Homes growing not crops

“The problem is Idaho is seeing unprecedented growth, right. And it’s not controlled, and it’s not directed, it’s just happening, it’s all based on money, which is fine. It’s a free market, that’s the way things are supposed to be,” said Tristen Winegar, Washington County Farm Bureau President.

“The problem is without agriculture you don’t have an Idaho, and I think people have lost sight of that. And so, my entire life everyone has always complained about all these fields getting turned into houses.”

Tristan Winegar says he and his family have farmed and ranched this land outside Weiser for generations.

“Everybody loves Idaho, the reason they love Idaho is because of the open country and the farm ground and the beautiful rivers and the forests, but yet when they move here, they change all that. And so, it’s kind of a catch 22 and we need to find a happy medium,” said Winegar.

Idaho Farm Bureau President Bryan Searle agrees.

“Idaho is growing at a record pace all over the state. We see record growth and I don’t know that we’re prepared for that growth and so as that happens, and a farmer or a rancher goes out and he farms and he tries to make a living, you fight the elements of the weather and getting loans from the banker, and all of a sudden somebody comes by and offers a whole bunch of money for your land and you’re thinking, Wow, that’s a lot of money and that could even help me and I could retire on that. And the next thing you know is instead of crops growing we have homes growing,” said Searle.