For some reason many Idaho commercial growers believe they can grow their own seed for certification, bypassing seed purchases from traditional seed-growing areas.
Figures compiled by the Idaho Crop Improvement Association, Area Manager Jonathan Whitworth, show that this year's numbers swelled from 44,465 in 1999 to 49,492 in 2000, an 11.3 percent increase.
Some of the non-traditional counties showing increased seed acres include: Bingham, up 75 percent; Jefferson up 23 percent; Minidoka up 439 percent; Power, 12.5 percent, Twin Falls, 104 percent, and Bonneville, 11 percent.
Traditional seed-producing counties showing increases included Caribou, 15.1 percent; Teton, 11.4 percent; and Butte, 22.7 percent.. Fremont County was down 5.3 percent.