“I’m happiest behind a cow,” is the phrase I always hear when my dad is asked about retiring from veterinary life. Though his days have...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) may be better named the Farmer Aggravating and Regulatory Threats Department (FARTD). Its...

I farm, homeschool, garden, bake bread, raise chickens, and make my own yogurt. It seems I’m following the fad of the homesteading...

The Mountain States Policy Manual is a 200-page guide filled with facts, figures, research and more than 80 recommendations – it is an...

The challenging waters of Idaho's irrigation needs became even more turbulent in recent weeks, with water users working through...

Note: This is a joint Mountain States Policy Center op-ed with U.S. Congressman Mike Simpson (Idaho) American farmers feel like the...

Pushing farm businesses out to pasture, only because they’ve grown to keep up with expenses is an unfair solution.

Many Idaho legislators come from rural communities that are home to many farms. As the debate over education choice has unfolded over the...

Farm numbers across the United States are dwindling and the mountain states are no exception.

You may need to break a few eggs to make an omelet but the yolk from bad policies can spoil the meal for everyone.

This Thanksgiving, pile on an extra helping of sweet potatoes and enjoy a third round of turkey because the total cost of the meal is...

These policy treats will be more effective than full-sized candy bars (and cheaper too).

We’ll be providing policymakers with recommendations to help sow the crop for a better agricultural climate.

A seed is filled with unlocked potential. Add a little soil, sunlight, and water, and within days the seed begins to sprout, filling the...

As a small farmer starting from scratch, there comes a point when it is necessary to hire someone to work on your operation. A few years...

Farmers have the potential to thrive when they are unencumbered by excessive regulations.

Who is responsible for Idaho’s water supply? A generic answer would be ‘everyone.’ A more thoughtful answer would specify policymakers...

Like murky water, it’s hard to see through the current Idaho water fight. As farmers watched the above average snowpack accumulate all...

Conservation leases need to be proposed legislatively, to keep this valuable policy tool unhindered by judicial proceedings.

Thanks to the perseverance of a Northern Idaho couple, the Clean Water Act (CWA), is less polluted by bureaucratic expansion.