Growing Together Joins Statewide Ag Viability Conversation

On December 18, hundreds of people from across Idaho gathered at the Idaho Statehouse for the Governor’s Summit on Agricultural Viability—a day dedicated to facing the real pressures on modern agriculture and discussing what practical solutions can look like in Idaho communities.

Hosted by Governor Brad Little alongside partners including American Farmland Trust, the Idaho Farm & Ranch Center, and the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation, the summit brought together producers, landowners, Ag businesses, planners, local and state officials, and developers—because agriculture’s future is shaped by decisions happening at every level.

A key message throughout the day was that agriculture isn’t only culturally important—it is economically foundational. Speakers emphasized that growth, rising costs, farmland conversion, and regulatory complexity are putting that foundation under strain. And while there’s no single “silver bullet,” there are proven local tools and strategies Idaho communities can use right now.

Growing Together’s Keri Smith joined a panel focused on how local planning decisions and community engagement affect agricultural viability on the ground.

Panelists:

• Keri Smith (Growing Together)

• Mari Knott (Moderator, Latah County)

• Mary Huff (Owyhee County Planning Director)

• Jennifer Reibe (Payette County Commissioner)

A major theme from the panel was participation: land-use outcomes are often decided locally—through comprehensive plans, zoning ordinances, and public hearings—and choosing not to engage is still a decision with lasting consequences.

What We Presented: “Viability Comes With Value”

Our core message was simple and direct:

“Viability comes with value.”

If Idaho wants agriculture to remain viable, communities must help ensure agriculture stays valuable—not only on paper, but in the day-to-day lives of the people who live near it, vote on it, and influence land-use decisions that shape it.

Keri shared that she first learned this lesson early in her community work: if you want to protect something, you have to make it so meaningful that people don’t want to lose it. That applies to agriculture just as much as it applies to a hometown, a downtown, or a local way of life.

Turning “Ag Next Door” Into Something People Understand

We emphasized that many conflicts between new growth and agriculture come from a basic problem: many residents don’t truly understand agriculture because they’ve never experienced it. That disconnect shows up in real ways—complaints about normal farming practices, misunderstandings about irrigation systems and canal corridors, and pressure to treat farmland like “blank space” for the next housing project.

To bridge that gap, we pointed to the role of Ag experiences—especially agritourism and farm-connected community activities—as a practical way to build understanding and public support. We shared how Canyon County has seen major growth in agritourism over the last decade and described the concept of creating experiences that help city residents connect to agriculture as something real, working, and worth protecting.

Planning Tools We Highlighted: LLUPA, Comprehensive Plans, and Zoning

We also addressed the planning framework Idaho communities already have—and how it can be used (or ignored).

LLUPA: Idaho’s Local Land Use Planning Act

LLUPA (Idaho’s Local Land Use Planning Act) is one of the strongest tools available for protecting community stability—including the long-term viability of prime farmland—because it provides the legal framework for:

• comprehensive plans,

• zoning ordinances,

• and the standards for local land-use decisions.

Comprehensive Plans Must Address Agriculture

We reminded attendees that counties must address agriculture as a required comprehensive plan element. When that Ag element is weak, outdated, or treated as “optional,” agriculture becomes easier to erode one decision at a time.

Property Rights: Two Key Parts

We explained property rights in land-use decisions as two core principles:

1. Use Rights: the right to continue an established, legal use of property (even if zoning changes later), so long as it isn’t expanded beyond what’s allowed.

2. Application Rights: the right to request a zoning change—but not a guarantee that the change will be approved.

That distinction matters because land values are often driven by speculation, not current zoning or adopted plans—creating enormous pressure to convert farmland even when the community’s plan says agriculture should remain.

Our message wasn’t “don’t sell your land.” It was: communities must be honest about how value is being created, how expectations get inflated, and how comprehensive plans and zoning are intended to protect the long-term public interest—including agriculture.

Housing Pressure and the Risk to Farmland

The panel also discussed the growing pressure to solve housing challenges by pushing development outward. We stressed that agriculture and housing are separate issues and shouldn’t be solved in the same place.

We pointed to a real-world example: Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) have been allowed in Canyon County for decades, and they did not solve housing affordability—often because adding units typically requires capital that lower-income households don’t have. The takeaway: policies that sound good statewide still need a reality check using Idaho case studies.

We also emphasized that density is a city function—rural land is not a “backup plan” for housing demand, especially when the long-term cost of services and the permanent loss of working farmland are factored in.

What Growing Together Is Doing About It

We closed by tying our comments directly to Growing Together’s work in Canyon County. The group actively

• tracks land-use proposals across the county,

• educates the public on land use and property rights,

• and helps the people most directly impacted learn how to engage in the public hearing process effectively—because impacted voices are often the most credible in local decision-making.

Learn more: Growing Together Idaho (website referenced during the panel): growingtogetheridaho.org

Call to Action: Bring More People Into the Conversation

The panel’s final message was consistent: we’ve barely scratched the surface, and this work won’t happen without people showing up.

• Attend Plan updates and zoning meetings.

• Get involved in Planning & Zoning, advisory committees, and local boards.

• Help your neighbors understand agriculture as a working system—not a vacant canvas.

• Create opportunities for the community to experience agriculture, support producers, and recognize the true value of Ag land.

If you missed the summit, watch the panel discussion here:

https://youtu.be/9w0PS06phuM?si=w4SYNsLf__duL0Af