Idaho Irrigation Pumpers Association Inc. has one job – to ensure a reliable power supply at a reasonable cost for Idaho’s irrigators.

Technology is like a mushroom – generally, the main spore produces countless side spores. Take the smartphone technology, for example – from it sprang businesses that exclusively design cellphone covers; businesses that designed add-ons like pop-ups for grips, selfie sticks and camera tripods to hold them steady; refurbishing sites to replace those cracked screens; and cloud-based storage sites to hold all those photos you’ll never use again.

It’s one of my favorite Yogi-isms. Paraphrased, it means you’ve got to know your objective before you flip the switch to full steam ahead.

“Last year was the toughest I’ve ever seen,” says Mike Wilkins, but he is taking it in stride. “Sometimes you have to pay for the lifestyle. We’re gonna have some pretty tight budgets this year – there ain’t gonna be no frill on them.”

A recent study published in Agricultural Water Management shows how public crop yield statistics and satellite data can be used to track trends in water productivity for major crops grown on the East Snake Plain. 

A unique combination of climate, geology and water supply provide the raw ingredients for global-scale agricultural production in the upper Snake River basin.