Longtime leaders in Idaho’s agriculture industry were inducted into the Eastern Idaho Agriculture Hall of Fame (EIAHF) during the annual recognition dinner March 21 at the Shoshone-Bannock Casino Hotel in Fort Hall. The EIAHF was formed in 1972 to honor men and women who have made extraordinary contributions to agriculture and eastern Idaho, a region that remains a significant center for agricultural production in Idaho.

Scott W. Brown

Grain producer, Soda Springs

A fourth-generation farmer, Scott Brown operates Clodhopper Farms, some 11,500 acres of ag production ground in Caribou County where he produces barley, mustard, winter and spring wheat. Brown has an extensive record of industry leadership and advocacy experience representing the grain industry on local, state, national and international levels.

Brown was selected for induction into the Eastern Idaho Agriculture Hall of Fame for his extensive leadership positions at state and national levels, but he has also made a permanent mark on the Idaho grain industry and beyond.

Brown is also well known for his ability to bring people together during difficult times and is an articulate spokesman for the grain industry with fellow farmers and the media, as well as at congressional offices in Washington D.C. He is also well known for providing relevant, relatable information about Idaho’s ag industry that has a sustainable impact.

A graduate of Brigham Young University, Brown holds both bachelor's and master's degrees in accounting. He and his wife, Diane, have raised their family at Clodhopper Farms where they have also been involved with numerous community projects and events.

Mark and Stephanie Mickelsen. Courtesy image.

Mark and Stephanie Mickelsen

Potato production, Idaho Falls

Mark grew up farming and started farming full-time in 1985. Initially, the farm consisted of a few thousand acres but has since grown nearly tenfold. This growth has included expansion into diverse areas and soil types, all driven by a focus on identifying and cultivating the best potato soils, not just locally, but across Idaho and the nation.

Mark and Stephanie currently produce potatoes, seed potatoes, canola and wheat, with their primary emphasis on producing the highest-quality potatoes at the lowest cost to consumers. In collaboration with their potato packaging facility, they have continuously sought innovative methods to deliver superior potatoes to their customers. Their commitment to excellence has driven them to explore and acquire land with optimal soil for potato farming, taking them to locations such as Wapello, Arco and Ashton.

Mark and Stephanie have formed a strong partnership in managing the farm. While Mark oversees the farming operations, Stephanie has taken charge of the farm’s financial management, ensuring its continued success and sustainability.

Stephanie is currently serving her second term in the Idaho State Legislature in the House of Representatives. Mark has also served as the Bonneville County Farm Bureau president and is currently the president of the Butte and Market Lake Canal Company. They are the parents of four children, three of whom are involved with the family’s farming operations.

Richard Larsen. Courtesy image.

Richard J. Larsen

Hay producer, Rexburg

What began as a partnership in the hay industry with his brother Blaine (2000 EIAHF inductee), has evolved for Richard Larsen into an international hay, potato and grain business. He currently farms over 5,000 acres, including the production of organic and conventional products.

Through the years, this third-generation farmer has been progressive with expanding his marketing abilities and providing outlets for Idaho commodities, often in volatile markets. Having served as the president and a continued member of the National Hay Association, his work has included trade missions to Asia.

As a way to economically ship alfalfa to other countries and across the U.S., Larsen was the first to design and build a large press for compressing raw alfalfa bales. This process allowed for hay to be compacted into a tighter, smaller package, allowing more product to be shipped more economically.

Larsen and his wife, Peggy, are the parents of four children and have long been supporters of 4-H, FFA and ag education in area schools.

Marc Beitia. Courtesy image.

Marc Beitia

Educator, American Falls

The son of Basque immigrants, Marc Beitia has been involved with agriculture throughout his life. His early years were spent alongside his father starting Beitia’s Suffolk sheep, now a well-known breed, as a 4-H project. After high school, Beitia attended the University of Idaho where he worked on every farm within the university’s campus.

In 1984, Beitia began his teaching career as an agricultural educator at Raft River High School in Malta. Finding equipment and tools several decades old, Beitia went to work upgrading the items he needed for a successful ag program. Learning of his success in teaching ag, Beitia was approached by the American Falls School District to start a new agricultural program in the high school. In 1990, he started building the program, which grew to include additional teachers and numerous students.

