Show Millard County Chronicle Progress - AGRICULTURE Millard farming holding its own by Bob Thomas The true gamblers of this nation someone once noted never give thought to a vacation in Las reason: The too Vegas they’re busy tending their farms Anyone who hasn’t been living in a cave for the past few years is well aware of the plight of the American farmer He is boxed in with bureaucratic rules and regulations and all but dictated to by a federal agency (the US Department of Agriculture) that boasts one employee for every man woman and child who calls a farm or ranch Well for certain agriculture ranks first in the county’s economy No one will deny that More alfalfa hay is cut in Millard than in any of the state’s other 28 counties A total 51000 acres is devoted to the crop with an annual yield of 239000 tons or about 47 tons per acre the best record in the state Millard places third in the state in wheat production with 785000 bushels harvested from 22300 acres (Box Elder leads the state with a yield of 2760000 bushels from 105000 acres planted Still Millard’s yield is better: 394 bushels per acres compared to 33 bushels per acres in Box Elder) Statistics can be boring but bear with me 900 Millard County has 22000 acres of barley acres of corn 1310 acres of potatoes and its cattle figures are no less impressive There is an estimated 61000 head of cattle out and 19600 cows The latter there somewhere “home” It is a recognized truth today hard as it is to swallow that the American farmer is experiencing his biggest depression in half a century He is a victim of the dollar the lack of free access to foreign markets and farm subsidies afforded to his competitors And too he is the victim of his own generosity He has given away without thought of reward every agricultural advancement he has ever made He has had some help from his government though in doing that Together thay have made the world productive and all but We need look no farther than the boundaries of our own county to study a microcosm of what is a national tragedy Let us consider a bit of history here At the time of the American Revolution the farmer could produce sufficient foodstuffs for himself and three others By 1940 a growing dustrial revolution plus the developing of herbicides and pesticides allowed him to feed people Today he is that advanced that he sees to the nourishment of 79 people - 57 at home and 22 others abroad And yet his numbers grow smaller in 1940 boasted 28500 farms They Utah B & K The manufacture million corncobs of corncob a year pipes in the Hwy Ph: Mini-Ma- A lM$-- 777 West Main St - ltndtpicaiMriiMi 1 xi a i mi 1 V4 Balloons - Balloon Bouquets - Assorted Popcorn - Gag and Serious Lingerie Co-o- 15 Delta 50-- 6 0 We have all your party needs Novelties - Gag Gifts West Millard States requires over United Allred’s Equipment Co Novelties and Lingerie Main Street group is divided into 16000 beef cows and 3600 milk cows Two men with insight into the county’s agricultural future see little changing in the next few years The dairy industry although shrunken during the past two years what with the federal government’s “buy out” offer remains healthy according to Roland Murdock and Allan Edwards Murdock wears two hats as a district inspector with the State Department of Agriculture and a researcher with Utah State crop improvement University Edwards is USU’s extension agent for the county There are still 22 dairy herds in Millard they report with herds ranging from 30 to 250 head Some things have changed of course during in the area Alfalfa seed Murdock’s production has dropped off Likewise the crops of sunflowers and safflowers There are no more sugar And the numbers of sheep have beets around dimenished considerably And where have all the apple trees gone? We do have something of a new development locally in the growing of Kennebunk potatoes for chips There may be 1000 acres of those around averaged 354 acres - a little over 10 million acres total Latest available statistics (1984) from the Utah Department of Agriculture show 14000 farms 800000 acres that average 843 acres or about total in ranch and farm lands Where does Millard County fit into all of this? 92-00- 0 SERIES INFRARED ANALYZER n eeyj p n Delta Our Service Includes Lub Jobs Oil Changes Front End Alignment Tire Repair Tire Replacement We sell Filters Oil & Air Oils Quaker Pennzoil Vavoline SALES - PARTS - SERVICE We tune up your car or truck with our Allen omputer Analizer 3 good full time mechanics Specilized Welder Open all day every Biggest well tnrnmzm day including Saturday equipped shop in town |