Idaho Farm Bureau Producer: History, Content, Editors and Readers
Profile updated November 2026
The Idaho Farm Bureau Producer, published as the Gem State Producer, is one of two magazines from the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF), the state's largest general farm organization. Alongside the Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly, it carries farm policy, market analysis, member news and classifieds to Idaho farm and ranch families.
| Publisher | Idaho Farm Bureau Federation |
|---|---|
| Federation founded | Chartered May 1939; AFBF affiliate September 15, 1939 |
| Headquarters | 275 Tierra Vista Drive, Pocatello, Idaho |
| Magazines | Gem State Producer and Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly |
| Membership | 90,056 members, 9,995 farm and ranch families (2025) |
| Director of Publications | Sean Ellis |
| Official website | IdahoFB.org |
History of Idaho Farm Bureau Producer
The Idaho Farm Bureau was organized in 1939 as an independent farm organization, chartered under Idaho law that May and affiliated with the American Farm Bureau Federation on September 15, 1939. In the 1940s it created the Idaho Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company, and it now describes itself as a voluntary, non-partisan grassroots group working to strengthen agriculture and protect the rights and property of member families.
Each county Farm Bureau is a separately chartered entity with its own board; today 37 county Farm Bureaus represent Idaho's 44 counties. The federation's state office is in Pocatello, with a second office in Boise.
In 2018 IFBF brought back veteran farm journalist Sean Ellis as publications editor. Ellis had spent seven years at Capital Press covering water, wolves and farm labor and eight Idaho legislative sessions, and now serves as director of publications.
Idaho Farm Bureau Producer Today
IFBF publishes the Gem State Producer and the Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly, which also carries the Farm Bureau Producer classifieds, and runs a biweekly podcast. The Winter 2025 Quarterly, Volume 25, featured the 2024 Impact Report, a University of Idaho article on managing animal damage to forest trees, an analysis of why egg prices were so high, and coverage of the 85th IFBF annual meeting and the AFBF convention.
The federation reported tracking 42 bills and 10 resolutions or memorials in the 2024 legislative session, with a 91% success rate, numbers its magazines report back to members.
What Idaho Farm Bureau Producer Is Publishing Now
Policy and legislature
Reports from Boise and Washington on water, land, wildlife and labor issues that affect Idaho producers.
Markets and analysis
Explainers on commodity markets, such as how bird flu losses drove egg prices up in 2024.
Members and programs
Young Farmers and Ranchers, the Ag Ambassador Leadership Program, conferences, scholarships and classifieds.
Idaho Farm Bureau Producer Editors and Staff
The Winter 2025 Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly masthead lists:
- Bryan Searle - President
- Richard Durrant - Vice President
- Zak Miller - Executive Vice President and CEO
- Sean Ellis - Director of Publications
- Kristy Lindauer - Editorial contact
IFBF reports 1,380 volunteers in county and state leadership positions across five districts.
Who Reads Idaho Farm Bureau Producer
Producer readers farm in a state that the 2022 Census of Agriculture says had 22,877 farms and ranches on 11.5 million acres, averaging 505 acres. Idaho's agricultural products sold for $10.9 billion in 2022, up from $7.57 billion in 2017, and the 1,328 farms with sales above $1 million accounted for 88% of the total. Potatoes, dairy, cattle, grains, sugar beets and hay are mainstays.
University of Idaho economists estimated Idaho egg receipts at about $160 million for 2024, possibly ranking eggs as high as eighth among the state's farm commodities.
Idaho Farm Bureau Producer readers know the Gem State is more than potatoes, though nobody minds talking about potatoes. For a break from irrigation schedules and spud markets, farm.FM serves farm satire and farm humor from the Snake River Plain to the Panhandle, plus ranch humor for the high-desert cattle crowd. Its farm jokes are always served with a side of fries.
If the name is new to you, farm.FM is the nation's first satirical farm site, with Tractor Tunes country music for farmers on the side. One of its regular writers keeps a whole archive of stories like that.
Idaho Farm Bureau Producer Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Idaho Farm Bureau: About us - founding, mission and magazines.
- Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly, Winter 2025 - masthead, membership and content.
- IFBF: Ellis joins Idaho Farm Bureau - the publications editor's background.
- USDA: Idaho 2022 Census of Agriculture - Idaho farm numbers and sales.
- USDA NASS Quick Stats - Idaho crop and livestock statistics.
Idaho Farm Bureau Producer FAQ
What is the Idaho Farm Bureau Producer?
It is the Gem State Producer, one of the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation's two magazines, alongside the Quarterly.
Who edits Idaho Farm Bureau publications?
Sean Ellis, a former Capital Press reporter, is director of publications.
When was the Idaho Farm Bureau founded?
It was chartered in May 1939 and affiliated with the American Farm Bureau that September.
How many members does the Idaho Farm Bureau have?
90,056 members, including 9,995 farm and ranch families, according to its 2025 report.
From Pocatello to the Panhandle, the Idaho Farm Bureau Producer and its sister Quarterly keep Idaho's farm families informed.