Hidden Valley, Idaho

Hidden Valley is an agricultural unincorporated community in Lincoln County, Idaho, United States. Consisting of a large collection of farms close to the towns of Dietrich and Paul, it is situated in a remote region of southern Idaho, approximately 150 miles from the border with Utah. Due to the size and geographical remoteness of the area, long car and bus rides are commonly required for residents to get to school and other activities. It is therefore not uncommon for the populace to spend a great deal of time on the road.

Climate

The climate in the Hidden Valley region can at times be extreme. Getting snowed-in during winter is not uncommon and in emergencies snowmobiles and occasionally helicopters are needed.

In contrast, droughts can also be a problem in Hidden Valley. These can have disastrous consequences for agriculture, though most farmers have deep wells and can dig deeper to gain water from the Snake River aquifer to water their crops. Many farms are bordering on sagebrush, and can have fires. On occasion, farms are burned. A fire in 2000 killed many cattle grazing near it and destroyed some of the grain fields and pivots.

Community

The majority of people who work in Hidden Valley have a postal address from Paul. Many also have religious and school ties to Paul, as well as to Dietrich and other nearby towns. Everyone that lives there is employed in agriculture with the chief commercial crops being hay, sugar beet and potatoes. In addition to these, corn, wheat, and barley are also grown. There are also some Dairy farmers in the region, along with a minority of inhabitants who work in municipal-type jobs. The farm owners are some of the few people who live there permanently. They are in direct contrast with the many seasonal migrant workers from Mexico who perform jobs such as operating sprinkler pipes in the summer before returning to Mexico in the winter after harvest.