В Айдахо выделен первый беспроцентный кредит на шестикратное расширение производства чеснока

New fund fuels planned jump in garlic production Published 11:30 am Monday, August 24, 2026 BELLEVUE, Idaho — Future Roots, which works to support local food systems in Southern Idaho, recently issued the first loan from its new Harvest Production Fund. Drinkers of the Wind Farm owner Brooke Bonner will use the $6,000, zero-interest loan to expand garlic production sixfold. The loan and the project it supports address a “clear gap in the Wood River Valley regional food system for certified white, rot-free culinary and seed garlic,” according to a news release from Future Roots. Fund leaders aim to help increase the supply of regionally grown food. Future Roots piloted the Harvest Production Fund with the garlic project, which “serves as the first in a series of targeted investments” through the fund, according to the release. “Additional targets will be announced in 2027 following roundtable discussions, market analyses and community engagement opportunities.” The first-round project with regenerative farm Drinkers of the Wind responds directly to feedback from growers, wholesale buyers and consumers about the shortage of locally grown garlic, Future Roots executive director Amy Mattias said. Product scarcity “comes up with farmers, gardeners, chefs and home cooks all the time, and garlic is always on that list.” The fund is designed to “turn that feedback into action. We can get loans out to farmers fast and have a significant impact on the amount of a product available in the market within a year.” Drinkers of the Wind is slated to increase its volume of direct-to-consumer and wholesale culinary garlic starting in the 2027 season. The Future Roots team “saw the opportunity, heard my concerns, and responded quickly and efficiently with a workable solution,” Bonner said. “I’m excited to expand Drinkers of the Wind’s garlic production for 2027 by more than six times.” She will use loan proceeds to buy seed stock and pay for labor to plant, care for and harvest the additional volume, she said in an interview. “We do have some storage capacity and are looking at what it would take to increase it.” Now, the farm’s garlic crop is sold almost entirely to consumers, Bonner said. “We have had many requests to sell wholesale garlic in much larger quantities, but are unable to do that,” she said. “With this loan and with the expansion, we will be able to provide that to local restaurants.” Drinkers of the Wind will not meet all of the demand, Bonner said. “Hopefully our expansion will show there is demand, and other farmers will follow suit.” “It’s the relationship with Future Roots that makes this possible,” she said. Hailey-based Future Roots has been working in the local-food space, particularly in the Wood River Valley, for over a decade. The population has grown following the COVID-19 pandemic, and many of the new residents are coming from areas with more robust regional food systems, Mattias said in an interview. “The demand is here, and we’re really trying hard to increase the regional food supply and reduce barriers.”