Utah lawmakers on Wednesday unanimously approved Gov. Spencer Cox’s pick to lead the state’s Department of Agriculture and Food, despite his history of controversy.
Cox announced Kelly Pehrson as his choice to run the department last month. Pehrson has served as UDAF’s deputy commissioner since 2019 and as interim commissioner since the prior department head’s retirement earlier this year.
“Utah agriculture has a bright future, and together, we can build a stronger and more resilient sector,” Pehrson said during his confirmation hearing Tuesday.
Members of the Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Confirmation Committee, including two Democrats, unanimously recommended Pehrson’s confirmation to the full Senate.
During the Tuesday hearing, the legislators asked Pehrson about his plans for grant programs, helping both urban and rural farmers and hiring changes at the department. None of them pressed Pehrson on his checkered past.
In 2020, when Pehrson was deputy commissioner, a state audit found that Pehrson may have unfairly influenced the selection process for companies to get medical marijuana-growing licenses and that he inappropriately used a state-owned vehicle.
Before joining the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, Pehrson worked as the county administrator in San Juan County. The Salt Lake Tribune found that Pehrson cost the county over $100,000 by approving a duplicate invoice.
“Kelly Pehrson has been a steady, trusted leader at UDAF for years, and I’m grateful he’s willing to take on this new role,” Cox said when he announced Pehrson as his pick to run the department. “He understands the needs of our agricultural communities and has the experience and vision to help Utah’s agriculture industry continue to grow and adapt.”
Pehrson grew up in Monticello. During his tenure at UDAF, he said Tuesday, he has worked on programs to optimize agricultural water use, improve food security and support farmers and ranchers throughout the state.
As commissioner, Pehrson said he plans to “vigorously defend grazing rights on public land,” efficiently manage water use and “remove unnecessary burdens from our farmers” by streamlining regulations.
