The crop you've probably never heard of is taking off in Idaho

REXBURG — Everyone knows that potatoes are Idaho's No. 1 agricultural export, but another crop, teff, has become a huge industry in the Gem State as well.

Teff is a warm-season grass originating from Ethiopia that can be used as a grain or forage crop. It's not clear how much of it is produced in Idaho annually, but BoiseDev reported in 2022 that Idaho was the second-highest producer of the grain portion in the world.

It was introduced in the Boise area sometime in the 1980s. Wayne Carlson launched a company called Maskal Teff in 1986 and partnered with farmers to grow it for an Ethiopian food staple called injera — a pancake-like fermented flatbread.

In 2018, the University of Idaho's Research and Extension Center in Aberdeen began growing it in eastern Idaho as part of a research project. It was grown primarily as a forage crop for livestock.

Joseph Sagers is one of three researchers behind a study on teff yield and quality in Aberdeen. He tells EastIdahoNews.com that the crop is becoming more popular in the U.S., and that Idaho provides suitable growing conditions for it in July and August.

"A lot of farmers like it because it's a little more drought-tolerant than other forage crops," Sagers said, noting that it's also sensitive to frost. "It's a warm-season crop, meaning it grows really well the hotter it gets. If you just whisper the word frost to it, it dies."

Since its growing season is so short, Sagers said many farmers are leery of growing it, but if you can grow corn, another warm-season crop, you can grow teff.

Sagers said one reason teff is appealing to some farmers is that it's higher in protein than other annual grasses, such as oats, triticale — a wheat and rye hybrid — winter wheat and forage barley.

Another reason it's appealing, he said, is that it can be planted a month later than other crops and still get better yields.

"As an emergency crop, teff fits really well," said Sagers. "You can't grow alfalfa after growing alfalfa. It has an auto-toxicity issue, which makes it necessary to wait at least a year, preferably two years, before you grow it again. That's not the case with teff."

A farmer's experience

Dyrel Whitby, of Rexburg, works for Larsen Farms in Dubois. He started growing teff about three years ago as horse feed, which they bale like hay and sell to customers back east. He said customers have told him that horses metabolize teff better than hay. It reportedly works well as cattle feed, too. EastIdahoNews.com met him at a field near Rexburg to learn more about teff.

Whitby's introduction to teff happened in 2023. He said he'd been looking for a short-term annual crop to bring to market that wasn't expensive and didn't require much maintenance. While on a vacation in Florida, he and his wife learned about teff from a customer and decided to give it a try. They planted 60 acres that first year and were surprised at the results.

"The farmers that we grew it with really liked it," said Whitby. "They put potatoes right behind it, and they found that their yields per acre were greater than any other field behind the teff.

Today, they grow about 500 acres of teff.

Whitby said it's cheaper to grow than alfalfa, and the first crop is ready for harvest within 45-60 days of planting. While he likes the quick turnaround, he said the timing of planting it is critical.

"If you plant it too early, it won't grow," he said. "The ground's got to be 65 degrees or warmer to germinate."

Depending on how long a farmer wants to push the yield, Whitby said that after the first cutting, you can get a second crop in 25 days. He's planning to experiment next year and push it to three cuttings.

Although frost is a major issue in Idaho and a major downside to growing teff, Whitby said it's a great option in a state with limited heat-unit days.

"When there is heat, you get a good yield without a lot of inputs," he said.

Whitby said the fact that it needs little fertilizer or water is another selling point at a time when input prices are high, and the state is dealing with the worst water year on record.

Sagers expresses a similar sentiment, saying teff is an underutilized crop that farmers should consider as an emergency crop over other cool-season grasses if their main crop fails.

"The right thing to be planting (in that situation) would be teff or another warm-season crop," Sagers said.

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