10 Acres and A Dream

Date: Saturday, May 11, 2024
Time: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Location: University of Idaho Research Park, 958 South Lochsa Street, Classroom 302, Post Falls, Idaho 

Idaho is well known for extensive public lands; so much that people sometimes lose sight of how much private land we have in some regions of the state. For example, Boundary, Bonner, Kootenai, and Benewah counties collectively have over 1.5 million acres of private lands – 47.5% of all lands in those counties. Some of these parcels are in large blocks, but most of them are smaller parcels, owned by an ever-growing number of private landowners. Uses of the lands vary from forest, to pasture, to crops.

People who move to the country often have many ideas as to what they want from their land, but may be less aware of how to achieve those goals or the tasks associated with living on and maintaining rural property.

University of Idaho Extension offers this one-day program to help owners of small rural acreages manage their land to meet their goals. 10 Acres and A Dream was the idea of Idaho Master Forest Stewards, most of whom are private landowners themselves and have interacted with a variety of rural landowners who have struggled with making their dream of owning and tending rural property a reality.

Program Agenda

8:30 am Check-in
9:00 am Introductions, What Do We Want to Learn Today: Jennifer Jensen, University of Idaho Extension
9:15 am Living on the Land – A Great American Tradition: Chris Schnepf, University of Idaho Extension
9:40 am Homestead Planning and Principles: Sean Mitzel, Integrity Tree Service
10:40 am Growing Fruits, Vegetables, and Other Crops on Small Acreages: Jennifer Jensen
11:20 am Living on the Land – Working with County Government (local county official)
11:40 pm Lunch (on your own)
1:00 pm Raising Large and Small Livestock, and Managing Pastures on Small Acreages: Gail Silkwood, University of Idaho Extension
2:00 pm Idaho Panhandle Forestry Fundamentals: Chris Schnepf
3:00 pm Landowner Panel: Rural Living:
      • Tess Hahn
      • Dean Sutton
      • Sean Mitzel
4:15 pm Closing Remarks: Jennifer Jensen
4:30 pm Close

Idaho Pro-Logger: 1.5 CE credit.
Idaho Master Forest Stewards: 7 CE credits