The UBA’s Ag Outlook & Conference returned to southern Utah February 9–10. Attendees toured Holt Dairy Farm — meeting some newborn calves in the process — and Laub’s Feeding & Cubing operation before settling into the Dixie Convention Center for an outstanding lineup of speakers addressing everything from resilience to the state of ag in Utah.

Following dinner on Thursday, Diane Passey, a Mental Health Counselor from Intermountain Healthcare, gave an inspiring and funny keynote address, detailing 12 strategies to recover and grow from difficult situations.

The bankers reconvened Friday morning and heard from Craig Buttars, Commissioner of the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food. He described what his group is doing to preserve ag land, conserve water and natural resources, and enhance food security in the state.

Then it was time for the ever-popular Ag Outlook, presented by Utah State University. Dr. Ryan Feuz demonstrated tools to help farmers make sound decisions for their operations. Dr. Ryan Larsen provided an overview of the hay market, concluding that 2023 should be a good year for prices. Dr. Dillon Feuz warned that lower supply in the cattle market will drive higher prices, but with the dairy cow supply up, there could be tougher years ahead for dairy producers. Finally, Dr. Brandon Willis took a quick look at activities in D.C. and how those might affect the passage of a good farm bill.

Rob Newberry from Abrigo closed out the proceedings, providing the assembled bankers with tips to realize high-yielding growth and increased efficiency in their ag portfolios.