LIA Briefs

Dear LIA Alumni:
 
Thanks to everyone who joined us this morning for the Zoom call. The following were the presenters in this morning's Zoom call:
 
Doug Robison:  Idaho President Northwest Farm Credit Services, "Global Perspective of COVID-19"
Pam Eaton:  Representing the Idaho Retailers Assn. and the Idaho Lodging and Restaurant Assn. "Update on the impact to the Retail, Restaurant and Lodging Industry"
 
Alumni, Class 22 Linda Rider - North Idaho - (member of North Idaho Fair Board) "Impact on the WA folks coming over to Idaho", tourist town - What does all of this mean for you as we head into summer?
Alumni, Class 25 Steve Brown - Eastern Idaho - (Chairman of Bannock County Commissioners) "Impact on businesses, general sense of what is happening in Eastern Idaho" 
Alumni, Class 40 Brent Reinke - Central Idaho - (County Commissioner in Twin Falls County) "Impact on business, general sense of what is happening in Central Idaho"
Alumni, Class 23  Diana Thomas - Southwestern Idaho - (former Mayor for Weiser) "Perspective from a smaller Idaho community"
Alumni, Class 36 Malia Miller - LIA Trustee to share a Proposed Exploratory Program for Helping Feed People in Idaho
 
The recorded session can be found here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/tNxqI53p5ExIE7fh5mX7Wq4DAYXLX6a8gXUdq6denUhdUJ8hpkZqh1y1rf_QqayG
 
Access Password: 6Q+9=4@L
 
At the end of the call today, LIA Trustee Malia Miller announced a special Zoom Call next week to discuss "Farmer to Consumer" LIA Box plan.
Note: If you would like to be on that call, please mark your calendar for 1:00 on Tuesday, May 5  and email [email protected] that you would like to join so we can have you included in the call - you do not have to be an LIA alumni to be on this call. 
 
Here is what Malia had to share:
 
The LIA Golf Tournament has been cancelled for 2020. Our committee is considering options that would benefit the consumers and the Ag Industry. One such option was implemented by Valley Wide Country Stores where they are selling milk for 99 cent per gallon to highlight the dairy industry. As we are aware, there is a surplus of some ag products during this pandemic. We would like to pull together a committee of experts to help us determine if an Ag Commodity "Box" would be feasible and what products could be available. Our initial thought is a box would be purchased and a box donated. Our objective is to help our consumers understand the value of Idaho Ag and to bring them in contact with Ag producers.
 
Each sector of Idaho Ag would bring their commodities to a common place, each commodity would be added to the box and individuals would arrive to pick up their box. Orders would be placed in advance to ensure pickup. A time date, time and meeting place would be set for pick up. Our biggest unknown and fear is commodities that do not store so we would bring them together on one day at one location so no storage would be required.
 
Rick Waitley
Executive Director