The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) is now accepting applications for the 2023 Soil Health Equipment Grant to help farmers and ranchers access equipment to implement soil health practices.

“Implementing soil health practices such as planting cover crops and no-till farming has shown to improve the overall health of the soil, but many of these practices also require the purchase of specialized equipment that can be costly,” said Tony Richards, UDAF Soil Health Program Manager. “In an effort to overcome some of these barriers and allow Utah’s farmers and ranchers the opportunity to try these practices, the Utah Soil Health Program is offering grants to organizations that work directly with farmers and ranchers to help purchase equipment related to implementing soil health practices around the state.”

Eligible equipment is required to have a tie to implementing one of the following soil health principles:

1. Keeping the soil covered
2. Minimizing soil disturbance (physical or chemical)
3. Maximizing biodiversity
4. Keeping a living root as long as possible
5. Integrating livestock.

Grant awards will be capped at $50,000 maximum with a minimum of 20% matching funds. The match requirement must be in the form of a financial contribution (no in-kind match). All applications are required to have at least one conservation district as a fiscal partner. All reimbursement payments under the grant will be made to the conservation district. Projects and equipment must be in Utah.

All applications must be received via email or postmarked by August 18th, 2023. For more information, interested applicants can visit here or contact Tony Richards at tdrichards@utah.gov.

With mosquito season starting, the state veterinarian of Utah is encouraging horse owners to get their horses vaccinated for the West Nile Virus (WNV) to avoid the risk of being infected by this virus, which affects horses, birds, and humans.

“In the past three years, Utah has had 24 reported cases of West Nile Virus in horses,” said interim state veterinarian, Dr. Amanda Price. “In an effort to keep any more horses from contracting this disease, it is important for horse owners to vaccinate their horses against this virus.”

According to several mosquito abatement programs, parts of Utah are seeing up to five times as many mosquitoes this year compared to a normal year, increasing the chance that horses could be bit and potentially infected.

Signs of WNV in horses include stumbling, a wobbly gait, circling, inability to stand, blindness, fever, and death. Not all horses that become infected will show signs of disease, but one-third of horses that show neurologic signs from WNV will die or be euthanized, and up to 40 percent of those that recover can have long-term issues.  

Any horse that has neurologic signs should be seen by a veterinarian. The disease can be diagnosed through a simple blood test. There is no specific treatment for WNV, but owners and veterinarians can provide supportive care like anti-inflammatory medications or fluids to help the horse recover. Humans and horses cannot spread the disease to each other.

Horse owners should work with their veterinarian to protect their horse against WNV. Horses should be vaccinated for WNV once per year in the spring or early summer before mosquito season starts. Horses that have never been vaccinated before need to get a booster to be fully protected. Owners can also practice good mosquito control, such as removing standing water, cleaning water troughs regularly, using mosquito repellents, and bringing horses inside at dawn and dusk, which are peak mosquito feeding periods.

For more information on how to access a WNV vaccination, horse owners should contact their veterinarian.

The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food is pleased to announce the opening of the LeRay McAllister Working Farm and Ranch Fund grant application period that opens on June 1, 2023.

“Agricultural land preservation is a top priority for UDAF,” said Commissioner Craig Buttars. “The LeRay McAllister Working Farm and Ranch Fund is how our department is working to accomplish this priority by providing avenues for farmers and ranchers to preserve their land.”

Formerly known as the LeRay McAllister Critical Land Conservation Fund, the Fund works to preserve or restore critical agricultural land in Utah by purchasing development rights on these critical lands. This allows farmers and ranchers to continue to utilize their land for agriculture and secures Utah’s local food security. This program also helps maintain open space, which benefits wildlife and keeps Utah’s landscape open and beautiful.

The 2023 grant application period for this fund will open on June 1, 2023 and pre-applications are due by June 30, 2023. Interested landowners must partner with an eligible applicant, such as one of Utah’s counties, cities, or towns; the Utah Department of Natural Resources or other Utah state agencies; and/or 501(c)(3) charitable organizations such as a land trust. Matching funds from another source are required.

For more information or questions about the Fund, individuals may visit ag.utah.gov/leray-mcallister-working-farm-and-ranch-fund or they can contact the Fund manager, Jeremy Christensen at jeremyc@utah.gov or 385.441.4106.

The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) is issuing the following statement regarding the importation and movement of firewood into the state and regarding the Utah Firewood Quarantine.

“As camping season is upon us, UDAF is urging the public to be aware of the current quarantine of the movement of firewood into Utah from out of state,” said Kristopher Watson, State Entomologist. “Firewood brought in from out of state is one of the main pathways of invasive pests that we are working hard to keep out of the state, including Emerald Ash Bore, Spongy Moth, and the Asian Longhorn Beatle. These pests destroy trees and landscapes in areas they inhabit. Please help us keep our natural habitats healthy and free from these pests by ‘buying it where you burn it’.”

Some helpful tips for preventing the spread of these invasive species are:

• Buy firewood near where you will burn it- a good rule of thumb is only using wood that was cut within 10 miles of where you’ll have your fire, 50 miles if necessary. Regulations vary in each state, so visit our Firewood Map to learn more.
• Check for labels with state of origin information before purchasing firewood.
• Some states list their firewood vendors on Firewood Scout, to make finding local firewood easier for everyone. Check their site to see if your state is included!
• Wood that looks clean and healthy can still have tiny insect eggs, or microscopic fungi spores, that have the potential of starting new and deadly infestations. Always leave your backyard firewood at home, even if you think it looks fine.
• Aged or seasoned wood is still not safe. Just because it is dry doesn’t mean that bugs can’t crawl onto it- and some insects can take several years to mature inside the wood.
• Tell your friends not to bring wood with them- everyone needs to know that they should not move firewood.

UDAF is working closely with the Utah Department of Natural Resources and other state and national park management agencies to help monitor for invasive pests and educate the public about the firewood quarantine. For more information on the quarantine and other resources, visit dontmovefirewood.org.

The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food is concerned for Utah’s farmers and ranchers in light of the harsh winter, snowy spring, and flooding. We are actively working to get relief aid.

Next week Governor Cox is calling a special legislative session to address these issues and we need your help. Please take a minute to:

• Spread this message to any and all of your friends in agriculture
• Fill out the following survey (https://bit.ly/3pxZ2QU) to contribute critical data