Wittman Farms is a family-owned crop, cattle and timber operation located in Lapwai, Idaho.  A fifth-generation operation, its origins in the area date back to the 1920s.  As a family business, Wittman Farms holds strongly to the values of stewardship and sustainability.  Together, the Wittman Farms partners pursue farming practices that result in the best long-range interests of the land, the operator and the landlord.

Crops:  We follow a diverse rotation system to maintain productivity and moisture levels and reduce risk from soil-borne disease and weeds.  Rotations include small grains (wheat and barley); legumes (peas, lentils and chickpeas); and oilseeds (rapeseed, mustard and canola).  Other alternate crops have included grass seed, safflower, flax, buckwheat and hay.  We actively promote on-farm research trials and have been working with strategies for implementing reduced tillage and direct seeding since the mid 1980s. We utilize precision technology in our cropping systems, including variable rate application of fertilizer, for plant health and conservation purposes.

Cattle:  The cattle operation consists of a 400 cow herd, mainly Hereford, Red and Black Angus genetics.  Calves are normally backgrounded at the ranch and then sold or finished under retained ownership in Pacific Northwest or Midwest feedlots.  The crew is trained and follows the management guidelines set forth by the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Program so the consumer can be confident in our operations commitment to a quality product.

Timber:  We manage our timber, hunting and recreational operations under a restorative approach.  We seek to restore a more balanced species mix to forest land and also achieve sustainable long-term growth potential.  We selectively log and replant trees and follow a systems approach in managing our timber, pasture and wildlife resources. The goal is to achieve a synergistic multiple use approach that maximizes the quality of our pasture and timber resources for grazing, timber production, hunting and other recreational uses.

We believe production agriculture is best served by a family business structure, and work hard to preserve the family business by running it professionally; we are actively transitioning ownership and responsibility to younger members of the business. Meet our crew here!

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