The first phase of construction of the University of Idaho-led Idaho Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (Idaho CAFE) – comprising rough grading of open-lot corrals and dairy lagoons and construction of a 60-cow rotary milking parlor – is on pace to be completed by late September or early October.

It’s pretty common for clients to consider buying equipment at year's end in order to write it off for tax purposes. Since this is one of the more arbitrary parts of both accounting and taxes, a little thought is in order. Bottom line: We need to think about depreciation timing for when the tax deduction will help the most.

With 24,600 farms and ranches in Idaho, accessing remote fields and moving commodities to market place a big demand on the roadways. Never is that so obvious as when harvest is in full swing and motorists find themselves sharing the roads with trucks, combines and other large equipment.

With agriculture using more than 40% of total U.S. freshwater withdrawals in 2015 and hay and forage crops weighing in at 37% of U.S. irrigation water use, environmental groups and the media have been known to blast alfalfa producers for excessive water use.

Wheat growers in Idaho are losing a surprising 3.5 to 4 bushels per acre every year due to widespread zinc deficiency that results in slow emergence and a lack of seedling vigor. While most now recognize that zinc is widely deficient in the soil profile, the larger issue of how to solve it still remains.

Today, Bruce is more than just another steer. He has millions of followers on social media. People around the world follow this Idaho steer on Herrera’s social media channels to see what human foods he will try next and what house pet-like activities Bruce will do with the family. Herrera says Bruce’s fame was truly accidental.

“I’m getting fatigued on the problem. I want to focus on solutions,” says Jake Stander, a fifth-generation grower near Blackfoot.

The Public Lands Rule recently enacted by the BLM has the potential to be a positive step in the direction of flexible grazing management on public lands, or a significant challenge to the ranching industry in their ability to access affordable grazing options. It will be in livestock producers’ reaction, and subsequent forward action to this rule, that the outcome is written.