Governor's Awards for Excellence in Agriculture: Technical Innovation

Описание: We are proud to announce that the Technical Innovation Governor’s Award for Excellence in Agriculture is awarded to Mountain States Oilseeds!

Mountain States Oilseeds plays a key role in helping Idaho oilseed growers stay current with new technology and market opportunities. When Bill Meadows founded Meadows Dryland Farm in 1973, he grew mustard, safflower and flax, later adding camelina in 2007. He quickly recognized that specialty crops could break disease cycles common in dryland wheat systems.

Meadows Dryland Farm became the first in Power County to implement strip cropping, shifting from a traditional wheat–fallow rotation to a more flexible system with reduced summer fallow. Incorporating oilseeds not only helped manage pests and disease but also allowed more acres to be farmed each year.

Bill’s entry into safflower and sunflower production came with challenges. When a California contractor went bankrupt, no Idaho elevator was willing to handle safflower. Bill rallied neighboring growers, secured direct purchasing from a California crushing facility, and in 1977 purchased property with a rail siding in American Falls. This led to the formation of Mountain States Oilseeds to meet growing demand.

Today, the company cleans and ships bulk and bagged safflower nationwide. Mountain States Oilseeds contracts 10–15% of the U.S. safflower crop and has helped establish Idaho as the nation’s third-largest safflower producer, known for its high test weight, bright, uniform birdseed-quality safflower.

The Governor’s Awards for Excellence in Agriculture are given annually at Idaho Ag Summit presented by Leadership Idaho Agriculture.