Mechanization & Expansion  1950s-1990s

By 1950, just one-third of Utahns lived in rural areas. The number of farms dropped to 25,800 as the number of people working in industry increased. The average farm size grew to 465 acres. The fifties saw the complete mechanization of agriculture with tractors and other equipment. Advances in science brought higher production on each acre. Demand for Utah agricultural products fell in the 1950s as surpluses piled up. New refrigerated railcars for carrying frozen foods coast-to-coast led to canneries relocating near large national growers. Utah's canneries began closing and many orchards and croplands were planted with hay or grain, or returned to pasture. Fertile land near Utah's cities was lost to new housing developments. Sheep numbers declined due to limits on grazing and reduced demand for wool because of new synthetic fibers. In 1956 Congress passed the Central Utah Project, part of the Colorado River Storage Project, to enable Utah's share of Colorado River water to irrigate hundreds of thousands of acres of new and existing farmland and provide more water to Utah's cities and industry.

Due to new refrigerated railcars and the reliable transportation of frozen foods, the canning industry in Utah began to decline. Canneries left Utah and began building close to national growers with the best and largest production. Finished goods were then stored at a central warehouse and shipped nationwide as needed. This completely shut out smaller, local growers, canners, and even grocers.

Back in 1922, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, Nevada, and California created the Colorado River Compact. The purpose of this compact was to work together to divide use of the Colorado River. After WWII, these states became more focused on storing water. The Upper Basin states (Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming) proposed the Colorado River Storage Project. This goal of this project was to create two dams along the Green River (a large tributary of the Colorado River) as well as Glen Canyon. The portion of construction in Utah became known as the Central Utah Project. However, some people objected, since some of the dams would be inside Dinosaur National Monument.

By 1960 only about a quarter of Utahns lived in rural areas, and the number of farms dropped to 19,000. The average farm size jumped to 716 acres. Farmland in Utah increased to 13.6 million acres, the largest amount in state history. Cattle and milk remained the most important livestock products; while hay, wheat, and sugar beets remained the state's most significant crops. Mechanized planting and harvesting in the 1960s improved sugar beet production, but Utah farmers found it hard to compete with cane sugar from Hawaii and overseas. Turkey and onion production also increased during the 1960s, but the demand for many Utah fruits declined and more canneries closed. The Central Utah Project built the Steinaker Dam, Flaming Gorge Dam, Arizona's Glen Canyon Dam (which created Lake Powell), Joe's Valley Reservoir (an Emery County project), and the Uintah Unit, which brought water to Indian and non-Indian lands in the Uintah Basin.

The Glen Canyon Dam created one of the largest human-made reservoirs in the United States; however, when this project was originally proposed, many people objected. Environmentalists worried what kind of impact the reservoir might have on the canyon's ecosystem. The area is also significant to Native American tribes in that region--specifically the Navajo Nation. In the end, the Glen Canyon Dam was built, which created Lake Powell. Today, Lake Powell is not only a popular tourist destination, but an important source of water for the dry southern region. The hydroelectric turbines inside the dam are also a major source of renewable energy. There are still many environmental groups and some Native Americans that continue to object to this dam.

During the 1960s, President Dwight Eisenhower wanted to make cross-country travel easier for people and the military. The national government created an interstate highway system, and congress agreed to pay about 95% of the cost for building this new road system. The Utah State Road Commission made plans for the "thru-highway," (a highway traveling north and south) that would eventually become Interstate 15 (I-15). This freeway system connected Utah to the rest of the country. Goods and people were able to move out of Utah more efficiently. I-15 also linked major cities in Utah and led to more urbanization.

In 1970 over 80 percent of Utahns lived in urban areas. The number of farms fell to 14,100. Average farm size grew to 936 acres, but population growth reduced Utah farmlands to about 13 million acres. By mid-decade the average farm size reached a record 1,000 acres as farm numbers kept declining. Cattle and milk remained Utah's most important livestock products, while hay and wheat were still the state's major crops. During the 1970s apple and tart cherry production increased as new orchards were planted on cheaper lands away from urban growth. Egg production also increased during the decade, but turkey production decreased. Mink pelt prices declined early in the 1970s but rose again by the end of the decade, saving many skilled breeders. Strawberry Reservoir was greatly enlarged during the 1970s under the Central Utah Project and its water piped through the Wasatch Mountains into central Utah via the new 6.5-mile Syar Tunnel. In 1970 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was established and national pollution control laws were enacted that would shape the future of Utah agriculture.

During 1972, Strawberry Reservoir was enlarged from 273,000 acre feet to 1,106,500 acre feet. Most of the water stored in Strawberry Reservoir is delivered through the Wasatch Mountains to Central Utah where it is used for irrigation, municipal, and industrial uses.

In 1976, Congress passed the Federal Land Policy Management Act (FLPMA) which ended homesteading. (Most homesteading had already ended with the Taylor Grazing Act of 1934.) The FLPMA acts as the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) operating system to manage and maintain more than 245 million acres of public land. Many rural Utahns were upset with the FLPMA because it imposed tougher grazing restrictions on federal lands. It limited the number of ranchers and farmers who could graze livestock on federal land. Many believed the state--not the federal government--should have the authority to make decisions about Utah's land. The opposition to federal land control became known as the "Sagebrush Rebellion."

By 1980 only 15 percent of Utahns lived in rural areas. The number of farms in Utah dropped to 13,500 and the average farm size dropped slightly to 919 acres. Farmlands dropped to 12.4 million acres. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reduced its welfare farms during the 1980s. For decades the welfare farms had permitted non-farmers in Utah to continue practicing rural values and skills. In 1980, the Stevens Canning Company in Roy closed. It was the last of the independent canners in the state and its closing brought an end to one of Utah's historic industries. Sugar beets, a major cash crop for most of the century, were no longer grown in Utah after 1979. The national recession of the early 1980s kept Utah farm income from keeping up with expenses until the recovery later in the decade. The 1980s saw production records set in certain years for growing wheat and other grains. Records were also set for apple production, the number of beef cattle, and the number of mink pelts.

During the 1980s, Utah's population reached 2 million people. Utah had outgrown agricultural production and began importing more food. Today, there are over 3 million people living in Utah. By the year 2050, Utah's population is projected to reach 5 million people. Currently, Utah only produces 3% of its fruit needs, 2% of its vegetable needs, and 25% of its dairy needs.

By 1990 only 13 percent of Utahns lived in rural areas and the number of farms declined to 13,200. The average farm size fell to 856 acres. There were 11.3 million acres of farmland in Utah. Cattle and milk were once again the most important of Utah's agricultural products in this decade. Other important livestock products were poultry and eggs, along with an important increase in pork products. Hay and wheat continued to be the state's most valuable crops. Vegetables, particularly Spanish onions, as well as fruits such as apples and cherries remained very important. By the late 1990s many Utah farmers began to realize the growing population of the state was bringing a market for their products to their doorsteps. The 1990s again saw farmers searching, in the great tradition of Utah agriculture, for new commercial products. Some farmers began to experiment with ostrich and llama ranching while others tried fish farming. The year 2000 ended a century of change and challenge for Utah farmers.