208-425-3337

601 Hwy 34, PO BOX 241

Grace, ID 83241

A Brief History of Gibbs Farms

 

Gibbs Farms all started when a young Jack Gibbs had a desire to start farming in the Grace, Idaho valley.  Jack was a hard working young man that did whatever he had to, to make ends meet.  He always believed in integrity and in honest dealings with his fellow man.  Jack married Afton Alsop and together they had two children, Sidney and Marcus.  He instilled in them a work ethic at an early age.

 

Jack started farming a variety of crops and always had some livestock.  Early on, Jack made a name for himself in the Herford cattle business.  He took great pride in his registered herd of Herford cattle.  Jack continued looking for crops to grow that would do well in his high altitude valley.  As a result, Jack became just the second potato grower in the area.  He lived and based his farm in Niter, five miles south of Grace, but he farmed around the entire valley of Grace.  In 1943, he was instrumental in establishing this area of Caribou County as the Grace Seed Management Area. Which, it is still to this day.  Meaning, that any potatoes grown in this valley and area must be submitted to the Idaho Crop Improvement Association and go through the certification process. Jack sold his seed potato crop throughout the entire state of Idaho, establishing customers that are still with Gibbs Farms to this day.  Jack also believed in leadership and doing his part in making life better for all.  He ran and was elected as a County Commissioner from 1962-1972.  He took part in many projects around the county, including the building of Caribou County Memorial Hospital and starting the annual Caribou County Fair.  His life ended too early from an illness in 1972.  He left behind a great farm and legacy.

 

During the final phase of Jack’s life, his son Marc, was busy at Utah State University.  Marc was studying finance and was enrolled in the US Air force ROTC.  With the passing of his father, Marc and his wife Bonne, made the decision to return home and take over Gibbs Farms.  Marc was forced to get a special release from his Air Force commitment and after his graduation from USU, Marc and Bonne returned to Niter, Idaho.

 

Marc and Bonne started a family and had two children of their own, Tori and Josh.  All together, the post Jack Gibbs era of Gibbs Farms was underway.  Marc was an aggressive farmer that took great pride in his farm and valley.  Like his father Jack, Marc believed in doing his part in making a difference where he could.  With his natural leadership skills, Marc served in many capacities in the Agriculture industry.  Locally, Marc has spent many years on various water boards around the valley and the state.  In his younger days, Marc served in various positions with Idaho Crop Improvement Association.  More recently, he decided to take his love for civil service and get involved in politics at the state level.  In 2008, Marc was elected to the state of Idaho House of Representatives.  He is still a Representative to this day, and has plans to continue serving for the foreseeable future, providing he keeps getting re-elected.

 

The one thing that Marc always believed in was to spread responsibility around.  He gave a lot of it to Josh at an early age.  After, graduating from Idaho State University, Josh returned home to the family farm.  Josh and his wife, Jenny, now have 4 children of their own; Harper, Jack, Ivor, and Grey.  Josh and Marc share responsibilities on the farm.  This allows Marc to spend some time in his role as a state representative.   Jenny is also important on the farm.  She manages the office and works with our employees to keep stacks of paper at a minimum.

 

A lot has changed since 1940, but the Gibbs’ continue to stay close to their roots.  Jack Gibbs believed in Integrity.  He built his farm on the premise; you do what you say you’re going to do.  Your word is your bond.  Many great relationships have been established with this concept.  Gibbs Farms takes great pride in operating with great integrity.