URGENT UPDATE: Annual Meeting Location Changed!
The Farmers Union Board has moved the annual meeting to the Riverside Hotel.
Riverside Hotel - 2900 W. Chinden Boulevard, Garden City, Idaho 83714
Farmers Union Annual Board Meeting - January 10, 2026 | 1-2 PM
Visit our Board Election page to learn more about the shareholders who are running for board positions.
Take Action
Attend the Farmer’s Union Annual Board Meeting and vote.
We need 251 Farmers Union Irrigation shares represented. This will constitute a quorum - the minimum number of members required to be present at a meeting for official business to be conducted. A quorum is required to hold a Board Election.
The last record of a quorum we could find was in 1984, meaning the Board has been appointing each other (without holding an election) for decades. Our goal is to have a quorum at the Farmer’s Union Annual Board Meeting to elect a new board and vote on proposed resolutions.
1) Elect a New Farmers Union Board
We need leaders who will relook at this deal between Farmers Union and Eagle Sewer District and act with transparency.
Check back soon for more on proposed new board members.
2) Vote on Proposed Resolutions
Engage an independent attorney, acceptable to the Board and Shareholders to:
Evaluate the validity and enforceability of the Agreement with Eagle Sewer District
Evaluate legal options and prepare updated Bylaws that would require a majority vote from shareholders to sell/transfer/change water rights or sources.
Can’t Attend the Annual Board Meeting?
Submit a proxy form so your vote can be cast on your behalf. Please email us at farmersunionshareholders@gmail.com so we can assign you to one of our local volunteers who has signed up to serve as a proxy voter.
Download and print the proxy form. We will coordinate a pickup time with one of our local volunteers to ensure your voice is heard at the January 10 meeting.
Timeline
View the sewage discharge contract between Farmer’s Union and Eagle Sewer District signed Oct 28, 2024.
View the first public mention of the agreement in the Farmer’s Union Jan 11, 2025 Annual Meeting Minutes Draft.
Protect Our Historic Irrigation Rights
Farmers Union Ditch Company owns water shares in the following local reservoirs / rivers:
Arrowrock - 2,779 Acre-Feet
Anderson Ranch - 5,593 Acre-Feet
Lucky Peak 10,000 Acre-Feet
Board Members see the possible sale of our irreplaceable historic water shares in local reservoirs as a “significant potential financial opportunity” for the company. Proceeds from such a sale cannot be distributed directly to shareholders. This raises a critical question: What is the Board's true motivation?
Selling off our natural water rights in exchange for a revocable contract for treated sewage wastewater offers shareholders no benefit while jeopardizing our water quality and supply.
This affects more than just Farmers Union Shareholders.
Multiple irrigation companies receive their water deliveries through the Farmers Union canal.This will distribute wastewater containing persistent contaminants—such as PFAS and pharmaceutical residues—directly onto lawns, home gardens, school playgrounds, sports facilities, and into groundwater aquifers. Affected irrigation:
Farmers Union Ditch Company
Capital View Irrigation Inc
Lexington Hills Inc
Boise Valley Irrigation
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Farmers Union Irrigation and Eagle Sewer District began talks for this contract back in spring, 2023. We filed a freedom of information request to get a copy of that communication. View the letter here.
The contract was signed in October, 2024. No public notice was given until January, 2025.
-
Class A sewage discharge does not remove all chemicals and pollutants, it is only filtered and treated to reduce bacteria. It still contains:
PFAS “forever chemicals”
Pharmaceuticals (birth control hormones, antidepressants, antibiotics, chemotherapy drugs)
Nonlyphenols - found in high levels in Boise's treated effluent and known to feminize fish (documented in dozens of scientific studies) and act as endocrine disrupters in mammals.
Heavy metals
Microplastics
Industrial chemicals
-
When we asked why this deal was done behind closed doors, the Farmer’s Union Board told us: “Because we can.”
We find this response deeply inadequate and dismissive. As shareholders, we expect—and deserve—leadership that prioritizes transparency, actively represents the interests and concerns of all members, and engages openly with those it serves.
