Idaho

Spurred by concerns about “peak oil,” dissatisfaction with industrialized farming methods, and a growing demand for local produce, about 40 organic farmers and ranchers, entrepreneurs and community leaders met in Hagerman in late February to establish the “Idaho’s Bounty” food cooperative. The co-op organizers plan to link regional growers and food producers from the Magic Valley and Hagerman with Internet-based food shoppers in the Wood River Valley.

Building on recent interest in farmers’ markets and community-supported agriculture programs, the Idaho’s Bounty meeting was called to present the results of a survey conducted by Ketchum-based AmeriCorps volunteer Laura Theis. The survey, which reached 1,200 homes in the Wood River Valley, was designed to measure support for a “re-localized” food economy based on regional cooperation between food growers and food consumers.

“There was a very positive overall response to the survey,” said Theis, who has worked for the Environmental Resource Center in Ketchum since October, “Thirty percent of e-mails were returned with 455 responses, showing that 99 percent of respondents consume organic products.”

Idaho Mountain Express