While children played outside on rides at the Utah State Fairpark, Johanns listened to comments during a public hearing attended by more than 350 people involved in agriculture.

"We've had many comments from this and other forums," said Johanns, in Salt Lake City to gather input on what the farm legislation should contain. "Good farm policy leads to good tax polices, good trade policies and good energy policies. The farm bill itself will be a piece of a complicated puzzle."

Johanns said a common plea he's heard from farmers and ranchers is the need for the United States to develop policies that will make the nation energy independent.

"Enhancing America's energy independence is at the core of President Bush's comprehensive national energy policy," he said. "That makes energy conservation and clean, renewable sources of domestically produced energy more important than ever. [Energy] conservation and renewable fuels are good for the environment, the economy and farmers' bottom lines."

To that end, Johanns presented Wasatch Wind, LLC, a $500,000 grant for the phase one of a wind-based, energy-generation project in Spanish Fork Canyon. The grant and other matching funds will be used to build a 1.5 megawatt wind generation tower, the first of 10 towers planned for the site.

The company was among 150 applicants awarded almost $21 million to help develop renewable energy and energy-efficiency projects in 21 states involving wind, solar, biomass, geothermal and conservation technologies.

Leland Hogan, president of the Utah Farm Bureau Federation and its 20,000 member families, called for more government money to help Utah farmers and ranchers address critical water quality and conversation needs, wildlife habitat and watershed restoration.

"If agriculture is offered a voluntary, incentive-based initiative to promote a desirable environmental outcome," he said, "farmers and ranchers will overwhelm America with improved soil conservation, water quality, air quality and wildlife habitat."

Stephen Osguthorpe, Farm Bureau vice president, spoke of an approaching crisis in food production as farmers' age increases and fewer young people seek agricultural careers.

"We need to look at innovative solutions that allow our farms and ranches to be passed to a new generation of food producers," Osguthorpe said. "Providing targeted education opportunities, innovative financing and assistance to beginning farmers and ranchers that recognizes their contribution to our quality of life are just a few."

Box Elder County Commissioner Susanne Reese called for conservation funding to keep pace with inflation and said recreationists riding ATV and other off-road vehicles are trespassing on farmers' property, causing serious erosion and leaving farmers to bear the cost of the damage.

Officials will review comments received by Dec. 30 at FarmBill@usda.gov.

Solicited comments include analyses, reports, studies and other material that address competitiveness, farm policy, assistance to producers and rural areas, conservation, environmental goals and marketing issues.

dawn@sltrib.com