American Farmland Trust co-hosted the Governor’s Summit on Agricultural Viability in Boise on Thursday, in partnership with Idaho Governor Brad Little, the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation, and the Idaho Farm and Ranch Center. The summit focused on how Idaho farmers and ranchers can implement communal and adaptive practices to help sustain and grow agriculture into the future. AFT announced the launch of a new initiative, Thriving Farms and Ranches, at the event.
The Governor’s Summit on Agricultural Viability in Idaho brought together landowners and leaders of Idaho agribusiness, academia, conservation, development, and government to explore the challenges of balancing growth with Idaho’s valuable agricultural economy. Idaho’s working lands are being lost to development at an alarming rate – according to recent data, the rate of conversion is 96 times faster than expected.
“We could see it in the field that the significant population growth here in Idaho since 2016 was accelerating the path of growth of our cities at the cost of surrounding agricultural land,” said AFT Idaho Senior Program Manager David Anderson. “What was surprising about this new data is how much of the land conversion has been low-density residential outside our cities and especially in rural ranch country. Idaho has a bad case of rural sprawl. Our rural county government planning systems are not prepared for the scale of growth coming at them.”
Thriving Farms and Ranches aims to increase the capability for farmers and ranchers to strengthen the resilience of agriculture and rural communities across the country. It will empower farmers and ranchers – and their communities – to be more resilient, profitable, and competitive in a rapidly changing marketplace.
“We know that one of the best ways to protect farmland and ranchland is to keep it in production. That’s why AFT joined with partners in Idaho to host the Governor’s Summit,” said AFT Western Managing Director Addie Candib. “At a time when farmers and ranchers across the West are facing rising costs, mounting development pressure, and increasingly unpredictable growing conditions, it is imperative that we join forces to invest in the programs and policies that support our working lands. The future of our food systems, economy and rural communities depends on thriving farms and ranches.”
Thriving Farms and Ranches: In Support of America’s Farmers and Ranchers – A Call to Action outlines challenges farmers face and summarizes how rural communities can excel into the future through durable markets and sustainable agricultural practices.
“Farms and ranches are the heart of rural communities, providing not only essential economic activity, but life, energy, innovation, and a pathway to the future with the right supportive elements and conditions,” said AFT Senior Fellow Jenny Lester Moffitt. “Agriculture is a big part of what rural America is, so it makes sense that this effort to support our farms and ranches will, in turn, revitalize and contribute to more resilient communities.”
Thriving Farms and Ranches takes a “whole-farm” approach to provide producers with more of what they need to succeed. AFT will work to ensure that farmers and ranchers can:
Be more financially secure, with benefits to their families and communities; Invest in the long-term future of their operations – and attract the next generation; Contribute to a resilient system that offers readily available, nutritionally rich food; and Be celebrated as the community leaders and anchors that they are – and have always been.
AFT will combine existing programs with new work to increase direct support for farmers and ranchers; strengthen, diversify, and grow markets; make conservation investments; and advance policies to support agriculture. AFT will reach and assist farm and ranch operators while simultaneously empowering peer professionals and partner organizations and help farmers and ranchers learn from each other, building a Thriving Farms and Ranches movement. It will also engage supporters, policymakers, and others essential to realizing AFT’s vision of a vibrant, regenerative, diverse and financially strong agricultural sector, where more farms and ranches can thrive.
“The summit captures the spirit of what AFT hopes to achieve across the country – to help agriculture adapt to ensure a sustainable and resilient future,” said AFT President & CEO John Piotti. “We are grateful to Governor Little and summit partners for making this such a high priority.”
“We envision a future where farms and ranches of all types and scales can prosper; where farmers and ranchers have secure land tenure and can earn a living from the land; and where rural communities grow stronger through investments in land, markets, and sustainable farming practices,” added Piotti. “We envision a future with Thriving Farms and Ranches.”
