Idaho Power & CWI Partnership Helps Grow the Future of Idaho Agriculture

May 28, 2026

Idaho Power and College of Western Idaho (CWI) continue to grow a strong partnership focused on preparing students for the future of Idaho’s agricultural industry.

In 2025, Idaho Power supported construction and infrastructure needs for CWI’s Nampa Campus Agricultural Sciences Complex, helping advance the College’s vision for a 40-acre learning farm and hands-on educational space. Their support contributed to critical irrigation infrastructure and outdoor learning environments designed to give students real-world experience in agriculture, horticulture, water management, and sustainability.

“Our new Ag Science Complex is designed so students can build real world skills while staying connected to Idaho’s agricultural industries and workforce needs,” said CWI President Gordon Jones. “This partnership helps our students learn, work, and thrive right here in Idaho.”

More than a new facility, the Agricultural Sciences Complex represents a long-term investment in Idaho’s workforce and agricultural future. Students across multiple programs, including Animal Veterinary Sciences, Horticulture Technology, Agricultural Business, Leadership, and Education, and Fermentation Science, gain access to innovative spaces designed to bring classroom learning into real-world settings.

The Agricultural Sciences Complex is designed to mirror the realities students will encounter in Idaho’s agricultural industry while creating opportunities to connect classroom learning with hands-on experience. Students engage with topics ranging from irrigation systems and soil health to sustainable growing practices, preparing them to address challenges facing modern agriculture while strengthening the future workforce.

Source : cwi.edu

Video: Why Invest in Canada’s Seed Future? | On The Brink: Episode 3

Darcy Unger just invested millions to build a brand-new seed plant on his farm in Stonewall, Manitoba so when it’s time for his sons to take over, they have the tools they need to succeed.

Right now, 95% of the genetics they’ll be growing come from Canadian plant breeders.

That number matters.

When fusarium hit Western Canada in the late 90s, it was Canadian breeders who responded, because they understood Canadian conditions. That ability to react quickly to what’s happening on Canadian farms is exactly what’s at risk when breeding programs lose funding.

For farmers like Darcy, who have made generational investments based on the assumption that better genetics will keep coming, the stakes are direct and personal.

We’re on the brink of decisions that will shape our agricultural future for not only our generation, but also the ones to come.

What direction will we choose?

On The Brink is a year-long video series traveling across Canada to meet the researchers, breeders, farmers, seed companies, and policymakers shaping the future of Canadian plant breeding. Each week, a new story. Each story, a piece of the bigger picture.

Episode 3 is above. Follow Seed World Canada to catch every episode, and tell us: Do you think the next generation will have the tools they need to success when they takeover? How is the future going to look?