BY KAREN BOSSICK
The Sun Valley Institute for Resilience has invested in the new Wild Spaces micro-dairy based in Glenns Ferry, which was launched to fill the gap in the local food economy following the closure in 2021 of Old Almo Creamery and Picabo Desert Farm.
Wilder Jones, a generational organic farmer, will supply raw milk and dairy product to southern and central Idaho through his small dairy operation.
The farm, which sits on 160 acres in Glenns Ferry, has three dairy cows and Jones hopes to add up to seven more. He plas to offer milk in reusable glass containers by the spring of 2022.
The program “will fill a much-needed gap in our regional food system and be a demonstration of a regenerative and profitable model for small-scale dairy farming in southern Idaho,” said Amy Mattias, the program director.
The farm is a regenerative, no-confinement dairy operation.
The Institute’s investment through the Impact Idaho Fund, will help the farm build a milking barn and processing parlor, acquire the animals, equipment and certification necessary for a small-scale dairy operation.
“As I launch the dairy, it is incredibly valuable to be part of a team and not feel like I have to go at it alone,” said Jones.
The Impact Idaho Fund is made possible through investment and donations made by the community. In December 2021 the Institute received a second transformational gift form The Heinz Family Foundation that supports the financial and technical support offered by the Impact Idaho Fund staff to current and potential projects.
Want to know more? Visit https://www.sunvalleyinstitute.org/impactidahofund