Sean Ellis

Publications Editor, Idaho Farm Bureau Federation and Contributor at Freelance

Articles

‘Kiss of French’ lip balm made with real potatoes

2 weeks ago | postregister.com | Sean Ellis

BOISE — Besides being just plain fun, the Idaho Potato Commission’s gimmicky stunts have a purpose: to make Idaho and potatoes synonymous in people’s minds. “We’re trying to get it so everybody in the world, when they think of potatoes, the first thing they think of is Idaho,” said IPC President and CEO Jamey Higham. That’s already pretty much the case, but the IPC, which represents the state’s spud industry, wants to ensure it stays that way.
Cattle Industry is a Major Part of Idaho

2 weeks ago | m.farms.com | Sean Ellis

By Sean Ellisdaho Farm Bureau FederationThe cowboy and ranching lifestyle in Idaho is not dying off. It’s just hard to see it from the road. To be sure, there are fewer ranchers, and cowboys and cowgirls, in Idaho than in past years. But there are still plenty of people living the ranching lifestyle in Idaho. According to the 2022 Census of Agriculture, there were 7,259 livestock producers in Idaho during the 2022 census year. There are about 2.5 million cattle in Idaho.
ECAP payments helping struggling farmers a little bit

3 weeks ago | postregister.com | Sean Ellis

POCATELLO – Times are tough in farm country right now, with input costs remaining high while agricultural commodity prices are on the decrease. USDA’s Emergency Commodity Assistance Program is providing a little bit of help to some farmers, as outlined in a May 7 USDA news release.
Idaho brings back retro ‘famous potatoes’ license plates

3 weeks ago | postregister.com | Sean Ellis

BOISE – As early as this summer, Idahoans could see retro 1950s-style black and white license plates with World Famous Potatoes on them driving around the state. The legislature this year approved the vintage plates by an overwhelming combined vote of 99-1. The license plates will have the word “Idaho” on the top and “World Famous Potatoes” along the bottom. The plates will be all black with white lettering.
Ag department wages war on invasive beetle

3 weeks ago | postregister.com | Sean Ellis

POCATELLO – It may seem at times that the Idaho ag department is playing whack-a-mole with the Japanese beetle. The beetle, a non-native invasive pest that attacks a wide variety of crops, has popped up in various spots in Idaho over the years. Because it is a major threat to the state’s agricultural industry, the Idaho State Department of Agriculture surveys for the pest and whacks it down when it appears.
ECAP Payments Helping Struggling Farmers a Little Bit

4 weeks ago | m.farms.com | Sean Ellis

By Sean EllisTimes are tough in farm country right now, with input costs remaining high while agricultural commodity prices are on the decrease. USDA’s Emergency Commodity Assistance Program is providing a little bit of help to some farmers, as outlined in a May 7 USDA news release.
Japanese beef trade team visits Idaho

1 month ago | postregister.com | Sean Ellis

POCATELLO – A trade team from Japan spent some time in Idaho April 2-4 learning about the state’s beef industry. The trade delegation consisted of a dozen young Japanese women who represent four of the largest beef purchasers in Japan. One of the group’s stops was at the Buhl ranch of former Idaho State Department of Agriculture Director Celia Gould. She hosted the trade team in her living room, with mother cows and their calves strolling by 20 feet from the main window.
Idaho, U.S. potato acres forecast to decline

1 month ago | postregister.com | Sean Ellis

POCATELLO – Idaho potato acres are projected to decrease by 15,000 acres this year compared with last year. That would be a 5 percent drop if realized, from 315,000 acres in 2024 to 300,000 in 2025. Total U.S. potato acres are forecast to fall by 4 percent, dropping from 930,000 acres in 2024 to 891,000 acres in 2025. Those projections were made in the April 10 edition of the North American Potato Market News.
Idaho farmers are starting to figure out hemp

1 month ago | postregister.com | Sean Ellis

BOISE – Since it first became legal to produce hemp in Idaho, in 2022, acres have more than doubled each year, from 459 in 2022 to 1,274 in 2023 to 2,668 in 2024. That’s not exactly an explosion of acreage but it does show that the crop has gained a small foothold in Idaho and some farmers are starting to figure out the agronomics and economics of growing hemp.
National Ag Day event held in Capitol building

1 month ago | postregister.com | Sean Ellis

BOISE – In Idaho, National Agriculture Day was more than just a celebration of farming and ranching. It was an opportunity to help educate lawmakers and regular citizens about the industry and how important it is. Seventeen Idaho farm and ranch groups set up booths, with displays, in the state Capitol building March 18 to help celebrate the special day. The event was organized by the Idaho State Department of Agriculture.