What Wasatch Front residents believe
about Utah agriculture:
When it comes to supporting farmland protection.
• They overwhelmingly (97%) feel farming and ranching are important to the future of the state and (80%) feel development of farmland into subdivisions will eventually lead to greater dependence on foreign food.
• They feel strong enough about protecting Utah farmland that they (75%) feel a portion of the existing tax on food should go to protect Utah farmland…and that the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food should take the lead in protecting farmland.
When it comes to buying their food in the grocery store:
• They say the freshness of food (95%) is the most important factor, followed by its price (83%). And more than half (55%) feel locally grown food is important. A high percentage (75%) have shopped at a farmers market this past season.
Other beliefs of interest:
• A strong majority (84%) feel farmers take good care of the land and grazing livestock on public lands is acceptable (77%). They (75%) understand that any farm manure or dust that might escape from a farm is not the same thing as discharges from big factories. And by a slight majority, (47%) more Utahns feel wolves should NOT be allowed to roam free in the state.
Nearly 60% of the Utahns who responded to the survey never lived on a farm…but many of them (57%) had parents who did.
This poll was conducted in August of 2011 by NSON Research in Salt Lake City.
The complete survey is available at: www.ag.utah.gov/
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The David & Lucile Packard Foundation initiated a survey that asked people across the United States about their thoughts on federal agriculture policy and the environment.
• Almost 8 out of 10 people (78%) said that when government makes policy that affect agriculture, it should focus on making nutritious and healthy foods more affordable and accessible.
• More than two-thirds of Americans said that helping farmers take good care of the land and water should be another important goal of future Farm Bills.
• Americans don't seem to like farm subsidies. If deep federal cuts to agriculture programs were to happen, they favor cuts in farm subsidies to crops like corn, soybeans, wheat, rice and sugar rather than cuts in farmland conservation and food aid to low income Americans.
• As in Utah, people across the country support protecting farmland and soil to ensure food security for the future.
The poll was conducted by the Benenson Strategy Group & Voter Consumer Research in July of 2011.
The complete survey is available here.
Posted December, 2011