Understanding Utah's water rights system and laws is imperative to understanding the larger water conversation. State Water Engineer, Teresa Wilhelmsen, joins us on this episode to help educate us on water law and water rights and how that affects water distribution in Utah. 

Utah's farmers and ranchers are working hard to be part of the solution to save and protect Utah's water. Learn more about the Agricultural Water Optimization program provided by the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) and how Utah's farmers and ranchers are saving water. Joining us on this episode is UDAF Conservation Division Director, Jim Bowcutt, and Agricultural Water Optimization Program Manager, Hannah Freeze. 

Agriculture water use has been a highly debated topic in Utah as well as other Western states that have been struggling with drought over the last several years. In this episode, we will take a deep dive into this topic to better understand how agriculture water use works, what the issues are surrounding the topic, and what agriculture can do to help with water savings. Joining us on this episode is Warren Peterson, former law attorney and current expert on agriculture water. Spoiler: things may not be as black and white as they have been portrayed. 

The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food is excited to bring you a new podcast, AgTalk! Do you know where your food comes from or where it’s grown? Do we understand what our fellow Utahns who work in agriculture deal with on a daily basis? Agriculture is often talked about in the media and by government officials and state leaders, but do we truly understand what is happening in this industry and the rural communities that rely on agriculture? AgTalk will explore different agricultural topics by having conversations with experts to discuss tough issues such as water use. We will also take a look at programs and resources available for Utah’s farmers and ranchers, and give our listeners an inside scoop on how their food is grown.  Join me, Bailee Woolstenhulme, every other week to sit in on these real conversations and better understand the amazing things Utah’s farmers and ranchers are doing, new technologies that are being developed, and how the agriculture industry is making advancements in areas important to all of Utah. You won’t want to miss the first several episodes, as we will be talking with experts to take a deep dive into the issue of agriculture water use. These conversations will help the listeners get a better understanding of how agriculture water use works, what the pros and cons are, and is the issue truly as black and white as it is made out to be. Join us August 14th for the first episode of AgTalk!