Farmers in the United States die by suicide at a rate more than three times the general population. Utah Farm Bureau is working to draw attention to the issue and to make farmers and rural communities aware of resources that can help farm families feel like they're not alone when they struggle with issues of mental health. In this episode, we'll hear from Utah State University Extension Associate Professor Josh Dallin. from nurse Tiffany McConkie from the Alamont Clinic in Duchesne County and from Utah Farm Bureau Vice President Tyson Roberts.

In a previous episode of Cows Plows and Things that Grow, we looked at how the state's water optimization program can help to save water on the level of individual farms. Today we're looking at the much larger scale of how agricultural water use can help preserve these major features of the landscape.

First, we'll hear from Mark Stilson with the Colorado River Authority of Utah. He tells us farmers have been working for generations to help preserve the water resources in that part of the state and to meet Utah’s obligation to downstream users. We’ll also hear from Brian Steed, who holds the new position of Great Salt Lake Commissioner.

We'll hear today from two leaders in the field of water optimization, something that's important for every farmer in Utah and the communities that they serve. Brett Bunker is a farmer from Delta, Utah while Hannah Freeze works for the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food in its water optimization program. We'll also hear from Utah's new Commissioner of Agriculture, Kelly Pehrson, about the crucial role farmers play in conserving Utah's limited water supplies.

We'll continue our conversations on making the best use of water in Utah in an upcoming edition of the podcast. We'll learn how agriculture impacts two major water resources in the state of Utah -- the Colorado River and the Great Salt Lake.