While Deseret is foremost a cattle ranch, we also have a long history in other types of agricultural production, including crops. Deseret now has approximately 1,100 acres of productive farm ground under center pivot irrigation. Favorable growing conditions allow for the production of specialty crops such as sod, as well as the production of animal feed crops consumed on the Ranch.
Deseret has leased out much of the pivot irrigation areas. The pivot areas have successfully grown crops such as cucumbers, wheat, soybeans, black beans, sorghum, and cauliflower. This irrigated acreage provides another source of revenue and diversifies the commodities produced on the Ranch, and we are planning to expand this acreage in the future.
Deseret has 1,100 acres of productive farm ground under irrigation, and we are planning to expand this acreage in the future.
Consistent with our decades-long emphasis on protection of groundwater resources, most of the irrigation water is sourced from a canal linked to the Taylor Creek Reservoir, a major surface water supply. Pivot irrigation is the most efficient irrigation method for growing crops in the region, ensuring that only the minimum amount of water needed for the crop is applied. Subsurface tile drains capture any storm water and that storm water is routed back to the canal, creating a virtually closed-loop irrigation system that is a model for efficiency and protection of water quality.
