Doug Gross specializes in all things potatoes on his Wilder farm. “We learned early that there were some things I wasn’t good at and shouldn’t be growing,” he says. Rather than doubling down on those weaknesses, he focused on his strengths.

Heavy snow and blizzard conditions impacted land and air travel to the Western Dairy Management Conference, Feb. 28-March 2 in Reno, Nevada. Broader industry topics such as the checkoff, farm bill and ag labor were covered.

Inflation, oil prices and Federal Reserve policy are the three prongs on the trident impacting agriculture.

Statewide ag employment for Idaho has had a fairly consistent pattern over the past five years, as it tends to peak in August, September and October (up to 62,876 workers), then dive to 44,000-plus change in the deep-winter months.

Ask most dairy producers what their biggest headache is right now, and you will likely hear this one word: Labor.

 “I’ve learned that the work campers are here to work – they show up every day.”

For over two decades, rural America has faced a crisis very few are talking about: a shortage of veterinarians. This shortage puts stress on both veterinarians and producers, affecting the entire food animal system.