Continued development will lead to more ag land lost in Idaho, American Farmland Trust report says
A new report from the American Farmland Trust estimates Idaho will convert tens of thousands of acres of agricultural land to urban and rural development in the coming decades—though planners and landowners have the chance to reduce that number.
Canyon County government and farm leaders seek to preserve Sunnyslope agricultural land
Canyon County, including Sunnyslope, is updating its comprehensive plan and, in the process, is considering how to preserve ag land.
So far, options include the creation of an “agritourism overlay,” allowing the county to create zoning rules for that area. In particular, an “intensive ag overlay” would protect agricultural areas from being encroached upon or creating incompatible uses.
How are conservation land easements helping preserve Idaho farmland?
Rising land prices have put the cost of farming outside the reach of many young farmers, but a program taking root in Idaho is helping.
Idaho farms—including Peaceful Belly Farm in Canyon County and Full Circle Farm and Nedrow Farm in Teton County—are using conservation land easements that can reduce the cost of permanently preserving farmland by up to half. Here’s how an easement works.
Save Our Soils
The scent of summer in Idaho’s Treasure Valley is undeniably one of the land.
Drive down Ustick or Highway 20/26 on a balmy July night with the windows down, and the cool, grassy smells of spearmint and alfalfa fields surround you. If you’re out particularly late, and the dewpoint is just right, the mechanical whir of harvesters and farm trucks provide an ambient soundtrack to the evening, their headlights illuminating their own dust clouds.