The multiyear agreement covers 1,686 acres of the broader 5,000-acre Flying A Ranch, which has been maintained by the family since 1901. Finalized by Laura and Clay Pickard, the easement protects roughly 1.3 miles of Bitch Creek along with habitat for vulnerable species like grizzly bears, ferruginous hawks, and Yellowstone cutthroat trout. While the land remains dedicated to yielding up to 250,000 sacks of seed potatoes annually, future residential tracts and data centers are permanently prohibited.
Key points
The agreement establishes permanent restrictions against commercial ventures, data center…: The agreement establishes permanent restrictions against commercial ventures, data centers, and residential housing tracts on the property.
Support for the multiyear project combined family donations with private, state, and fede…: Support for the multiyear project combined family donations with private, state, and federal conservation partners.
Scenic views along Idaho State Highway 32 and vital mule deer migration paths will remain…: Scenic views along Idaho State Highway 32 and vital mule deer migration paths will remain preserved in perpetuity.
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A family ranch near Ashton, Idaho, is now permanently protected by a conservation easement that limits how the land can be developed. The agreement safeguards 1,686 acres of Flying A Ranch while allowing the Atchley family to continue farming and ranching. The move also protects an important wildlife migration corridor used by mule deer travelling from Wyoming into Idaho, along with habitat for several other species.
A homestead that turned into a potato business
The Atchley family has worked this land since 1901, when James Arthur Atchley moved from Tennessee and claimed it. He founded Atchley Farms in 1906. According to earlier records, the family’s potato-growing history goes back even further, Teton Valley News reported. In 1923, James won a blue ribbon at the Eastern Idaho State Fair.
Today, the ranch covers roughly 5,000 acres and grows seed potatoes on 800 to 1,000 acres. It sells up to 250,000 sacks a year, mostly to buyers in the Pacific Northwest who turn them into French fries, according to the Ashton Chamber of Commerce.
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