Monday night the Wasatch County Open Lands Board will meet to consider giving $2 million to save one of the last dairy farms in the Heber Valley.
The Albert Kohler Legacy Farm is 103 acres between River Road on the west, and the Provo River on the east around 1800 North. The Kohler family has operated the farm since the 1800's. Currently, they process milk and cheese on site and sell it in a red building adjacent to the proposed protected property. The family also operates a cafe and provides tours of the cheese-making facility to local students and tourists.
In 2018, Wasatch County residents approved a $10 million open space bond. In April, 2019, the Kohler family signed a conservation easement agreement with Utah Open Lands for $7 million. $4,250,000 of that has been raised from federal, state and local funds, including $1 million from Midway City in March.
According to Utah Open Lands, if the land is not put in a conservation easement, it could be developed into 80 homesites.
The Wasatch County Open Lands Board public hearing is scheduled to begin the public hearing at 6:30pm. The meeting will be held online due to COVID-19 concerns. Citizens can submit their public comment via email at openlands@wasatch.utah.gov. For information on how to participate in real time via computer, click here.
