The Idaho Wheat Commission (IWC) is moving forward with plans to construct a new building in downtown Boise, with an estimated cost of $14 million. The current building, built in 1945, has been known among the agricultural industry as the Idaho Wheat and Ag Center.

Many dairy producers across the U.S. are starting 2025 in a more optimistic state than a year ago. While attitudes ranged from upbeat and positive to cautious and uncertain, the majority were fairly hopeful for what is to come this year.

It’s Valentine’s Day today as I sit down and pen this. A day created by Hallmark for guys who said they loved you 22 years ago and would keep you posted if there was a change to that. 

Most agree that a labor shortage is becoming one of the biggest challenges facing the agricultural industry in the coming years. Many producers are already experiencing the crunch. The question then becomes, in addition to retaining current employees, what steps can the industry take to find qualified employees?

Corn was not only created in Mexico, but it was the basis for human development there. Farmers in the central regions of the present-day borders began selectively breeding teosinte, a wild grass that looks very different than modern-day corn. Throughout the years, they were able to artificially select plants that had increasing nutritional value.

We’ve all got them – tasks that seem harder than they should be. “There must be an easier way,” we think, so we start searching for that simpler way and often end up considering a new technology.