Solutions must be voluntary

The Idaho Farm Bureau has been tasked with coming up with solutions for the influx of people from other states demanding homes which means that agricultural lands are being sold off. Here is Tristen Winegar, Washington County Farm Bureau President talking about the next steps to solving this dilemma. come up with the ideas and come up with the solution because they know that Farm Bureau comes up with good solutions” said Winegar.

“The other very exciting thing that they told us is there is support from both side of the aisle on this, and that’s going to make all the difference in the world.”

“The word comes to me of having a coalition,” said Idaho Farm Bureau President Bryan Searle. “A coalition is an opportunity to bring everybody around the table. This involves our cities, this involves our counties, county commissioners and our mayors and city councils. This involves our state elected officials and up the ladder. It involves all the ag organizations, every single one of them are important.

We need everyone to come and sit around the table and come with some solutions that we feel is important. And so far, that’s what we’ve heard. You take the legislators; we’ve heard from both sides of the aisle. It doesn’t matter which side you’re on, they recognize there’s a need here to have that conversation. We look into agriculture; we look into those individuals who are moving into this state and those who are out and about offering a lot of money for land. And we need to be on same page and come the best we can with some of the best solutions possible.”

Both men stress that any solution must be voluntary, and not impede a farmer or rancher who might be retiring, or whose children aren’t following in their footsteps, or for whatever reason… chooses to sell their land.