The University of Idaho Extension System in Idaho County offers a variety of agriculture related educational programs. There are programs in beef cattle production and marketing, range and pasture management, crop production, forestry and farm management.

Jim Church is the University of Idaho Extension Educator stationed in Idaho County. Jim has twenty-five years experience working in extension. He specializes in beef cattle production, management and marketing along with pasture and range management. Jim also handles forage production programs.

Other Extension Educators that are stationed outside of the county but provide educational programs are Ken Hart, Larry Smith, Randy Brooks and Cinda Williams. Ken provides programs in crop production, management and marketing along with farm financial management. Larry provides programs in cereal variety selection along with plant pathology. Cinda specializes in small farm programs which includes management of small acreages and provides education on marketing of products produced on small farms.  Randy is the area forester and provides programs in forestry and timber production and management.

Educational programs include producer winter schools, seminars, workshops and tours. Applied research trials are also conducted to demonstrate the latest research findings to local agriculture producers.

Current applied research projects being conducted include early weaning of spring born calves, extended fall grazing of crop aftermath, utilizing low quality forages and a BVD-PI project.  Cereal variety trials and being conducted along with a slow release nitrogen fertilizer study.

Winter beef and cereal schools are scheduled during December through March. Tours are held in June and July.

The Over the Wire Livestock Newsletter is published on a quarterly basis. This educational newsletter contains articles on a variety of beef cattle production topics. Dates for upcoming schools and tours are also listed in the newsletter. Please check out the Over the Wire Newsletter page and read the latest edition of the newsletter.

For more information on Extension Agricultural Programs in Idaho County, please call the Idaho County Extension Office at 208-983-2667.