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Show A joint publication of the Farm & Agriculture February 12, 2004, Page 3 newIleJIexaliL iniseraftitoDi etocis pay foir ItoraD iHsnrmnieir By STEVE HARDMAN Jon Beck has farmed for more than 50 years. In that time he has seen many changes, especially in government govern-ment policies towards agriculture. In the early 1900s, Beck's father, France purchased a parcel of land west of the Spanish Fork River known as Chamber's Farm'. The area was once part of an Indian reservation set aside by Brigham Young to teach the local Ute population to farm. Running from the west side of the river to West Mountain, the area proved unproductive unproduc-tive for the Indians. The more agrarian agrar-ian Mormon settlers, however, were able to cultivate the land. Jon Beck has been both the beneficiary benefi-ciary and benefactor of that heritage. Beck's cowcalf operation, with its hundred head of cattle and 130 acres of farming, is considered a medium to small affair by government standards. stan-dards. He ranges his cattle for seven months a year up Diamond Fork and during the winter, Beck houses the animals in corrals east of his home, adjacent to the Spanish Fork River. During snowmelt or heavy precipitation, precipi-tation, manure and other waste from the feedlot drain into the river. Approached by the Natural Resources Conservation Service By the numbers 235 inventories completed in Utah County 8 determined to be CAFO 26 designated potential CAFO 8 in process 2 implemented their plan 2 - decided to quit the livestock business (NRCS) and the Utah Association of Conservation Districts (UACD) in 2001, Beck was informed that because his animal feeding operation was discharging dis-charging pollutants into the water system, however minutely, it was determined to be a potential hazard. He volunteered to make the corrections correc-tions necessary. "I didn't want to admit it," Beck said, "But I was polluting the waterway." water-way." Under the federal Clean Water Act, farmers and ranchers will have to comply or face serious consequences. In order to help, the government created the Environmental Quality See BECK, Page 4 Cfocle V Meag Meat Processing for 37 Years Custom Slaughtering & Processing Retail Sales Carcass Beef $1.89 per lb. Selling grain-fed beef we have personally finished. A 12 of beef will average around $550-$600. ' sT"'Rib Steaks Eye $6.00 lb 6 lb. Ground eef Patties $13 V Carcass Pork $1.39 per lb. Selling locally raised pigs, with a maple sugar cured ham and bacon. A 12 of pork will run around $125. 609 West Arrowhead Trail, Spanish Fork (East off Exit 256) 801-798-3081 Fax 801-798-8671 I .1 '. ''. J Jon and Carol Beck received the 2003 Operator of the Year award from the Timp-Nebo Soil Conservation District. Courtesy photo "I could have dene it cheaper, probably .But I did it their way and itfs done right I couldn't ask for a nicer organization to work with." Jon Beck Five Star Yraolers IzzJ 1 Af- 1 .m.dCIm.niMii mi I - ; I f -f mi f Safe. Secure. Smart. en iC-' - 3JJXB sodD q cos (tec?gD Five Star Trailers, Inc. 1320 S. 2000 V. Springville, UT 84663 (801)798-0066 Five Star Trailers, Inc. 1960 V. Main St. Tremonton, UT 84337 (800) 654-5755 www.fivcstartrailcrs.com |