Former lawmaker and fourth-generation sheep rancher being inducted in Eastern Idaho Ag Hall of Fame
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TERRETON – Longtime sheep, elk and bison rancher Jeff Siddoway and his wife, Cindy, are among four other local farmers who will be inducted into the Eastern Idaho Agriculture Hall of Fame next month.
The Terreton couple own Siddoway Sheep Company and Juniper Mountain Ranch. Jeff is a fourth-generation rancher who raises more than 7,000 head of sheep on 15,000 acres spread across private, state and federal land. They utilize thousands more acres for the elk and bison operation.
The hall of fame, which was established in 1972, honors individuals for their dedication, leadership and contributions to agriculture in eastern Idaho. The individuals are nominated and voted on by the hall of fame’s board of directors.
Jeff tells EastIdahoNews.com he’s humbled to be selected for the hall of fame.
“There are probably a lot more people in eastern Idaho that are more deserving than I am,” Jeff says. “I’ve dedicated my life to agriculture … but a lot of folks have done that. I really appreciate all those that moved this nomination forward.”
The couple are widely respected leaders and advocates for agriculture across the state. A news release from the Ag Hall of Fame says the couple pioneered elk ranching in Idaho and helped establish the legislative and regulatory framework for private hunting operations.
In 2018, Jeff stepped down from a seat in the Idaho Senate after 12 years in office. In that capacity, he worked on public lands issues and pushed for better wildlife control measures. Cindy made history in 1999 as the first female president of the American Sheep Industry Association.
“It took a few years, but we did it,” Cindy says, noting the association’s formation in 1865.
Jeff and his wife join hundreds of inductees over the years, including Jeff’s father, Raymond Kenneth “Bill” Siddoway, who was inducted in 1975.
Their son, John Clark “JC” Siddoway, recently took over the sheep company. As their children and grandchildren continue to work the family farm, the Siddoways say they’re pleased to see it continue for future generations.
“We raised our children here on the ranch and they all know how to work,” says Jeff. “How many folks in the world today have an office that’s 450,000 acres? Every day, you can see those beautiful Teton Peaks. A lot of people don’t get that opportunity.”
A family tradition dating back 138 years
Jeff’s great-grandfather, James William Siddoway, was the original owner of the ranch. He immigrated to eastern Idaho from England in 1886 after joining the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Homestead Act of 1862 promoted westward settlement and development of the American frontier. It made 160 acres of surveyed government land available to whoever wanted to claim it. Those who did so were required to live on and “improve” their plot by cultivating it. After five years, they would own it free and clear, providing they did their part.
James originally settled in Canyon Creek east of Rexburg, also known as Green Canyon.
“They set up a sawmill and lived two years up there in Canyon Creek,” says Jeff, noting that the mill today is a haunted attraction.
“They moved to Teton two years later and built some rock homes that are still standing,” he adds.
In 1888, James started raising sheep on a few acres of land in Teton. Sheep ranching was a common way to make a living back then and sheep provided an abundance of resources for families.
In addition to using the wool to make clothes for your family, Jeff says the sheep’s size was more advantageous for meat than other livestock.
“There wasn’t a lot of refrigeration (at the time),” Jeff says. “You could kill a sheep and eat it before the meat spoiled.”
From those humble beginnings, it’s grown into a profitable multi-generational family operation.
The sheep industry reached its peak after World War II. Jeff was born during this time — on Oct. 21, 1948. At an early age, he remembers his dad picking him up from baseball practice and telling him his playing days were over because there was too much work to do.
“After that, summers were plum full of work and that’s what we did,” Jeff recalls.
Years later, Jeff was a few credits shy of completing his bachelors degree at the University of Idaho when his dad had a heart attack. He came home to run the farm after his dad’s heart surgery.
Although Jeff says his intention was to return to school and graduate, it never happened.
Despite that, Jeff says he’s enjoyed running the ranch over the years and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
A legacy of ranching and public service
His time as a public servant is another family tradition that started with his great-grandfather.
Jeff says he was asked to run for the Idaho Senate by his predecessor, Don Burtenshaw — father of Van Burtenshaw, who currently occupies the same Senate seat.
His initial plan was to serve 10 years. After a decade in office, Jeff says his colleagues talked him in to serving two more years. He was burnt out when he stepped down in 2018.
“I got to the point where I couldn’t wait until Friday when I could head home,” Jeff recalls. “I just lost my passion (for it).”
To this day, Jeff says it’s his involvement in agriculture that he’s most proud of. At age 77, he says he still enjoys getting up early every day to go to work and he’s proud of the family’s ranching legacy.
“The feet hurt, the back hurts, the arthritis hurts, but I still love getting up and going to work,” he says.
Jeff says it’s been rewarding to work alongside his wife all these years and he’s honored to be ranked among the area’s finest ranchers in the ag hall of fame.
“It’s great to have a job where you can go to work everyday and have your kids with you,” Cindy says. “It’s really been a great life doing what I love to do. I’ve been blessed.”
The other inductees include Rick Keller of Chubbuck, who represented Idaho agriculture for more than 40 years with the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation. Shawn Walters of Newdale, along with Dennis Morgan Lake of Blackfoot and David Crapo of St. Anthony have also been selected.
The Siddoways and the rest of the inductees will be recognized during a ceremony on March 20 at the Shoshone Bannock Hotel and Events Center in Fort Hall. A dinner and reception will precede the ceremony, which starts at 6:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend.
