Farmers

If you walked along the lower Boise River 25 years ago, you saw ugly, chocolate brown water that was full of bacteria, phosphorus and dirt. Since then, the river has changed thanks to a group that is dedicated to cleaning it up.

Decades of drought and overpumping are draining groundwater tables across the West. Now, some states are buying farmers’ water rights to free up supplies – and plenty of farmers are ready to sell.

Many farmers across our region grow alfalfa - which is dried into hay and fed to beef and dairy cattle. But it requires a lot more water than most crops. Now, researchers are working on new technologies to reduce the amount farmers use. Still, some say allowing them to grow such a thirsty crop in the arid west is the problem.

As years of drought and overpumping have reduced groundwater supplies across the West, officials and conservation groups in one part of our region are working to address the problem.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told western governors this week that he’s concerned about consolidation in food production. Farm sector income reached record highs in 2022, but the number of farms continues to decline and the average farm size is increasing.

A new report shows the federal government is paying billions of dollars to farmers who are losing crops to extreme weather – and the payouts keep growing.

Last year, federal crop insurance payments to U.S. farmers reached a record $19 billion. A new report shows most of that money went to only a small share of producers.

Idaho Matters takes a trip to the Colorado River to see how the southwest is working to cut back on water use and take a peak at how agreements concerning the river are being hammered out by state-level policy makers.

Farmers in California's Imperial Valley have the single largest water allocation along the Colorado River. They say they need to be compensated before taking cutbacks.

Russian officials say they will suspend fertilizer exports, which could lead to even more challenges for U.S. farmers.