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>Can Smith Mesa survive another generation in the Wrights’ name? And if so, how? The land is perfect for a postcard, but as Bill explains, “Beauty don’t pay the
by nugget 8y ago
>Can Smith Mesa survive another generation in the Wrights’ name? And if so, how? The land is perfect for a postcard, but as Bill explains, “Beauty don’t pay the bills.”
Isn't the whole point that beauty does pay the bills now, as tourism has eclipsed ranching as the most economically productive use of land in that area?
- altussky 8y agoMaybe for .01% of ranchers. I grew up on a ranch in Utah. Ranchers that make money from tourism or the rodeo are few and far between compared to the total number of ranches in Utah.
- nugget 8y agoIf that's the case then what is driving the rapid rise in land prices?
- tejtm 8y agoPreppers maybe?
- TangoTrotFox 8y agoSource on rapid rise in land prices? This [1] is from the USDA showing land prices at least from 2011 to 2015. Utah land runs an average of $2050 an acre and seems to be rising more slowly than most other areas, up from $1800 over those 5 years. [1] - http://www.usda.gov/nass/PUBS/TODAYRPT/land0815.pdf http://www.usda.gov/nass/PUBS/TODAYRPT/land0815.pdf
- nugget 8y agoFrom the article: >But in the 21st century, as climate change triggers periods of drought, land values continue to skyrocket, and the attraction of Zion expands along with its hotels, restaurants and bike shops, the family operation finds itself “squatted at the intersection of the old and new Wests.”
- TangoTrotFox 8y agoHahaha, this reminds me of that Thomas Jefferson quote, "The man who never looks into a newspaper is better informed than he who reads them, inasmuch as he who knows nothing is nearer to truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods and errors." I think the thing we can only be 'thankful' for is that that quote was from 1807. Our 'modern' issues are hardly modern!
- stickfigure 8y agoSustained historically low interest rates?
- prawn 8y agoOccasionally I look at land in Utah from abroad and there are never any bargains!
- matte_black 8y agoSo what happens to the ranches when they can no longer pay the bills?
- wavefunction 8y agoMost of those ranchers don't have the vision to transform their ranches as they'd have to. Perhaps not the inclination, either. My aunt's family were ranchers out in NW Colorado and Eastern Utah and the entire extended family has transitioned into city life at this point. Utah is one of the most beautiful parts of the world though, imo.
- Gargoyle 8y agoWhat's the ideal vision they should follow?
- wavefunction 8y agoI just mean they're ranchers. They have a certain mindset and expectations and understanding of the world. They probably were born into it and have only ever known ranching. It's a heck of a thing to (seemingly) cast your family's legacy aside to serve 'tourists' especially when it's the only life you've ever known and you're venturing out into uncharted territory. My mother stayed in a lovely homestay in a mansion/chateau (closest analog?) in the Kolkata region recently and the owner/proprietor joked to her one time as he mopped the floor that his grand-father was a Raja and here he was mopping floors. Not everyone wants to take up mopping floors...
- prawn 8y agoSomething that wouldn't help is that the slide would be gradual. Kids would leave one by one. Prices or yield would fall slowly. So while ranching is still there, the focus is on dealing with it or recovering rather than trying to create a slow-start new venture that could complement or supplant it.
- prawn 8y agoCreate a unique drawcard that stands out and sells in an age of image-driven social media. If the area is not particularly attractive, find a way to make it more so. Cadillac Ranch is old, scrap cars embedded in nondescript dirt. I've visited there from the other side of the planet. Salvation Mountain is a low, plain hill adorned with plaster and paint. I've visited there from the other side of the planet. There's a wall in San Luis Obispo that is literally covered with chewing gum. It's disgusting but awesome, and I've been there. Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch is basically junk arranged in an interesting way. Visited that too. I went to a restaurant because it has a novelty sign talking about "Ho' Made Pies". I've got loads of examples. If given 5-10 properties remotely near a driving route or international drawcard (like Zion), I'm confident I could invent a unique thing for each that would attract tourists and not be overly expensive to create. I suspect land-owners don't have the imagination or inclination though. Email in profile if you have a property and want motivation.
- dahart 8y agoI kinda doubt tourism in Smith Mesa comes anywhere even close to ranching economically. Its an out of the way drive that not many people do. It’s a view of Zion, but that’s all. Everyone just goes to the park to go hiking and see the waterfalls and cliff views. And there really isn’t that much either/or here. Ranchable land and tourist spots might be near each other, but there aren’t really many flat acres good for farming in Utah that also attract visitors. People hike the mountains and run the rivers, but the tourist demand for most of the flat land is pretty low.
- prawn 8y agoIt's possible that someone with picturesque land near Zion unable to monetise it just isn't very imaginative. Springdale is expensive and I feel like people would stay further out (say, if accessing the Kolob Canyons side of Zion) if presented with an interesting experience and decent price. I'm from Australia but have visited Utah a number of times and shuttled up near Smith Mesa to start a Trans-Zion hike. I begrudgingly pay Springdale prices when in the area. Last month in Australia, I hiked in an event on a sheep station where there were shearer's quarters rented to families in non-shearing seasons, and around 10 campsites set up. Each campsite had very basic facilities but enough to beat simple camping. I intend to return. The views up there are nowhere near what you get near Zion.
- dahart 8y agoSure but Springdale’s a purely tourist town, since it’s practically in the park. And there’s no ranchable land right in Springdale. It’s cute and there’s more options there for tourists, but you can usually find cheaper quarters only minutes away in the other towns. FWIW, when my family stays near Zion to shuttle & hike, we usually rent a house out by Hurricane.
- prawn 8y agoBut Hurricane is pretty unremarkable. I'm suggesting that an imaginative rancher could create something interesting enough that people stay there despite fewer services and despite being further from the park entrance. I'm not talking about a farmstay but the sort of thing that people will travel from abroad to stay in because it looks incredible on their Instagram feed. There's nothing comparable in the area. And it need not be expensive to create like a desert resort. There's a kinda-yurtish tent in the countryside near me that's styled up for photos and it rents for $140/night. It's much more basic than the yurts you see renting in the States. But still, $140/n and they have 60+ reviews already. Loads of people will pay a premium on a motel or pick an alternative to a nice but plain hotel because it creates a better memory or looks more amazing. I'd be going after that market.