CANYON COUNTY, Idaho — Idaho agriculture: it is the backbone of the Gem State and is intertwined with our lives. From the food we eat, the clothes we wear to the products we use, agriculture is the root of it all.
The Caldwell-Nampa Chamber Agribusiness Committee wants more Idahoans to learn about the importance of this industry. On Wednesday, the committee toured parts of the Treasure Valley to show some of the issues agriculture is facing and why legislation is a key part of its future.
"Agriculture is very complex. Our issues, there is a lot of nuances with issues that impact our industry... It takes more than one conversation to kind of fully grasp an issue," said Samantha Parrott, Executive director of the Snake River Sugar Beet Growers Association.
Leaders toured vineyards, water test locations, and college campuses all looking to advance agriculture and Canyon County commissioner Leslie Van Beek knows it also needs protecting.
"Meet the needs of a diverse range of interests and people across the county," She said.
The future of course comes along with changes but protecting current farmers from issues like water rights, urbanization, workforce shortages and many other issues can ensure this industry stays healthy
"Growing up on my family's dairy farm, I thought it was normal to wake up every morning and feed animals and go and check in pivots and do all the things that to me were just normal but I realize to a lot of people are out of the ordinary and it's something that we have to realize that in today's day and age no matter how much AI and robots are now becoming more and more prevalent, these jobs and this industry is something that we cannot modernize," said Eliza Dugan, FFA member and sophomore at the College of Southern Idaho.