Beitia’s FFA programs have been recognized three times as a National Model of Excellence by the National FFA Organization. In national competitions, his students have repeatedly ranked in the top five in a variety of programs. A man of many educational awards, Beitia has personally been named Idaho State Teacher of the Year, received a National Education Association Teaching Excellence Award and received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Idaho.

He and his wife, Sally, are the parents of three children. After 41 years of teaching high school, Beitia plans to retire at the end of the current school year.

Rick Phillips. Courtesy image.

Rick G. Phillips

Farmer/community relations, Pocatello

From his early days on the family farm in Dayton, Rick Phillips has spent his career working with, or promoting, agriculture in Idaho. Recently retired from the J.R. Simplot Company, Phillips has helped promote multifaceted agriculture programs in food production, ranching, nutrients and technology in eastern Idaho and internationally.

In addition to his work with Simplot, Phillips' career also included time with First Interstate Bank and the Idaho State Department of Agriculture. He became an advocate promoting Idaho agriculture and ag products. Much of his career has been spent in government offices, collaborating with legislators, agribusinesses and organizations to raise the consciousness of ag programs for Idaho producers. He has been well known for “chasing down” opportunities to market Idaho products.

The parents of six children, Rick and his wife, Kerry, continue to be involved with numerous civic and agriculture-related programs. One of the most notable public service events for Phillips was overseeing the annual Simplot Games at Idaho State University.

Additional accomplishments include membership in the Idaho FFA Foundation, the FFA Blue Jacket Program, the Idaho Governor’s Economic Advisory Council and serving as the chair of Idaho Governor Andrus’ Idaho School to Work initiative.

Trey Orme. Courtesy image.

Trey Orme

Duren Memorial Young Producer Award
Squirrel/Ashton

Trey Orme grew up on the family farm east of Ashton working side by side with his dad raising wheat, barley, alfalfa and beef cattle. He purchased his first farm ground, 320 acres, in 2015, where he continues to raise wheat and barley.

Through proper fertilizer application, crop rotation and weed eradication, Orme has seen a noticeable improvement in his ground. He is also a partner in Squirrel Highland Ranch, the family farming operation. They operate some 1,700 acres in the Squirrel area, part dryland and part pivot irrigated.

Orme and his wife, Jayci, along with their three children and the frequently visiting deer, make their home in Squirrel.

Abby Rowe. Courtesy image.

Abby Rowe

Duren Memorial Young Producer Award
American Falls

As a fifth-generation Idaho potato farmer, Rowe’s farming roots run deep. She grew up on the original homestead of her ancestors that dates back to the Carey Act of 1908. Rowe continued her engagement in agriculture through the high school FFA program focusing on public speaking and as part of a national finalist team. After graduation from the University of Idaho, Rowe was able to bring her agronomy and management skills home to the family farm, where she manages 800 acres of potatoes.

Improvements, or innovations, in ag operations have helped improve the family operation. These include fine-tuning the farm’s organizational farm work, improving farm yield data and adoption of climate-smart practices to provide sustainability.

Rowe is married to Ethan Kim and currently serves on the American Falls FFA advisory board.

Blake Skidmore. Courtesy image.

Blake Skidmore

Duren Memorial Young Producer Award
Terreton

Blake Skidmore grew up helping on the family farm in all aspects of swathing, raking, baling and combining wheat. He has also been involved in digging potatoes and running the cellar crew as potatoes went into storage. He was a key figure in the turning of 200 acres of flood-irrigated ground into a ditch feed linear. This included the removal of head gates and pushing in long-standing ditches.

After graduating from college, Skidmore worked as an accountant until returning to the farm in 2015. Also working for Larsen Hay Farms, Skidmore rented some 480 acres of hay ground, eventually renting the entire Larson Hay Farms.

Skidmore, and his wife, Tiara, are raising their family in the Terreton area where he also coaches young league athletes.

—Compiled by the Eastern Idaho Agriculture Hall of Fame board of directors