CALDWELL, Idaho — Uncertainty about the economy and water supplies this year, along with some low commodity prices, mean farm efficiency is as important as ever, several Western Idaho Ag Expo participants said.

The Teff Co. contracts with farmers to grow teff, an African fine grain known as a low water user. The company processes and packages it at its Boise facility and sells it.

Among farmers, “we’re seeing a lot of interest in alternative crops, especially more water-efficient crops,” said Charlie Fereday, farmer relations manager. Teff also can work well as a rotation crop.

The Teff Co. offers its growers price stability in that the company is the buyer and processor, and has market access, he said. The company helps growers work teff into their operations, often gradually over multiple years.

McKellip Sod, based in Nampa, is raising more of the product as southwest Idaho’s population grows, owner Bob McKellip said.

“I’m delivering sod to where I used to farm,” he said. Recently, drones are more practical for on-field applications than aircraft in many instances.

“We follow the market, including the forecast for building,” McKellip said.

Forecasts related to the economy and to water supply are important largely because sod takes 10-16 months to grow, he said. And if irrigation deliveries end early in the season, as they did a few years ago, business drops.

Snow-water equivalent was 95% of normal in the Boise River Basin Jan. 29, according to the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

BMZ Biological field man Ryon Murray said he is seeing a “definite shift” as more people learn about soil health and take steps to improve it.

“Ten years ago, I was a snake oil guy,” he said.

Now, in contrast, practices that help soil capture more carbon, hold more water and boost organic material are more common, the Twin Falls-based Murray said. Biological solutions that can reduce fertilizer usage also are accepted more widely.

Burks Tractor precision technology specialist Ian Beckman said demand for GPS and other high-tech systems on the farm has been steady as producers look to optimize efficiency and reduce guesswork. Pricing also has been steady.

Stan Milburn, construction equipment sales specialist at Caldwell-based Burks, said demand for new equipment hit a record high in 2022, was decent in 2023 and slower last year. He hopes demand is steady this year.

Demand for new farm equipment followed a similar pattern in the last few years, but that sector is generally more stable, Milburn said.

The construction segment tends to be more volatile because of shifts in housing and other variables in the larger economy, and because many participants — even small operators — “like new equipment” and are less likely to maintain something for an extended period, he said.

The expo was held Jan. 28-29.