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Show The Park Record A-24 Amigo Travel Is ranching a way of the past? 1-800-709-2,838 (AP) Some say agriculture is a dying industry. Often retired cattlemen or crop growers themselves iidvisc prospective young farmers and ranchers to instead find a career with a dependable paycheck, regular hours and less hack-bending labor - something with a future. "There's this perception that agriculture is not as important as it used lo be because so many people have gone out of the business," said ('ache Valley Extension Agent ("lark Israelsen. "But it's just not true." Several area farms and ranches are expanding, he said, and agriculture provides 26 percent of Cache Valley income. Jackson and Oralie Smith. 31 and 29, battled the ag-death perception even before they pooled assets with Jackson's parents eight years ago and became halfowners and -operators of Smith's Cream Pitcher Jerseys dairy farm in Lewiston. Oralie grew up on a cattle ranch in the Payson area, where her father owned 50 head and 80 acres and taught Future Farmers of America. Yet he urged her not to marry a farmer. "He really struggled (with his farm)," Oralie said. "He wasn't making it. That's why he had to teach." He eventually became so disenchanted with agriculture he resigned from leaching FFA. "He quit teaching because he felt like a hypocrite telling people they could make a living in it, because farming was such a deadend street,"' Jackson said. "I really get licked off sometimes. The older people talk Round-trip ticket prices from SLC to: America: Buenos Airaa $6S3 Santiago. 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Getting started was tough for the Smiths, but in a decade Jackson advanced from a job as a hired hand to the second runnerup for the Utah Farm Bureau's 2004 Young Farmers & Ranchers Achievement Award. Shortly after the Smiths married 12 years ago, Jackson answered a help-wanted ad seeking a "young man to work his guts out for an opportunity to earn a herd of cows." The 250-cow dairy gave him a springing heifer every six months, keeping the milk in exchange for free feed. Within a few years, the Smiths purchased 20 head for a total herd of 32 milk cows and 18 heifers, an estimated $20,000 in equity. Jackson's father, Craig, meanwhile, owned a debt-free dairy farm with about $20,000 worth of livestock and equipment, and the two merged into a 50/50 father/son partnership. Today they're milking up to 450 cows. "My dad was here alone, so he was good enough to me to help me come in here and get going," Jackson said. "We just realized if we wanted to support more families, we had lo milk more cows." In addition lo several expansions, upgrades and remodels of barn facilities, Jackson pushed for operational changes to modernize the dairy and increase profits. They gradually sold all of Craig Jackson's Holsteins and replaced them with Jerseys. They built a waste manage- ment system, which stores cattle ment system ncaring completion. waste through the winter for fer- They plan to expand their Jersey tilization and irrigation in later herd - currently ranked by the Herd Improvement seasons. They began leasing Dairy neighboring property where they Association among the top 15 grow all their own hay, sheltering "colored" (non-Holstein) herds for fat/protein content -- from 200 them from volatile feed prices. "In order for the young people to about 350. They also hold the to progress here, they have lo option to purchase more of the think differently, outside the woman's land for future expanbox," Jackson said. "Just because sions. grandpa did it that way for 50 The Halls, both graduates of years doesn't mean it's the best the Utah State University College way now. Farming is a lot differ- of Agriculture, anticipate continent now than it was 50 years ago." ual agriculture advancements, Fellow young dairy farmers and they are prepared to keep up Garrick and Holly Hall scoured with the industry. Utah and Idaho for an affordable "It's changing. It's not going to dairy farm before closing last be the way it has been in the past, week on a Cove operation they but there's definitely a future for had been leasing. Ownership agriculture." Holly said. "There's became possible, they said, such a high-quality group of peobecause the previous owner -- a ple working really hard to make a widow eager to foster the young living in agriculture and keep that couple's agriculture career - a part of our community. Like my dad always says, people will offered them a great deal. "It's a challenge because it is always have to eat. Whatever else or want, they'll always high capital investments as a they need to eat. So I think there will beginning farmer. You don't have need be that need for agriculenough equity to just go out and always ture. It just won't look the same buy a place, so for us it's taken as it has in the past." seven years to build up enough capital and equity," said Holly As for the future of their famiHall, a Utah State University ag ly farms - riding on the Smiths' business graduate. six sons and the Halls' three "But it is possible. Most peo- daughters and one son - both ple that talk to us say in passing, couples said they would love for l Oh, I would have liked to farm" their children to take over, if they or, 'If it was at all possible, that's can provide that opportunity and what I'd have done.' We just say it it's what the children want. is possible. We didn't have any- Certainly, the Smiths and the thing given to us. We had to start Halls won't be among those disfrom scratch, and it was hard, but couraging a life in agriculture. "There will be plenty of people we're here now." saying you can't do it, but there Before the sale wasfinal,the are people doing it." Holly Hall Halls already were initiating said. "You just need a real desire upgrades, like a waste manage- and determination." 8:00 PM SOCIAL HOUR FOR 2ND SEATING Ski area comes out of bankruptcy 9:00 PM SECOND SEATING • Continued from A-22 5:30 PM FIRST SEATING Marc Jenson. a principal for Nimbus Loan Fund, which reportedly invested $3.6 million in the ski area, refinancing its DANCING TO LIVE MUSIC WITH A SPECIAL MIDNIGHT CELEBRATION 1235 Frl/Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues December 31-January 4, 2004 WARM SPRINGS ROAD MIDWAY 435 654-I4OO prior debt when Case took over. Nimbus recovered the resort property for $1 million at a Monday bankruptcy auction, deputy Beaver County attorney Leo Kanell said. Kanell said Elk Meadows owes nearly $182,000 in property taxes for the past two years, plus more than $1 million in special district fees for road and water upgrades. Beaver County could foreclose on the property for nonpayment of taxes, but is willing to negotiate terms with any credible successor - "somebody good" who can reopen the ski area, he said. www.parkrecord.com www.parkrecord.com www.parkrecord.com www.parkrecord.com FEEL LIKE A FISH WITH NO WATER. 'T- * * • I*'--**' - * - * ^ J - . t.'.M'V- - ^ . . ^ ^ - . j * ^ -JAC0B,AGE5 DESCRIBING ASTHMA 0m^ WWi^ above,me Wi^S&WWmMrOductng Red Cloud d&Emhire d&EmhireEa F Panoramic Secluded wooded ^m^.: (435)333-6030 You know how to react to their asthma attacks. Here's how to prevent them, i ,•.. .'to.*'it*"':"*-?- " - 'r-ZT-'***%•••;- t * y •• •366-NO-ATTACKS C XB» EVEN ONE ATTACK IS ONE TOO MANY. ^ti^& For more inlormation log onto www.noall3ck8.org or call your doctor Utah Roil Estate . ' Each office Tiitlii^nden^ O w ^ d ' a n d J^V ^ ObtainthePropcny Reporter its cquivaleoi os required by PcdcriU or Stale U * and y^idiiBcft ^ InP n f l lfi Ftk ri I k i IT l l 3 ^ , anyOiing. 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