In our previous article, we gave an overview of Idaho’s agriculture sector and said that agriculture and farming are in the heritage of the state of Idaho. When people in the USA think of Idaho, the only things that come into their minds are blue football field and potatoes.
Idaho has been the land of farmers for ages. It is in the blood of people and passes from generation to generation. According to the Idaho State Agriculture Department (ISDA), the state has more than 24,000 agricultural farms that operate 11.5 million acres of agricultural land to produce more than 185 different agricultural commodities. Of these 24,000 farms, 95.6% of farms are owned by families and 4.4% of the farms are non-family or corporate-owned farms according to the USDA Census of Agriculture Typology Report 2024.
Despite its rich agricultural tradition, Idaho’s agricultural land is shrinking. Idaho has lost 144,000 acres of working land between 2017 to 2022. KTVB News interviewed some of the farmers and found that urban development is the major reason for reducing farmland. Agriculture development has also played a role in reducing farmland as farmers can take more yield from less land with the use of agricultural products and technology. They believe that farming is like gambling. Sometimes you make the money, and sometimes you just lose it. In between this, some competitors like urban developers and corporate farms come and buy the land from farmers at high prices. These corporate farms own just 4.4% of the total farms, but the farms they own are big-size farms. Corporations own 1,707,817 acres, which is 15% of Idaho’s farmland. Additionally, these farms earn 20% of the market value of agricultural products and government subsidies.
Family and corporate farms both have pros and cons.
Family Farms:
Family farms don’t only maintain agricultural traditions, but they also foster strong engagement and relationships with the local communities due to their deep-rooted connections. Also, family farmers prioritize the environmental stewardship and health of the land, and they implement sustainable farming practices to preserve the land and resources for the coming generations.
However, there is a negative side to family farming. Family farmers try to stick with the classical mode of agriculture leading to less crop production compared to corporate farms. Family-owned farms stay highly dependent on market conditions and inflation rates. With the variation in the inflation rate, family farms face financial challenges due to limited economic resources.
Corporate Farms:
Business or corporate-owned farms also have their advantages and disadvantages. Contrary to family farming, corporate farming produces high agricultural output with the use of modern technologies and efficient agricultural operations. They also contribute more toward the economy by providing agricultural jobs, establishing high distribution networks, and broader market access.
However, the higher yield comes with the cost. According to straydoginstitute, US corporate industrial farming seeks to maximize profit with little or no consideration for agriculture’s impact on the environment, animals, and food producers like family farmers. Corporate farms use a lot of pesticides, and chemicals, leading to the deterioration of farmland, and high emission of agricultural greenhouse gases. These corporate farming practices also produce agricultural pollution and agricultural waste. Moreover, it also pollutes the water, contaminates the soil, and poisons the animals and birds that eat the sprayed food.
Conclusion:
In Idaho, the coexistence of family and corporate-owned farms shapes the state’s agricultural sector. While family farms contribute to community engagement and cultural preservation, corporate farms bring efficiencies, technological advancements, and an agriculture value chain. Balancing these models requires thoughtful policies that support sustainable practices, economic viability, agricultural water management and the well-being of Idaho’s rural communities.
Have any questions or want to know more about agriculture in Idaho? Please reach out to the COBE Ethics Chair at COBEethics@boisestate.edu. If you have an agri-business or want to become a future agripreneur with strong business skills, explore Boise State’s College of Business and Economics (COBE) undergraduate and graduate degree programs.