The University of Idaho Extension's 2025 Custom Rates Survey helps farmers compare costs of doing farm work themselves versus hiring custom operators.

Sustainability is a buzzword we often hear, but what about the sustainability of the family farm? What does it take for a farm to sustain itself generation after generation? Why does it seem so hard?

Sometimes, we look at neighboring farms that seem to have a “secret sauce” to their success. But just like great barbecue, there are no shortcuts and no single secret sauce recipe. Success on these top-tier farms is a series of repeatable elements that work together.

Following the historical high prices of 2021 and 2022, fertilizer prices significantly declined in 2023 as supply chain disruptions eased. This trend largely continued into 2024. While prices have stabilized, they remain elevated compared to pre-pandemic levels.

Regardless of how long you’ve been farming, your key goals include long-term financial success and stability. Achieving these goals will be easier if you create a comprehensive budget that enables you to plan your finances, manage risk and track profitability.

The first three quarters of 2024 saw over 300,000 agricultural workers enter the country through the H-2A program, which provides temporary visas for foreign workers to perform seasonal agricultural jobs. It is an important source of labor in the West, with California and Washington ranking third and fourth in the nation, respectively, for H-2A workers.

Many large corporations have made goals to become carbon neutral. To reach those goals, companies must lessen their emissions, purchase offsets or a combination of the two. This has led to a voluntary market for carbon credits in the U.S. where carbon, verified as sequestered, can be sold, thus providing opportunities for agricultural producers.

Did you know that every entity registered with any state secretary of state must complete an additional Beneficial Owner Information report or face a $500-per-day late filing penalty? I hope you knew that, but I bet this got your attention if you didn’t know.

One of the most difficult decisions to make on the farm is whether or not to build a space for equipment and machinery storage and what type of space to build.