08/27/07 Farm Land Prices Sizzle

Driving into Boise on Interstate 84 is always bizarre for me. In fact I actually can relate a bit to Alice in Wonderland, everything seems so topsy turvy. While you won't see rabbits in top hats there are horses, cattle, hogs and even elk interspersed among the McMansions, retail and industrial complexes. By now everyone knows Boise's real estate market is hot, red hot. What many aren't aware of is that the rest of Idaho's agricultural land is sizzling as well. While it pains me to see fabulous farm land forever taken out of production, when farmers are netting over $3,000 an acre can you blame them for selling out? Would you? Agricultural property throughout our three state region is currently at an all time high according to a report from the National Agricultural Statistics Service. While the price of Idaho's agricultural land has risen an unfathomable 87 percent in just five years, Oregon's and Washington's gains aren't too shabby either , 30 and 19 percent respectively .