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Miguel Villafaña’s story is a modern version of the American Dream.

The son of Mexican immigrants and farmworkers, Miguel grew up working the fields of Aberdeen, Idaho. Today, he operates roughly 600 acres through Villafaña Farms while also working as a senior commercial lender at Zions Bank and raising four children with his wife.

Miguel joins Matthew Rabe and Zach Miller to talk about building a farm from scratch, the work ethic and family values that shaped him, and the realities facing the next generation of American farmers.

They dig into the rising cost of land, access to capital, financial pressure on farmers, raising kids on the farm, Idaho’s rapid growth, and the challenge of protecting agriculture while creating room for the next generation.

At its core, this is a conversation about hard work, opportunity, family, and what it takes to build something of your own.

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Matt Dorsey, President of the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation and a fifth-generation Idaho farmer, joins Tommy Ahlquist and Zach Miller for a conversation about agriculture, heritage and the values that have shaped Idaho.

From growing up in Sunny Slope and moving hand lines to representing farmers and ranchers across the state, Matt discusses the grit, independence, humility and community that come with a life in agriculture.

They explore what it really means to “keep Idaho, Idaho,” what people without an agricultural background should understand about farming and ranching, and why generations of producers remain deeply invested in protecting the land they depend on.

The conversation also looks toward the future, including precision agriculture, AI-powered equipment and the technology helping producers become more efficient than ever.

It’s a conversation about farming—but even more about work, gratitude, community and the lessons agriculture can teach the next generation.

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In this episode of the Ever Onward Podcast, Tommy Ahlquist sits down with Zach Miller, Executive Vice President and CEO of the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation and a fifth-generation Idaho farmer and rancher from eastern Idaho.

Zach shares his background growing up in agriculture, his family’s farming and ranching operation, and the path that eventually led him to represent farmers and ranchers across the state through the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation.

The conversation also looks at the Idaho Farm Bureau’s new Boise office near the State Capitol, why having a stronger presence in Boise matters, and the role the organization plays in giving Idaho agriculture a voice on major policy issues.

From there, Tommy and Zach dive into some of the biggest challenges facing agriculture today, including Idaho’s water supply, aquifers, water rights and drought conditions; beef prices and the cattle cycle; public lands, grazing and multiple-use management; wolves, grizzly bears and the Endangered Species Act; and the ongoing challenges surrounding agricultural labor and immigration policy.

Throughout the conversation, Zach brings both a policy perspective and firsthand experience from a family that has been farming and ranching in Idaho for five generations.

They also discuss why agriculture remains such an important part of Idaho’s economy, culture and identity—and why decisions being made today around water, land, labor and regulation will have a lasting impact on the next generation of Idaho farmers and ranchers.

This episode kicks off a three-part Ever Onward series focused on Idaho agriculture. Zach will join Tommy as co-host for upcoming conversations with Idaho Farm Bureau President Matt Dorsey and Miguel Villafana, owner-operator of Villafana Farms and a senior commercial lender at Zions Bank.

Topics include:

• Idaho Farm Bureau and its role in agriculture
• Zach Miller’s fifth-generation farming and ranching roots
• The new Idaho Farm Bureau Boise office
• Idaho water rights, aquifers and drought
• Snowpack and the future of Idaho’s water supply
• Beef prices and the cattle cycle
• Public lands, grazing and multiple-use management
• Wolves, grizzly bears and predator management
• Agricultural labor and immigration
• The future of farming and ranching in Idaho

Follow the Ever Onward Podcast for more conversations with leaders, entrepreneurs and people helping shape the future of Idaho.

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