Idaho agriculture overcame a struggling dairy market to record a second consecutive year of stellar cash receipts in 2023, propelled by record values of four of the state’s major crops, according to a new University of Idaho economic report.

On Nov. 15, the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) hosted its annual Big Idaho Potato Harvest Meeting in Idaho Falls. The “state of the industry” meeting welcomed growers, packers and processors from across the state gathered to network and learn about how the larger industry affects their operations and vice versa.

In this podcast episode, Managing Editor David Cooper sits down with Jay Theiler, executive vice president of AgriBeef, and discusses the opening of a new packing plant in Jerome, Idaho, and the supply and demand dynamics that make or break a packing plant. Also, catch a preview of the November issue, and find out what the podcast crew considers must-haves for Thanksgiving dinner.

Idaho was again ranked as the No. 1 state in U.S. potato production, according to the USDA Annual Potato Summary for 2022, released in September.

“Male sexed semen is an opportunity to capture value,” said Kansas State University's Ken Odde, who also helps manage a family cow-calf ranch in South Dakota. “The opportunity’s greater when the price spread between steers and heifers is significant.”