CANYON COUNTY, Idaho — As growth continues across Canyon County, one Middleton ranching family says the quiet rural lifestyle they’ve known for generations is beginning to change.
At Lazy SP Ranch, owner Kassie Strohmeyer says rapid development, heavier traffic and drought conditions are creating new challenges for their family operation.
“For generations, the family at Lazy SP Ranch has worked this land in Middleton — raising cattle, producing raw milk and adapting to changes impacting agriculture across Canyon County.”
Strohmeyer says her family’s connection to the ranch dates back decades.
“So my family actually started milking at this very farm here back in the 60s.”
Now, she says the rapid growth happening across Middleton has transformed the area around the ranch.
“The biggest issue that we're seeing, obviously, which is a controversial topic, is the growth… Middleton is becoming very, very heavily populated very quickly.”
Strohmeyer says increased traffic along nearby roads has made day-to-day ranch operations more difficult, especially when hauling feed or moving livestock between pastures.
“Getting out onto our roads and just even in general driving, let alone trying to drive with a truck and trailer with cattle or hauling feed.”
WATCH: A Middleton ranch shares concerns about the challenges they’re facing
She says growth has also brought unexpected security concerns — not only for the ranch, but for the animals themselves.
“We've had people stop along the road if the cows are on the side of the road, and that always makes me worry because each one of my girls is worth thousands of dollars.”
“All it can take is for them to throw something in the pasture and they can either choke on it or it can be poisonous to them.”
Strohmeyer says proposals for additional housing developments near the ranch could create even more traffic and pressure on agricultural land.
She says developers and realtors have increasingly shown interest in nearby farmland as Middleton continues expanding.
“One of the troubles that we've been facing here in prime looked-at land is fighting a lot of the developers that look at it.”
Lazy SP Ranch is not the only local farm facing challenges. Last week, Idaho News 6 spoke with Guttierrez Family Farms in Nampa, where owners also discussed how drought conditions are affecting agriculture across the Treasure Valley.
For Strohmeyer, drought conditions are another growing concern — especially when it comes to hay production and feed for livestock.
“We're also going to see that affected in our crops of hay… we're probably only gonna get about two, maybe three cuttings of hay this year.”
Despite the challenges, Strohmeyer says she hopes people continue supporting local farmers and ranchers as growth continues across the region.
“Supporting small farmers is actually going to help the local community.”
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