How We Created a Vision:
People and 
Process

Process for Creating the Vision

To create a vision for the future of agriculture in Utah, a team of experts gathered over a two-year period to share knowledge and extensively research and discuss options. Members of the Agriculture, Public Lands, and Recreation Action Team were selected by Governor Gary Herbert and Envision Utah to represent a spectrum of professional experience and political affiliations. Team members included agriculture experts, legislators, county commissioners, farmers, and other experts from across the state. Between 2013 and 2015, the action team met to identify the choices related to agriculture, create scenarios for public input, and synthesize a vision for the future. The process of creating this vision also consisted of the following components:

The action team used this information to create four different scenarios for the future of agriculture in Utah. The four scenarios each represented different strategies that resulted in different food self-sufficiency rates. These scenarios were presented to the public in the Your Utah, Your Future survey in spring 2015, and 52,845 Utahns weighed in.

After receiving public input on the four agriculture scenarios, the action team met to frame a vision, including goals and strategies, to achieve what Utahns said they wanted for agriculture in 2050.

Agriculture Action Team

Cochairs

Leonard Blackham

Former Commissioner, Utah Department of Agriculture and Food

Kathleen Clarke

Director, Public Lands Policy Coordination Office

Wendy Fisher

Executive Director, Utah Open Lands

Brad Peterson

Director, Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation

 

Members

  • Alma Adams
    Commissioner, Iron County
  • Bruce Adams
    San Juan County Council
  • LuAnn Adams
    Commissioner, Utah Department of Agriculture and Food
  • Brandie Balken
    Equality Utah
  • Brad Barber
    Barber Consulting
  • Roger Barrus
    Utah House of Representatives
  • Mallory Bateman
    Utah Foundation
  • John Bennett
    Utah Quality Growth Commission
  • Scott Chew
    Cattle and Sheep Uintah Basin
  • Gene Ciarus
    Grand County Council
  • Mark Clemens
    Utah Chapter, Sierra Club
  • Mark Compton
    President, Utah Mining Association
  • Larry Crist
    U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
  • Jim Dabakis
    Utah State Senate
  • LaNiece Davenport
    Wasatch Front Regional Council
  • Joan Degiorgio
    Nature Conservancy
  • Jack Draxler
    Utah House of Representatives
  • Hans Ehrbar
    University of Utah Department of Economics
  • John Evans
    Petzl Climbing Equipment
  • John Fairchild
    Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
  • David Garbett
    Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance
  • Julia Geisler
    Executive Director, Salt Lake Climbers Alliance
  • Kerry Gibson
    Commissioner, Weber County
  • Laura Hanson
    Executive Director, Jordan River Commission
  • Jon Hardman
    Natural Resource Conservation Service
  • David Hinkins
    Utah Senate
  • Sarah Hinners
    University of Utah Metropolitan Research Center
  • Lynn Jackson
    Grand County Council
  • Laynee Jones
    Mountain Accord
  • Peter Knudson
    Utah Senate
  • Mike Kohler
    Wasatch County Council
  • Ashley Korenblat
    Public Land Solutions
  • David Livermore
    Utah State Director, Nature Conservancy
  • John Mathis
    Utah House of Representatives
  • Chris McCandless
    Sandy City Council
  • Kay McIff
    Utah House of Representatives
  • Tara McKee
    Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation
  • Michael Merrill
    Salt Lake Chamber
  • Thayne Mickelson
    Executive Director, Utah Conservation Commission
  • Wayne Niederhauser
    Utah State Senate
  • Mike Noel
    Utah House of Representatives
  • Ralph Okerlund
    Utah State Senate
  • Juan Palma
    BLM State Director
  • Randy Parker
    CEO, Utah Farm Bureau
  • Ashley Patterson
    Wasatch Community Gardens
  • Kent Peatross
    Commissioner, Duchesne County
  • Julie Peck-Dabling
    Salt Lake County Open Space & Urban Farming
  • Warren Peterson
    Vice President, Farmland Reserve
  • Nathan Rafferty
    President and CEO, Ski Utah
  • Curtis Rowley
    Cherry Hill Farms
  • Dustin Rowley
    Utah Association of Conservation Districts
  • Eric Sadler
    Wasatch Mountain Club
  • Douglas Sagers
    Utah House of Representatives
  • Selma Sierra
    Director, Energy and Environmental Policy, Utah State University
  • Wesley Smith
    Salt Lake Chamber
  • George Sommer
    Blue Ribbon Fisheries Commission
  • Mike Styler
    Executive Director, Utah Department of Natural Resources
  • Ed Sunderland
    Sanpete County Farmer
  • Brent Tanner
    Executive Vice President, Utah Cattlemen's Association
  • Gordon Topham
    Commissioner, Sevier County
  • Elizabeth Tubbs
    Grand County Council
  • David Ure
    Summit County Council
  • Ron Vance
    Recreational and Resource Manager, U.S. Forest Service
  • Vicki Varela
    Managing Director, Utah Office of Tourism
  • Evan Vickers
    Utah Senate
  • Logan Wilde
    Morgan County Council