The project’s first phase, which includes major earthwork and construction of a milking barn with a modern rotary parlor, has been completed and the next phase of construction (maternity and commodity barns and classrooms) is underway. In early May, U of I led a tour of lawmakers, local officials and members of the state’s Permanent Building Fund Advisory Council to showcase the return on the considerable investment they’ve made in CAFE.

Siska Reece has dreamed about having an on-farm creamery since she was 15 years old. That dream became a reality last summer when her family began bottling A2A2 whole nonhomogenized milk and cream and making ice cream with some of the milk produced on their Idaho dairy farm.

Pete Jones is the project manager for University of Idaho’s Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (Idaho CAFE) currently under construction in Rupert. Ag Proud – Idaho’s Cassidy Woolsey caught up with Jones to learn more about what is soon-to-be the nation's largest research dairy, located right here in Idaho.

“I think there are plenty of workers who would love to come into the U.S. on a longer term to work in the animal industry,” says Hafliger. He adds, “We need to have a long-term program available. The dairy industry is so technical – with the knowledge required – you don’t want to train a guy and then lose him after three months … I would like to see us develop some kind of [work] visa for a set time – at a minimum, for five years.”

Winter work days are much better for dairyman Cameron Turner this year. This is the second winter he and his family’s dairy will be milking cows with robots in an enclosed barn. Their new dairy was finished in the fall of 2023.

From running family farms to spearheading innovative agricultural practices, women have and continue to play a vital role in shaping the future of farming. This is especially evident in the dairy industry, where women are increasingly taking on leadership roles, driving sustainability and fostering community connections.

In 2021, Idaho 4-H reinstated a state dairy judging contest after a 30-year hiatus. In early October 2024, Idaho sent four young women to represent the state at the National 4-H Contest in Madison, Wisconsin.