MIRACLE OF AGRICULTURE - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder of the Miracle of Agriculture Foundation
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder
- Member of the Board
A Co-Founder of the Miracle of Agriculture Foundation, Andrea Schoelfeld serves as a Board Member for the Foundation, a position she also holds for the Utah Farm Bureau Federation. Andrea raises pigs on a small family farm in Tridell, Utah with her husband, Duane, and their four children. Previously, she and her husband served as County Chairs of the Young Farmer & Rancher Committee (YF&R) and on the State YF&R Committee. Andrea also served as the Duchesne County Women's Chair, and she currently serves as Chair of the Agriculture Promotions Committee for the Utah Farm Bureau. As a professional teacher, Andrea loves taking the farm into schools by bringing animals to the students and teaching them where their food comes from. As a huge supporter of FFA and 4-H, she was honored to receive the Farmer of the Year Award from the Utah FFA for the volunteer service she provides FFA.
Clayton Beckstead is a third-generation Utah rancher and successful businessman who has been tapped as the first Executive Director of the Miracle of Agriculture Foundation. Most recently, he served as the Northeastern Regional Manager for the Utah Farm Bureau Federation, working with Farm Bureau members in Daggett, Duchesne, Morgan, Salt Lake, Summit, Uintah, Utah, and Wasatch counties. In this role, Clayton focused on leadership development, member acquisition strategies, policy development, legislative and Farm Bureau policy implementation, County Farm Bureau support, and serving as a liaison for farmers and ranchers with public agencies. He and his family own a 100-acre ranch in Utah County, and Clayton studied business at Brigham Young University.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder
- Member of the Board
- Co - Founder of the Miracle of Agriculture Foundation
A Co-Founder of the Miracle of Agriculture Foundation, Craig Laub serves as a Board Member for the Foundation, a position he also holds for the Utah Farm Bureau Federation. He and his brother own and operate a 2,000-acre hay, grain and corn farm in Iron County. Craig has been involved in Farm Bureau for more than 35 years, serving as County President, Vice President, Board Member, YF&R County Chair, and State YF&R District representative. Craig and his wife of more than 40 years, RueThella, have six children and 13 grandchildren, and he is very involved in church and community activities.
Dale Newton, CPA is the Chairman and a Co-Founder of the Miracle of Agriculture Foundation. Since early 2017, he has served as the Chief Executive Officer, Secretary and Treasurer of the Utah Farm Bureau Federation. During his career, Dale served in senior executive positions for such organizations as Valley Mental Health, Missouri Employers Mutual, Workers Compensation Fund of Utah, and Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah. He received bachelor's degrees in Management and Accounting from the University of Utah, as well as a separate degree from Westminster College in Salt Lake City.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder
- Member of the Board
- Co - Founder of the Miracle of Agriculture Foundation
A Co-Founder of the Miracle of Agriculture Foundation, Dot Jensen serves as a Board Member for the Foundation, a position she also holds for the Utah Farm Bureau Federation. Dot grew-up in Yuma, Arizona where she worked with her dad in a cattle feed yard, and raised and worked horses while being involved in the 4-H program. After attending Utah State University, she settled in Tremonton on a 3rd generation sheep farm where her own children learned the value of work, agriculture, and fun. She has been an active member of the Utah Farm Bureau for over 30 years, and much of her time has been spent in the Farm Safety Programs to teach the importance of working smart on the farm. For the past 12 years Dot has been an active member of the Utah Farm Bureau Women's Committee, and she has also spent a number of years serving on the 4-H sheep community for Box Elder County.
Emily Greene began her career with the Utah Farm Bureau Federation shortly before the formation of the Miracle of Agriculture Foundation in 2020. She serves as a communication specialist for the Utah Farm Bureau Federation as well as the program manager for the Foundation. Emily studied Economics and Agricultural Business at Utah State University.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder
- Member of the Board
- Co - Founder of the Miracle of Agriculture Foundation
A Co-Founder of the Miracle of Agriculture Foundation, Erin Sorenson serves as a Board Member for the Foundation, a position she also holds for the Utah Farm Bureau Federation. Erin and her husband, Whitt, live in Delta, Utah, where they raise purebred and registered Hampshire lambs. She also works a a physical therapy assistant in Delta. Erin previously served with her husband on the Young Farmer & Rancher committee of the Utah Farm Bureau prior to being elected the chairwoman. Erin studied at Snow College and Provo College, and she also served as a State FFA officer. She and her husband have four children and love living in Millard County.
