July 2022 Business of the Month: Boot Hill Farm
Rick and Jennifer Bell have lived in Vernal all of their 51 years of marriage. They raised their six children at the base of what is presently termed “U Hill'', but known to longtime residents of the Uintah Basin as Boot Hill. In 1986, the Bells began a commercial hog operation appropriately named Boot Hill Hog Farms. As their children moved away from home on their own ventures, the pigs were sold and the hog farm dissolved.
When Rick and Jennifer’s oldest son, Bryan, and his wife, Jessica, graduated from BYU and finished a two-semester internship in Florida at Deseret Land & Livestock, they were provided the opportunity to build a home on the farm. With more children joining the family and the demand for milk increasing, the Bells invested in a Jersey heifer named Daisy. There was a lot of interest from neighbors and friends in any extra milk. It wasn’t long after the surplus of milk that Boot Hill Hog Farms simply became Boot Hill Farms. The Bells became a Utah Certified raw milk dairy and grass-fed beef smallholding. Boot Hill Farms now offers grass-fed lamb, chicken, turkey (seasonally), pork, and eggs alongside the 100%-pastured, raw milk and beef.
The gates are always open at Boot Hill Farms, where their mission is to “Bring Healthy Home”.
Rick serves on the county Board of Adjustments and the Uintah Animal Control and Special Service District Board of directors. Jennifer works with the Uintah Basin Visual Arts. They support 4-H and the Uintah Basin Junior Livestock show.
Bryan is on both the Uintah County Conservation District and the Utah Association of Conservation District boards. Bryan recently purchased Superior Meat Company which will now be called Bell-Mont Meats hopefully to open the end of August.
The Public Relations Committee of the Vernal Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to present Business of the Month to Boot Hill Farms.
