BLACKFOOT, Idaho — Doug Evans farms with his two older brothers — Gary and Blaine — in southern Idaho.

“We have a younger sister, but she’s not involved with the farm,” Doug said.

Their family has been in Blackfoot since the 1940s.

“Grandpa moved here in 1947 and we still farm part of the place he bought. Grandpa grew up near Malad, but water was an issue, Doug said. “It was feast or famine; you either had good water or not enough, so he was looking for a place that had a better water supply.”

He moved to Blackfoot and had a small dairy, which he sold before Doug was born.

“Today we’re just a row crop farm. We grow potatoes, sugar beets, wheat and hay in rotation,” he said.

They farm several thousand acres — about 500 acres of wheat and 500 to 600 acres of potatoes, depending on the rotation.

They raise some hay to fill in.

He and his brothers divide the work, and only hire extra help during harvest.

“My brothers’ oldest kids are high school age and a little older. My oldest is a junior in high school,” Doug said. “We rely on their help —whoever is available — and hire neighbors during harvest; we don’t have any full-time employees.”

Two of his nephews have their own businesses but help during harvest and other times the farm needs a hand. One has a trucking business and hauls their hay. The other nephew does custom haying and puts up hay for the farm.

There is a good local market for some of their potatoes.

“We are part of a grower-owned fresh shed co-op. Several growers here got together and we bought a fresh shed and that’s where we go with some of our potatoes. We sell the rest through contracts with local processors,” he said.

The sugar beets are contracted through Amalgamated Sugar — another grower-owned co-op. Their hay is also marketed locally, usually to feedlots in the area. “We also work with hay brokers when they need hay for customers,” Doug said.

The farm has adequate water, though there are ongoing water battles in Idaho.

“We have surface water from canals, and ground water from wells, so we are on both sides of the fight — though we try to make it work for everyone,” he said.

“We utilize water from canals in Blackfoot, pumping from those for sprinkling. Our irrigation is more than 95% pivots, but we still have a few hand-lines and wheel lines. Pivots are more efficient and enable us to get by without employees,” Doug said.

Pivots can apply fertilizer as well as water.

“We utilize this technology for our potatoes and beets, and some classes of wheat that produce higher protein,” he said.

The potatoes are usually Russet Burbank or Russet Norkotah. They grow three classes of wheat — soft white winter, hard red winter, and hard white spring wheat.

“Occasionally we grow barley, and sometimes hard red spring wheat. It depends on the market and contracts,” Doug said.

“My dad passed away two years ago, with cancer. He had his own farm but we helped him with equipment. We now rent the land he and my mom owned,” he said. “My mom is still here and helps with harvest, driving trucks. Our shop and everything is right by her house and we try to keep her involved. She’s been doing it a long time, so she takes an interest in what’s going on.”

Doug and his brothers take an active part in the industry, sitting on various boards and committees. “My dad used to say you are either at the table or you are on the menu!”

It’s important to have input in the issues that involve you.

“With operations becoming larger to be more efficient, there are fewer voices to tell the farmers’ story and fewer people advocating for the growers,” he said. “We have to look after our own industry because no one else will do it for us.”