Sustainable Agriculture: Sweet Valley Organics

Sweet Valley Organics of Emmet, Idaho (near Boise) is working towards a considerably more sustainable method of agriculture by using geothermal water to stretch their farming season. Hot water is plentiful in Boise, as the city was the first in the country to employ its natural seismic benefit: hot spring water.

Sweet Valley Organics is following suit to the city's lead: they are the only farm in the area using the water to extend their growing season into the cold late Fall. Using the naturally warm water in their greenhouse is "greening up" the farm, but that's not the only move their making towards a sustainable agriculture practice.

When asked where the geothermal water comes from, they said "From a fault that runs along the base of the Squaw Butte. The neighbors use it for heating their homes ... we catch the runoff." He continued that the water is about 115F and that it is not used for irrigation. The pipes that move the water are under the beds, keeping the soil warm with cold frames built from recycled Lexan to control and vent the warmth as necessary.

Directly from the Idaho Statesman:

With a background in the restaurant industry, Chris Florence wanted to try organic farming on a production scale. Together with Chance Morgan, a native Sweet Valley resident recently laid off from a construction job, they decided to take their combined knowledge to make the self-proclaimed "pipe dream" a reality.

The farm is described as

100 % certified Organic family-owned farm. Sustainability is our number one focus. We use geothermal hot water to heat our greenhouse. We make our own fuel, catch rainwater, and use on farm sources for composting, to name a few of the practices we believe in.

Sweet Valley Organics supplies local restaurants with fresh produce and - cleverly and efficiently - has made agreements with their customers to collect approximately 100 gallons of used cooking oil every week.

The cooking oil is converted into biofuel for the farm equipment by Geoff Neyman, the last part of the triad that makes Sweet Valley Organics. Neyman, whose background is in biofuels, joined the team after his former business partner left for Europe.


When questioned about pesticides, they responded that they squish bugs with their hands. This winter will hold their first year-round run of a greenhouse equipped with the geothermal piping. Sweet Valley Farm is a progressive model for sustainable agriculture. Let's hope more farms look to them as a resource of how sustainable agriculture can be continued.