Programs

  Last year, agricultural producers experienced the worst drought in generations. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced this week the department's vision for agriculture in the face of evolving environmental challenges.  Today on the program, Sheri Quinn talks to USDA spokesperson Blake Walbeck about the challenges ahead for farmers and ranchers in Utah and discusses conservation stewardship funding available to producers in Utah and nationwide. 

Utah Attorney General John Swallow is the subject of a federal and state investigation into a series of allegations, including that he helped broker deals to assist a businessman suspected of fraud and that he promised protection to potential campaign donors to his predecessor, Mark Shurtleff. House Democrats are calling for his impeachment and point to the case in renewing their call for ethics reform. Some Republicans are calling for Swallow accept paid leave or resign, and at least one, Rep. Spencer Cox, says the House should consider impeachment. The Attorney General insists that he broke no laws and says he has no plans to quit.

  Wildflowers of the Mountain West is a new field guide to aid in the identification of flora seen throughout the intermountain area. On the Zesty Garden today we’ll have a discussion with the guides authors. 

More than 800 movies have been filmed in Utah since filmmaking began in the state in the 1920s with the Parry brothers near Cedar City. Utah has played host to all manner of moves from potboilers on lean budgets to some of the most memorable films ever made, including The Searchers, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Planet of the Apes, Footloose, and Thelma & Louise. Through the years millions of dollars have been poured into the economy. As one Utah rancher said, Hollywood moviemakers "don't take anything but pictures and don't leave anything but money." And with changes in landscapes, movies are the only places to see how some Utah areas used to look.

  The most famous person with autism, Temple Grandin, has a new book out called The Autistic Brain-Thinking Across the Spectrum, and it is currently number 21 on the best seller list. On the program, producer Sheri Quinn presents this two-part program on autism.  In the first half, Temple Grandin talks about the book, her latest research in the livestock industry, and what she thinks parents, clinicians, and educators should be doing to improve the lives of children with autism.