Since early 2018, Jennifer Pratt, CPA has served as the Chief Financial Officer of the Utah Farm Bureau Federation, and she has now taken on the same role for the Miracle of Agriculture Foundation. During her nearly 25-year career, Jennifer has served in a variety of private and public accounting positions, ranging from Senior Auditor to Assistant Controller, as well as serving as President and CEO of Sorenson Employees Credit Union. She received a master's degree in Business Administration (MBA) from Texas A&M University-Commerce, along with a bachelor's degree in Accounting from the University of Utah.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder
- Member of the Board
- Co - Founder of the Miracle of Agriculture Foundation
A Co-Founder of the Miracle of Agriculture Foundation, Jim Wayment serves as a Board Member for the Foundation, a position he also holds for the Utah Farm Bureau Federation. Rob is a 3rd generation rancher in Warren, Utah, that raises 250 mother cows annually, along with custom feed for local ranchers, while also farming 600 acres of alfalfa hay, grain and corn silage. Wayment has been actively involved in the Farm Bureau organization for the past 30 years. He has served as the county Young Farmer and Rancher president and later on the state Young Farmer and Rancher committee, as well as on the Weber County Farm Bureau vice president for the past 5 years. Rob has supported agriculture in many other capacities also, as a 4-H leader for 30 years, Utah Youth Rodeo President, Weber County Fair Livestock Chairman, and President of the Ogden Area Beef Feeders. He and his wife Kayla are parents of four children and grandparents to four grandchildren.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Communications
- Vice President of Communications for the Utah Farm Bureau Federation
For nearly 15 years Matt Hargreaves has served as Vice President of Communications for the Utah Farm Bureau Federation, a position he also holds for the newly formed Miracle of Agriculture Foundation. Matt builds relationships with thought leaders to grow agriculture awareness, serves as the editor for all Utah Farm Bureau publications, and is responsible for policy advocacy, outreach communications, and spokesperson training. Prior to joining the Farm Bureau, he served in Economic Development with Utah County, with the Utah Legislature, and with a leading Utah-based public relations/investor relations agency. Matt received his master's degree in Public Administration from the University of Utah, as well as a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from Brigham Young University.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder
- Member of the Board
- Vice President
- Board Member, Vice President and Co - Founder of the Miracle of Agriculture Foundation
- Vice President for the Utah Farm Bureau Federation
Rex Larsen currently serves as Vice President for the Utah Farm Bureau Federation., a position he also holds for the Miracle of Agriculture Foundation. Rex was also a Co-Founder of the Foundation, and he serves on the Board of Directors for both nonprofits. He and his wife, Sherrie, live in Spanish Fork and have a beef cattle ranch, and also grow alfalfa, barley and corn for cattle feed. Rex markets Certified Seed Barley to growers throughout Utah and raises Certified Weed Free Alfalfa and stock show steers for sell as well. He attended his first county Farm Bureau meeting in 1977 and was elected as the president of the Benjamin/Leland local Farm Bureau. Rex has also served on Utah County Farm Bureau board and as both vice president and president. In addition, he recently served as District 4 Director for the Utah Farm Bureau Federation. Rex is active in civic and church activities, and he received the Silver Beaver Award from the Boy Scouts of America for his long-term roles of volunteer leadership with the BSA.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder
- Member of the Board
- Co - Founder of the Miracle of Agriculture Foundation
A Co-Founder of the Miracle of Agriculture Foundation, Rob Smith serves as a Board Member for the Foundation, a position he also holds for the Utah Farm Bureau Federation. Rob is a 4th generation cattle rancher and attorney practicing law in the areas of farm and ranch estate planning and numerous other legal issues that affect agriculture. He previously served as the Cache County Farm Bureau president and has been involved in the Utah Farm Bureau Federation for nearly 20 years. Rob, his wife Macall, and their six kids live in Trenton, Utah, where they enjoy working on the ranch, showing Red Angus-cross steers at the county fair, being involved in their rural community, and doing things together as a family.
