To commemorate the Department’s 100th anniversary, the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) has released the 2021 UDAF Centennial Strategic Plan with strategic goals to drive the Department and Utah’s agriculture and food industries forward into the century ahead.
The UDAF 2021 Centennial Strategic Plan was developed in partnership with the Utah Association of Counties and Honey Communications with input from farmers, ranchers, leaders, and representatives of agriculture throughout the state. In addition to refined vision, mission, and values statements, six goals were identified to address issues at the forefront of Utah’s agriculture and food industries.
“A safe, secure, and abundant local food supply is vital to the future of this state; there are no better partners to lead this vision to fruition than Utah’s farmers, ranchers, and food processors. We recognize that the Department plays a meaningful role in the success and future of Utah agriculture and we are committed to organizational excellence and the continual improvement of our services to meet the needs ahead.” — UDAF Commissioner Craig W Buttars.
Listening tours and surveys were held with agricultural stakeholders throughout the state whose insights informed a better understanding of the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for growth in Utah agriculture and food processing. Among the key findings were significant opportunities for economic growth in the industry by connecting local agricultural production with local processing and the need for expanded agricultural infrastructure or “agristructure.” Other areas of focus include the need for a secure local food supply chain, workforce development, and educating the public on the importance of a strong local agriculture and food industry.
Read the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food 2021 Centennial Strategic Plan in full here.
