Growth

Idaho farmers face mounting challenges as farmland disappears and development pressures make it harder to sustain their way of life.

It’s Friday, which means it's time for our Reporter Roundtable when Idaho Matters gets you up to date on all the news that made headlines this past week.

Over the past five years, Idaho has lost thousands of farms, prompting urgent conversations about the preservation of agricultural communities and the future of farming in our state.

Analysis of data from the 2024 Census shows the population, currently at about 2 million residents, will hit 2.4million by 2034.

We all know Idaho is growing, but how much has it grown and what is causing the population shift?

McCall, like the rest of Idaho, has seen skyrocketing growth, and open parcels of land are being snapped up at record prices for future development. But one piece of lakefront real estate remains undeveloped and a group of residents is hoping to turn the land into a combination community space and arts center.

Impact fees are one-time costs paid by developers when new buildings are constructed. How fees are calculated is defined in state code; resulting funding is typically only allowed to be used for capital improvements like land purchases, new buildings or equipment.

Caldwell is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country. Since 2000, the city's population has almost tripled.

Idaho water law does not require obtaining a water right for drilling one of these wells and allows the well to pump up to 13,000 gallons each day for a half-acre of land.

Idaho lost nearly 150,000 acres of farmland between 2017 and 2022.