Ron Gibson - Founder, President
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder
- Member of the Board
- President
It was Ron Gibson's insight during the earliest days of the Covid-19 pandemic that led to the creation of the Miracle of Agriculture Foundation where he serves as its President and as a Board Member. Affectionately known as the "Milkman," Ron is a 5th generation dairy farmer in Weber County, and he currently serves as the President of the Utah Farm Bureau Federation. Ron previously served as District 2 Director of the UFBF, Weber County President, Weber County Vice President, and the county and state Young Farmer and Rancher chairman. Gibson Green Acres milks 1,500 head of dairy cows and grows more than 1,500 acres of corn and alfalfa. He, his wife Andrea, and their four children enjoy hosting school groups of all ages on their farm to help promote agriculture.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder
- Member of the Board
- Co - Founder of the Miracle of Agriculture Foundation
A Co-Founder of the Miracle of Agriculture Foundation, Steve Hanberg serves as a Board Member for the Foundation, a position he also holds for the Utah Farm Bureau Federation. Steve was raised on a dairy farm and has always had a love for farming. He and his wife, Marcia, purchased their first farm in Randlett, Utah in 1986, where he continues to grow corn and alfalfa. Steve has been involved in the Farm Bureau for more than 20 years, serving the last 10 years as Uintah County Farm Bureau President and now serving District 5 on the State Board, which includes much of eastern and southeastern Utah. He is passionate about making public policy to better improve the quality of farming life in Utah, and Steve serves on several community boards in Uintah County and as director of a local water company.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder
- Member of the Board
- Co - Founder of the Miracle of Agriculture Foundation
A Co-Founder of the Miracle of Agriculture Foundation, Tyson Roberts serves as a Board Member for the Foundation, a position he also holds for the Utah Farm Bureau Federation. Tyson is a 6th generation produce farmer in Layton, Utah, and together with his wife, Danna (and their six children) and his parents, they operate Roberts Family Farms and produce fresh market vegetables that are sold on the farm and at farmers markets in Utah and southwestern Wyoming. In addition to serving on the Utah Farm Bureau Board of Directors, Tyson is the Vice President of Davis County Farm Bureau and is a Supervisor for the Davis County Conservation District. He has always loved policy development/implementation and enjoys playing a role as a citizen in the local and national political process.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder
- Member of the Board
- Co - Founder of the Miracle of Agriculture Foundation
A Co-Founder of the Miracle of Agriculture Foundation, Wade Eliason serves as a Board Member for the Foundation, a position he also holds for the Utah Farm Bureau Federation. Wade has been a sheep grower since 1995 and represents District 6 on the Utah Farm Bureau Board of Directors. Prior to being elected to the Farm Bureau Board of Directors, he served as the Sanpete County Farm Bureau President. Wade, like every farmer, has seen tough times, but is happy that sustainability and new markets (such as new varieties of wool and new clothing items such as no-itch, wool t-shirts and a growing demand by consumers for natural "organic" fabrics) have helped the wool market.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder
- Member of the Board
- Co - Founder of the Miracle of Agriculture Foundation
A Co-Founder of the Miracle of Agriculture Foundation, Wayne Jarrett serves as a Board Member for the Foundation, a position he also holds for the Utah Farm Bureau Federation. Wayne is a 3rd generation farmer/stockman in Nephi, UT and represents District 4 on the Utah Farm Bureau Federation Board of Directors. He has worked on the family farm and helped grow it to a farm of more than 2,000 acres, while buying a small farm of his own on the side. He raises alfalfa, barley, wheat, grain corn and corn silage, along with running a small feedlot and 150 cow/calf herd. Wayne has always said "the most important crop we raise is our kids," and he and his wife Connie are very proud of their 3 children and 4 grandchildren.