Since 2002, Idaho wheat farmers have invested $27,544,420.00 into research and development programs. In fact, Idaho wheat farmers have invested more money into research at the University of Idaho than any other commodity. Why does that matter? Because the results of that research are owned by and accessible to all wheat farmers in the state of Idaho.
Each year, the Idaho Wheat Commission issues requests for proposals (RFPs) for research that will benefit Idaho farmers in the short-term and long-term. The IWC Research Consultant, Dr. Jim Peterson, reviews all of the proposals and talks with the researchers about logistics, duplications, and practicalities of the research proposals. Then, the Idaho Wheat commissioners gather in February to review the proposals and make decisions about which ones to support with funding from your assessment dollars.
Funding research through public programs, like the University of Idaho, allows researchers to leverage additional grant money from other organizations and institutions to conduct unbiased research. The Commission is led by farmers, but needs are wide and varied and we want to hear your feedback on the funding requests.
Research Review will be held in Boise on February 18-19. If you would like more information, would like to give your input on what research should be funded, or want to attend the meeting in person, click the link below. We would love to hear from you.