Idaho's Minor Crops

Most people familiarize Idaho with good tasting potatoes. However, Idaho is an important agricultural state in many other categories. Most consumers may not know that Idaho leads the nation in production of food-sized rainbow trout and ranks third in the production of mint and hops, and fourth in production of lentils and dry edible peas. Idaho ranks sixth in production of dry, edible beans and 11th in production of honey. In addition, Idaho farmers grow onions, sweet corn, wine grapes, honey, prunes, plums, apples and sweet cherries that are marketed nationwide and abroad.

Southwest Idaho is an important area for the production of many seed crops. The region is one of the largest garden bean seed and sweet corn seed producing regions in the world. Growers in this area also produce significant quantities of alfalfa seed and red clover seed. Farmers in north Idaho produce significant amounts of Kentucky bluegrass seed.