Owl boxes, which are small, usually wooden, boxes built to accommodate owl nesting, have been utilized on agricultural land to help with the reduction of voles and the damage they cause. Studies by the University of Idaho show that an average barn owl family (two adults and five owlets) nesting near agricultural land can consume over 2,000 voles within three months. Barn owlets alone can eat about three voles a day until they leave the nest.

Spring Cove Ranch, owned and operated by the Art and Stacy Butler family in Bliss for over a century, continues to etch its name in Idaho’s agricultural history.

“Commercial watermelon farms in Idaho? Doesn’t that contradict some basic law of nature? I thought commercial watermelons were all grown in California,” says the native Idahoan. Well, this isn’t true anymore. 

What you notice first on the north side of Interstate 84 running through Bliss are grain bins with “The Andersons” logo displayed. And you see large golden, pyramid-shaped piles of wheat fronted by 110-car rail units. It’s an impressive site, but there’s a lot more you don’t see.

“This was a worn-out dairy when I came 10 years ago,” says Eric Evans of Evans Dairy near Castleford. “It originally had a double-four parlor with grain feeder but was built for Holsteins.” Eric wanted to milk Jerseys, and the cow size difference required some remodeling anyway, so he remodeled the parlor to work as a double-nine.