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Show Few area leaders fed; others remain hungry this growth of regulations doesn't stop, he said, "we may sit down to an empty plate for lunch someday." Mike Brown, a Beryl farmer, praised the American farmer, noting that only 3.5 percent of the population was involved in agriculture, the feeding of the rest of the population, while in some countries this figure is as high as 40 percent. He also noted that the ? average percent of one's income spent on food has " been dropping. However, he also expressed a concern that the American farmer could be in trouble, if things don't change. He noted that farmers are in constant competition with industry and residential growth for water, a mainstay of farming. Further he noted that electricity bills to pump such water are probably the single biggest expense for many area farmers. Brent Hunter, another Iron County farmer, spoke about the use of chemicals by farmers, noting that a paranoia was prevalent among some groups of people, yet there is really no reason to be concerned. "We use a little chemical, but it makes a lot of difference," he said. He also pointed out that the food from American farms probably has fewer chemicals in it that the soap used to wash our clothes, the chemicals used to stop cooking from sticking to pans and the sprays we use to make our homes smell better. CEDAR CITY Area leaders were given a graphic example last week of what would happen if the farm , industry in the United States and Utah should ever falter. Officials of Cedar City, Iron County, the Iron County School Board, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management were treated Friday by the Utah Farm Bureau to an empty plate luncheon, where only a very few,; initially, received anything to eat. As several hungry officials wondered what was happening, the organizers of the event explained that they were trying to impress upon them the importance of agriculture. "It is a real situation," said farmer Brent Jones as he discussed the empty plates and the hungry people. "It could happen I think in our lifetime." One of the major concerns, he pointed out, is the huge number of regulations imposed by the government on farmers. Twenty major regulatory agencies have been created since 1970, he said with a parallel growth in regulations. If |