Farm Bureau names Wilder Hatch Ag Producer of the Year

Last week, the Farm Bureau hosted its annual cookout to celebrate local farmers and ranchers, and the agriculture community as a whole.  The night was marked by food, games, a shooting gallery, petting zoo, and live music.  A keynote speech was given by Farm Bureau President Bryan Searle, and North Gem’s Wilder Hatch was named the Ag Producer of the Year.

The event is designed to highlight the importance of agriculture as a cornerstone of the American and world economy, and after being introduced by Caribou County Farm Bureau Chair Chris Banks, Idaho Farm Bureau President Searle spoke to the crowd on the issue.  Searle noted that the immediate impact of tariffs has put a strain on many farmers, but that it was a step toward correcting what he termed “unfair trade practices” that have been in place for American farmers.  

Boyd Murdock was on hand with live music, and the event was supported by many representatives of the Ag community, including local Farm Bureau leaders, County Commissioners Marty McCullough and Bryce Somsen, the Ag Extension office (who brought a mobile target shooting trailer), Soda Sip, and more.  The packed event was a great reminder of the strength of the Ag culture in Caribou County.

Wilder Hatch was not able to be in attendance, and so his award for Ag Producer of the Year was presented by Marty McCullough to neighbor Dave Richardson.  The award presentation reads as follows: 

“Wilder Hatch was born and raised on his family’s ranch.  After graduating from North Gem High school, he joined the United States Air Force, where he served for eight years.  When his father became ill, Wilder returned home to the ranch and signed a one-year lease with his father.  After a successful year he signed a second one year lease, which ultimately led him to purchase the ranch on his third year of operation.  Wilder has been running the ranch ever since, and it has been a place where he and his wife have spent summers working to help put up the hay and move pipe.   Wilders ranch has been a place where young people could come and learn the value of hard work.

Wilder has served in many position in his community, always working to ensure his friends and neighbors could have the best chance for success.  Wilder has served on the Caribou Soil Conservation District Board for over 40 years, many of those years as Chairman of the Board.  Wilder has always worked to protect natural resources and agriculture, not only through Caribou County, but throughout Idaho.  He has always been willing to try new things, especially when they showed the ability to enhance natural resources and his fellow farmers and ranchers’ bottom lines.  

Wilder was instrumental in getting the Caribou SCD to host a soil health workshop in 2014.  He asked the Caribou SCD board to consider purchasing a no-till drill to provide a service to the local farmers of Caribou County.  However, he was not able to gain enough support on the board.  Wilder determined to see how a no-till drill could improve his operation, so he went an purchased one on his own in the fall of 2015.  Also, a neighbor who had attended the soil health workshop purchased one too.  Because of Wilder’s example and leadership, now other neighbors are hiring him to plant their crops as they too are working toward improving soil health and planting cover crops to extend their grazing and crop rotations.  

In 2017, Wilder was inducted in the Idaho Agricultural Hall of Fame.  This was a great honor for him to be selected.  Wilder has always been a friend to everyone, a respected leader in the community, a leader in his church, and a great steward over the land where he works.  Other landowners can learn from his experience and dedication in striving to do better, trying new things, and working to promote the health of the land he works.  Wilder has always lived by the verse penned by Hugh Hammond Bennett, “Take care of the land, and it will take care of you.”  If you were to drive by on a summer morning, you would most likely see Wilder out moving a handline at 85 years old.  He can still outwork most anyone in the valley.  

It is with great honor that we recognize Wilder Hatch as the 2025 Caribou County Ag Producer of the Year.”