The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) is pleased to announce the upcoming Invasive Species Mitigation (ISM) Weed Control Grant Applications for the 2025-26 seasons. The goal of this program is to allocate funds to projects with a high degree of potential success in the State of Utah. UDAF will be accepting submissions up to the end of business day on May 2, 2025.

“Controlling invasive plant species is not only important for Utah’s agriculture producers, but for the good of Utah’s natural habitats as well,” said Kelly Pehrson, UDAF Interim Commissioner. “We are proud of the work that has been done to protect Utah through this program and are excited to offer more opportunities to continue this important initiative.”

UDAF is looking for projects that target high priority species and will reduce the number outlier populations.  The award ceiling for this opportunity is set at $75,000.00.  It is highly recommended that multi-year proposals include a 3-5-year management plan, an extensive monitoring component, solid participating partners, and a strong restoration component.

Eligible Activities Include:

• Early detection & rapid response
• Treating critical acres that protect larger land use areas
• Monitoring and preventing the spread of small populations and new introductions
• Monitoring and rehabilitating established infestations
• Research related to invasive species

Organizations that are eligible for this grant are: universities, cooperative weed management areas (CWMA’s), county weed boards, federal or state government agencies, federal, state, tribal or private landowners, and conservation districts, nonprofits, and/or other political subdivisions.

Grants received in the 2025-26 funding cycle will be funded for the current year only, with the possibility of renewing funding for a multi-year project, based on available funds. Funding for projects will begin July 1, 2025, and terminate June 30, 2026.

Information on the requirements for this opportunity can be found on the ISM webpage or applicants can contact program manager Aaron Eagar at [email protected].

The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food is proud to announce Utah’s 4th Annual Food Safety Conference hosted April 9-10, 2025 at the Show Barn at Thanksgiving Point. The conference will be held from 8:00 to 5:00 each day.

“This conference is a great opportunity for those in academia, agriculture, food manufacturing and producing, public health, retailers, or anyone who is interested in food safety,” said Travis Waller, UDAF Regulatory Division Director. “Come and learn about best practices, food borne illness outbreaks, and overall safety in food production and manufacturing.”

Speaking at this year’s conference is Dr. Benjamin Chapman who is the director of the Safe Plates food safety extension and research program at North Carolina State University. He is the co-chair of the “STOP Foodborne Illness” board of directors and co-hosts two podcasts, “Food Safety Talk” and “Risky or Not”.

Additional topics that will be covered at the conference include the science of pasteurization, foodborne illness outbreaks, food safety management systems, cannabis and food safety, creating a food safety culture, and recalls and implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) 204.

For more information on the conference and to register, visit the registration website. Interested exhibitors can register here.  Registration will be open throughout the duration of the conference. Media are invited to attend and media passes can be arranged.

Previously, your options to renew were by phone or by mailing in a check with your renewal form. Now, you can renew your brand online quickly and securely. Here’s how:

The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) and the Wyoming Livestock Board have agreed to allow brands on cattle to be used as official identification for cattle moving between Utah and Wyoming. This is in response to the changes in official identification requirements by the USDA.

“We have a large number of cattle that move between Utah and Wyoming each year,” said Leann Hunting, UDAF Animal Industry Director. “This agreement has been made to lessen the burden placed on the many livestock producers who move cattle between our two states.”

Under federal law, official identification is required for dairy cattle, cattle going to a show, exhibition, rodeo, or recreational event, or sexually intact beef cattle over 18 months of age. Official identification aids state animal health officials in tracing exposed animals if disease outbreaks occur.

Under federal law, brands can only be used as the sole means of identification if:

• The brand is registered with the state
• There is an agreement (like this one) between the state of origin and state of destination
• The animals are accompanied by a brand inspection certificate

Cattle that require official identification and that are being transported to states without this brand agreement are required to be identified with one of the following official forms of identification:

• An official individual identification tag such as an “840” RFID tag or metal tag placed prior to November 5, 2024
• A registration tattoo, if accepted by the state of destination, or
• A group/lot identification number when allowed

This agreement does not change the import requirements for Utah or Wyoming. Producers should check the import requirements for Utah and Wyoming before making any such movements.

If producers or veterinarians have any questions about the requirements under this agreement or other identification requirements, please contact the office of the State Veterinarian at [email protected] for Utah or [email protected] for Wyoming.

A virtual informational meeting will be held for producers on Friday, March 21, 2025 at 9:00am. Interested media partners may contact Bailee Woolstenhulme for the meeting link.

The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) is seeking grant proposals for the 2025 Specialty Crop Block Grant. This funding is available for projects designed to enhance the competitiveness of Utah-grown specialty crops; specialty crops include fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and horticulture and nursery crops; a full list of specialty crops is available here.

“Utah is the nation’s second leading producer of tart cherries and climate produces some of the most desirable stone fruit in the nation, all of which are specialty crops that are vital important to our state,” said Kelly Pehrson, UDAF Interim Commissioner. “The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food is proud to administer this grant program and looks forward to innovative developments in the state’s specialty crop industries.”

The Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) is a competitive grant program operated by the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food to administer federal funds from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service. This grant is open to producers, private businesses, schools, trade associations, non-profits, farming and ranching co-ops, etc. headquartered in Utah. Applications for grant funds should describe how the project potentially affects and produces measurable outcomes for the specialty crop industry and/or the public rather than a single organization, institution, or individual.

The application window will be open through April 9, 2025.  With current federal funding freezes, this funding could be reduced or cancelled, but UDAF is collecting applications with the hope that this funding will still be available. For more information, contact Allison Ross at [email protected] or visit https://ag.utah.gov/specialty-crop-block-grant-program.