TAYLORSVILLE, UT — As Utah’s agricultural lands face increasing development pressure, the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) is announcing $1 million in funding to permanently protect working farms and ranches through conservation easements under the 2025 LeRay McAllister Working Farm and Ranch Fund. The deadline for the fall batch of funding is Aug. 31, 2025.

Administered by UDAF, the LeRay McAllister Fund helps preserve working farms and ranches that are vital to Utah’s economy, food security, and rural heritage. Through strategic partnerships with landowners, land trusts, local governments, and other entities, the fund enables long-term conservation of Utah’s most productive and threatened agricultural lands. 

Since 1999, over 68,855 acres of working farmland have been placed into conservation easements with funding from the LeRay McAllister Program to keep this agricultural land in operation forever. In past years, the fund has helped preserve iconic family farms in Cache Valley, ranchlands in Sanpete County, and beyond, protecting both natural resources, local food security, and rural livelihoods. 

“Once farmland is developed, it’s gone forever. In a rapidly growing state, protecting agricultural land is critical to ensuring Utah’s future food production, open space, and rural character,” said Kelly Pehrson, Commissioner of the Utah Dept. of Ag & Food. “The LeRay McAllister Fund helps us act now to protect agricultural land, keeping longstanding family farms in operation and ensuring land remains available for farmers and ranchers looking to enter into agriculture.”

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, with two funding batches per year. Projects will be evaluated based on criteria including agricultural productivity, threat of conversion, water resource protection, and the land’s contribution to local and regional conservation priorities.

Eligible applicants include:

  •  Nonprofit land trusts
  • Local governments
  • Other entities qualified to hold conservation easements under Utah Code §57-18

Projects may leverage matching funds through the USDA NRCS Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP-ALE) or other complementary programs, such as local open space bond programs, county greenbelt rollback tax funds, and landowner donations.

Interested applicants are encouraged to review the program guidelines and application materials available on the UDAF website.

For more information or to discuss project eligibility and timelines, please contact Jeremy Christensen, UDAF Land Conservation Program Manager, at jeremyc@utah.gov or (385) 441-4106.