The engine excellent condition. Call: 435‑545‑2581.

FEEDFOR SALE: 200 1 ton bales. Mostly weeds. $25 per bale. 435‑563‑3382. FOR SALE: Alpha Hay small bales $3.50. Telephone # 435‑545‑2581 or 435‑823‑6477.

LIVESTOCKBULLS: Yearling Red Angus & Hereford bulls. Fertility & Trich tested. Bred for calving ease and high growth. Brothers to our high performing bulls at this year’s UBIA bull test and yearling heifers. Lyle Taylor Vernal UT, 435‑789‑0530 or 435‑790‑8880. BULLS FOR SALE: Easy keeping Line One Herefords. Calving ease, excellent performance, mellow disposition. Jensen Bros. Please call: 435‑752‑4904.GELBVIEH AND BALANCER BULLS: Many Homozygous Black, Raised in the mountains LBW, High performance Yearlings. Select Now We’ll deliver in the spring. Johnson’s Bear River Ranch, Tremonton Call for catalog 435‑257‑7084 or 435‑279‑7669SHOW PIGS for sale. 801‑643‑7125.TOP QUALITY LINE ONE Hereford Bulls for sale. 20 stout yearling & 2‑yr old bulls available at www.JohansenHerefords.com. Breeding focuses on low birth weights, muscle, growth, maternal traits, and disposition. Contact Jonathan @ 801‑450‑6458 or Craig @ 435‑381‑2523.GELBVIEH-ANGUS-BALANCER Bulls for sale. 12‑18 months old. Red and black. Not grain fed and will work under any conditions. Contact Larry at 435‑864‑7879. BEEF CATTLE for sale. 801‑643‑7125.

REAL ESTATEPRICE REDUCTION! $99,900 for 26.9 ac along Hwy 36 in Mink Creek, Idaho. 300 water shares. Beautiful home site. 4.01 acres in Lewiston: Beautifully updated home. Outbuildings and heated shop. 10 Acres in Trenton: $78,000. Excellent farm land. Ideal Ranchette. Land in Clarkston: Price Reduction! Seller Financing! $175,000 for 194.6 acresBeautiful farm against foothills. Torrey Scenic Land: 175.83 acres with excellent water rights. Near entrance of Capitol Reef Nat’l Park. Dairy Farm in Cache Valley: 41 acres. Irrigated. Updated home, excellent crops. Double 5 Herringbone parlor. Mt. Sterling Land: 14.94 acres with water shares and water rights. Clarkston Land: A 57 and a 63 acre parcel with large fish pond. Must be sold together. Legacy Ranch Townhomes: $119,900, 3 bdrm, 2 1/2 bath, 1,500 sq ft, garage. Legacy Ranch Homes: In Franklin, Idaho. Equestrian, lakeside and view lots. Homes from $139,900.Contact Brent Parker, @Home Realty, (435)881‑100.FOR SALE: Forest grazing permits, summer range – 5 month permit. Fish Lake Forest near Loa, Utah. 435‑979‑3778, David Brown.

MISCELLANEOUSFOR SALE: 2009 Yamaha Rhino with snow blade. Less than 300 mile & chipped. Telephone number 435‑724‑5069.FOR SALE: Used pivot irrigation tires and wheels size 11.2 x 24. Priced from $40.00 ‑ $200. Also some used gear boxes, center drives, and irrigation drops with sprinkler heads. Call Richard for pricing and availability. 435‑563‑3532 or 435‑770‑7898FOR SALE: Bostitch box stapler, Model F94EO, foot operated. $250. Electric container box stapler, ex condition, $400. 3 pt Sitrex tractor wood saw, $600. 801‑825‑1701, Ray Child, Clinton. FOR SALE: 2 quarter mile wheel lines. 7’ wheels, 4” pipe, western ends. Also includes mover, hose, & valve opener. These lines were in use last season, so they are in good working order. Call 435‑701‑1276 FOR SALE (3 items): Hay Squeeze, Tow‑able 21’ Lift, Gas 6‑clyinder, (Shuttle Transmission has problem), $8500/OBO; Hobie Cat Catamaran Sail Boat, $750/OBO; 5” PVC Gray Conduit, 20’ lengths‑ (8000 feet), Make Offer; Call Steve @ 801‑787‑1212.UTAH VACATION IDEA! Hiking, fishing, hunting, mountain biking, horse trails, more. Everything’s close to the Rosebud Guest House. Near Ashley NF, Strawberry River, Starvation. Fully equipped cabin. Pet‑friendly. Corrals. Reservations, more information: 435‑548‑2630, 1‑866‑618‑7194, walsh.weathers@gmail.com, www.rosebudguesthouse.com.

AGRICULTURAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIESJOB-SHARE professional/technical position supporting conservation district programs in Salt Lake and Tooele Coun‑ties. B.S. degree in soil, watershed, natural resources sciences or agriculture and related management experience. Part‑time, benefits. 6782 S. 1300 E., Salt Lake City, UT 84121.Call (801) 542.8208 or e‑mail desiree.vandyke@uacd.org for additional details. Applications must be received by March 18, 2011. Position open until filled. Estimated start date April 1, 2011.PART-TIME WORK: The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) needs part‑time survey interviewers to contact agricultural producers for the National Agricultural Statistics Service, an agency in USDA. Applicants must have a valid driver’s license and access to a vehicle. Starting pay is $9.90 per hour. Paid work time includes training and travel, and mileage is reimbursed at $0.51 per mile traveled. A farm background is desirable but not essential. If you are interested please contact Rebecca Baillie at 1‑800‑747‑8522.CIRCLE FOUR FARMS: If you are looking for a career in a fun, rewarding team environment, Circle Four Farms is the opportunity you’ve been searching for. We’re offering quality full time entry‑level animal production positions with training available. Challenge yourself with a company on the grow that offers: Starting wage $10 to $11.50 per hour plus benefits – total value $30,420. Medical, Prescription, Dental, and Vision Insurance, Life Insurance plan, Short Term and Long Term Disability, company paid Pension Plan, 401(k) Savings Plan with company match, Gain$hare Plan, Incentive programs, Paid holidays and vacation, Educational reimbursement, Ask us about a relocation pack‑age, For more information please call our office: Circle Four Farms, PO Box 100, 341 South Main, Milford UT 84751, (435) 387‑2107, Fax (435) 387‑2530, www.c4farms.com, Equal Opportunity Employer.

Utah Farm Bureau news

C L A S S I F I E D S

As of March 31, 2011 Chrysler Corp and Utah Farm Bureau will no longer be offering a $500 rebate on select Dodge vehicles. Approximately May 1, 2011, Utah Farm Bureau will announce a new member benefit association with another ve-hicle manufacturer. Watch our website utfb.fb.org and future publications for detailed information about this new member benefit.

Exclusive Farm BureauSizzlin’ Spring Savings

Are you using them for all they are worth?

801-233-3010Complete details for all benefits

can be found at utfb.fb.orgVisa and Mastercard Accepted

All-day Passes: Pay just $35.10 (incl. tax), a savings of $11.72 off the regular ticket price. Best price for anyone over 4 planning to go on the rides. Not dated – use any day during the 2011 season. Passes are non-refundable. Season Passes are available this year! $95.80 ea. (incl. tax)

Book at choicehotels.com or 800-258-2847 to qualify, then stay just two separate times at any Choice Hotels property with arrival between March 3 and May 4, 2011. After your second stay, receive enough Choice Privileges points to redeem for a $50 gas card. **Stays at MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay, Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn locations must be a minimum of two consecutive nights.** Remember to enter your Utah Farm Bureau “Special Rate ID 00800599” and Choice Privileges number to take advantage of your benefit while earning points.

Wyndham Hotel Group: Enjoy 10% off the lowest available unrestricted rate at all 15 brands and almost 7,000 hotels worldwide. Program provides last room availability. Visit utfb.fb.org, select member benefits/hotels and then Wyndham Hotels. Click on the WHG property logo of your choice to book online or call the listed 800 number for the hotel of your choice. Remember to provide the Utah Farm Bureau ID #67485 to obtain your discount.

$49 single day admission;$59.99 unlimited visits.

$53 with 2nd day free. Legoland Park Hopper: $63 with 2nd day free includes water park and aquarium.

$33.50 for adult, $25 for child.(Price valid at both locations.)

3 days for $64. Valid for 12 months from the 1st use.

Check out the Les Schwab ad on page 21 and the Pearson Tire ad on our website.MAKE SURE YOUR TIRES ARE SOUND BEFORE YOU TRAVEL.

THIS SUMMER. KEEP YOUR FAMILY SAFE!

Stay 2 Separate Times and Earn a Free $50 Gas Card

Call 801-233-3010 for this year’sFarm Bureau prices.

Take the whole gang to a BEES baseball game! Call 801-233-3010 and arrange for vouchers. “Fun Vouchers” are just $5.00 ea. Or choose “Bees Vouchers” just $8.00 ea. for Home Plate or Box Seats.

Car Rental Savings Hotel Savings

Replacing Tires for your Road Trip this Spring?