Candidate calls agriculture and open‑space stewardship a 'sacred duty,' backs tech and preservation tools

Tom West Morland said agriculture, open space and water stewardship are a "sacred duty" during a Utah County Republican Party podcast interview and outlined a mix of preservation tools and technology promotion aimed at keeping farming viable in the county.

West Morland said he has worked to preserve open space while mayor of Eagle Mountain and criticized simple pay‑not‑to‑farm approaches at higher government levels. He urged adjusting federal and state rules so landowners who donate open space are not penalized by current valuation rules, and suggested inheritance‑tax protections to help family farms remain in operation across generations.

He also described experiments with controlled‑environment farming as a practical complement to traditional agriculture. Citing Freight Farms and a local high school program, he said climate‑controlled units can reduce water use and enable year‑round production: "If we can emphasize those two things — technology in agriculture and protecting the farmland — instead of paying people not to farm, let's pay them to farm better." He argued this approach could be more resilient to water constraints and supply‑chain risks.

Why it matters: Agricultural land use, water and open‑space preservation are key local planning and quality‑of‑life issues. West Morland combined regulatory and incentive suggestions with a technology focus aimed at maintaining agricultural production and local food security.

Next steps: He suggested long‑term planning, tools for landowner donations, and pilot programs for climate‑controlled agriculture in schools and on farms to demonstrate water savings and production benefits.