Overlooking some of the beautiful mountains in Grangeville, Idaho, Ken and Jill Breugeman farm on a 123-year-old operation that Ken’s great-great-grandfather started. The Idaho Farm Bureau introduces us to this week’s American Farm Family.
“Whether that’s a family folktale or what—but supposedly, he came over with basically nothing from Ireland, and within a period of five or six years, he was able to purchase the original part of the ranch,” Ken explains. “We’ll be fifth generation.”
Today, the Breugmans grow wheat, canola, and hay and raise cattle.
“Agriculture is important, you know?“ Ken continues. “There’s such a bad perception. I want the community to know that we’re here to raise cattle and crops in a healthy way. This ground’s been in our family for over 100 years, so we want to take care of it and be stewards of it. We’re not going to do things that will damage it and harm it, and you know, make it so we can’t pass it down to the next generation. We want the legacy to continue and not end with us. We’re just out here doing what we love every day -- that is always the bottom line to people.”
The Idaho Farm Bureau has over 10,000 member families involved in farming or ranching, just like Ken and Jill.
Secretary Rollins also met with specialty crop producers at a local strawberry farm to discuss workforce needs and the Trump Administration’s recent wins related to significantly cutting the cost of H-2A labor for California farmers.
January 13, 2026 03:25 PM
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Brent Graves, auctioneer and mentor, shares his journey supporting youth in agriculture, livestock competitions, and how he is turning junior livestock auctions into a classroom for youth in agriculture.
January 13, 2026 02:43 PM
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China’s beef policy risk stems from domestic volatility, making export demand inherently unstable. Jake Charleston with Specialty Risk Insurance offers his perspective on cattle markets, risk management, and producer sentiment.
January 13, 2026 02:13 PM
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Larger grain stocks increase supply pressure, but strong fall disappearance — especially for corn and sorghum — suggests demand remains an important offset.
January 13, 2026 01:02 PM
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Lewis Williamson with HTS Commodities joined us to provide analysis on the January WASDE report and expectations for grain markets going forward.
January 13, 2026 12:34 PM
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Structural efficiency supports cattle prices and resilience — breaking it risks higher costs and greater volatility.
January 13, 2026 08:00 AM
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