American Falls is nestled along the edge of the Snake River in Eastern Idaho and is a beautiful farming community. Aaron Povey was raised there and knew he wanted to farm from a young age. He was always the cowboy type and loved every aspect of farming.
After graduating high school, Aaron attended Rick’s College and graduated with an associate degree in Agronomy, Crop and Soil Science. Aaron was a real cowboy and rode bucking horses in college. He quit rodeoing after breaking a leg. He also served an LDS mission in Tucson, Arizona where he learned Spanish. Learning a second language has greatly benefitted him on the farm.
Aaron currently farms 3,000 acres with his dad Wade and brother Andy. They grow sugarbeets, wheat, hay, and raise cattle. Aaron and his wife Kali have 6 children. Aaron’s great grandpa, Arthur Povey raised sugarbeets in the Cache Valley in the 1920’s. His dad, Wade started growing sugarbeets in the American Falls area in the 1970’s. They originally grew for U and I Sugar until they shut down operations in the early 1980’s. You could say growing beets runs in his blood!
Through the years Aaron has taken on other business ventures including running a car dealership. Most people assumed that it was Aaron’s way to get out of farming but in reality, everything he did was to support the farm. He is very content with farming.
Farming has provided a great life for Aaron and his family, but he is concerned about the everyday family farm. Will family farms like his continue to be able to operate in the future business environment? It is becoming harder and harder to keep up with the rising costs. Aaron would love to see his kids become the 4th generation on the farm, but it would be a tough road forward.
“At the very heart of agriculture is the drive to feed the world.”
– Ben Potter
Aaron hopes that more people will take the time to truly understand where their food comes from. There are 2 million farms across America and 98% of them are operated by families. According to the American Farm Bureau, one U.S. farm feeds 166 people annually. It is hardworking farmers like the Povey family that are feeding America.
