Idaho

A USDA disaster designation is now in place for nine eastern Idaho counties after this year's drought, and farmers there can apply for emergency loans to help cover livestock losses, equipment costs, or debt relief before March 1st.

Rachel Wandell, a University of Idaho senior, toured Spanish farms and markets where a government mandate requires one market to run every Wednesday — a policy designed to give both vendors and shoppers something they can count on.

Across the Pacific Northwest, spring wheat is nearly all headed out, and most of it is rated good to excellent — but hot temperatures moving through the region have USDA forecasters keeping a close eye on quality.

The Pacific Northwest drought map is looking more serious this week, with Idaho, Oregon, and Washington all reporting expanding dry conditions and parts of Idaho near the Nevada border now at the highest drought classification on the scale.

More than 4,000 Snake River water rights holders in Idaho just got some good news — no irrigation curtailments in 2026, thanks to a deal between the state and Idaho Power.

Forage producers in parts of Idaho and Washington will see their federal crop insurance options expand in 2027, with new plans covering revenue loss from price declines, not just poor harvests.

Idaho's rivers, lakes, springs, and groundwater sources that supply drinking water to homes and communities could gain added protections under a new NRCS proposal program with an August 14th deadline.

Idaho potato growers planted fewer acres in 2026 than they have in recent years, and early frosts already have farmers watching closely to see how the season plays out.

The National FFA Organization took 75 high school members to Chicago last month to show them that agriculture careers stretch well past the field — think agribusiness, marketing, and management.

Because Idaho counties can't collect property taxes on federal land, the U.S. government sends annual payments instead. This year, that adds up to nearly $50 million spread across 44 local governments.