Micron

Wednesday July 15 9:15 - 11:30am

Micron Technology is one of the world’s leading providers of advanced semiconductor solutions. Micron’s DRAM and Flash components are used in today’s most advanced computing, networking, and communications products, including computers, workstations, servers, cell phones, wireless devices, digital cameras, and gaming systems.

The Micron policy tour will involve an inside look at the Micron site and will include presentations on their latest product innovations, rich history and more.  Micron staff will lead these discussions and will stop at various locations where people can see how Micron brings its innovations to life.

Comfortable walking shoes are recommended.

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St. Luke’s Boise Medical Center

Monday July 13 2:00 - 4:00pm

This tour will provide attendees with a hands-on opportunity to experience a state-of-the-art surgical suite without being a patient.  A tour of our surgical suites and a demonstration of the daVinci – our robotic laparoscopic surgical device will be provided.  We will also provide a hands-on opportunity to see what doctors see as they utilize “scopes and screens” in the OR to improve outcomes for patients.  The tour will be divided into two separate groups to allow for smaller groupings of individuals into the OR suite for demonstrations.  For the waiting group, we will provide an overview of St. Luke’s Health System – the only Idaho-based health system comprised of four hospital sites and the state’s only Children’s Hospital.  Time permitting, we may also provide an overview of some of the breakthrough research being performed at St. Luke’s Mountain States Tumor Institute – also known as “MSTI.”

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Healthwise Incorporated

Wednesday July 15 1:30 - 5:00pm

Healthwise, a non-profit organization in Boise, Idaho, develops consumer health information that helps people make better health decisions. Healthwise content can be found in Western Canada provincial health initiatives and in United States' federal and state government agencies. The Province of British Columbia gives every BC resident a copy of a Canada-specific Healthwise Handbook called the BC HealthGuide Handbook.  The states of Wyoming and Montana have included consumer-focused outreach as a part of their state Medicaid program.

The Healthwise tour includes a presentation and discussion with Donald W. Kemper, Healthwise founder, CEO and co-author of Information Therapy: Prescribed Information as a Reimbursable Medical Service. Don will outline the three challenges facing health care on both sides of the border. He will reveal an untapped health care resource that can help control costs while improving outcomes and satisfaction. Don's session will be followed by interactive and group participation workshops on interactive coaching tools, decision aids, health literacy, and how information technology is vital for patient-centered care. The tour closes with an open forum on how to build successful health information systems for the future.

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US Geothermal

Monday July13 2:00 - 5:00pm

US Geothermal is directed at working to responsibly develop geothermal energy resources for electrical power and direct uses.  They strive to create enhanced value for their stakeholders while addressing America’s domestic energy needs and promoting a clean environment. 

US Geothermal and Ormat Technologies will make a presentation on their Raft River project and present a model of the power plant used at the project.  The Raft River geothermal project is located in southern Idaho, approximately 200 miles SE of Boise and is the first commercial geothermal power plant in the Pacific Northwest.  The power plant is an organic ranking (binary) cycle that was designed and constructed by Ormat Technologies.

US Geothermal currently owns and/or leases approximately 10.8 square miles of land with a proven geothermal reservoir which may be capable of producing up to 110 megawatts of power based on estimates from GeothermEx Inc.  In an earlier study Raft River was rated first in the "Final High Temperature Ranking: Pacific Northwest" of geothermal sites in the four state Pacific Northwest region.  Geothermal electric power plants typically have operating availabilities of 96% or higher and function as base load power generators, which is higher than hydro dams, coal and natural gas fired generators.

After the presentation attendees are invited to tour a facility using geothermal direct heat to see it in action. The tour will be led by Kent Johnson the geothermal manager for the city of Boise.  Mr. Johnson will discuss “district heating” with regard to the Boise system which is the oldest and largest in the US.

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Clear Springs Trout and West Point Farms Dairy Policy Tour

Tuesday July 14 11:30 - 4:30pm

Idaho is the number one foodsize trout producer in the U.S. producing 73% of the foodsize trout in the country. Clear Springs Food, located in Buhl, Idaho, is the largest trout farm in the United States and one of the largest in the world. The vertically integrated company has state-of-the-art farm operations, feed manufacturing, processing plant, and research facilities, along with a specialty products production facility that makes value added consumer products such as fish sticks and appetizers. They are committed to producing the highest quality products avaliable.

After the tour of Clear Springs Foods, the group will visit West Point Farms in Wendell, one of Idaho's large and modern dairies. Dairy is Idaho's largest agricultural sector generating over $2 billion in farm gate receipts. Idaho is the third largest dairy state and cheese processor in the country. West Point Farms opened in February, 2001 and milks 6,000 cows three times a day in two double 35 parallel milking barns. The free stall facility employs 57 people.

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National Interagency Fire Center

Monday July 13 1:15 - 3:45pm

The Boise Interagency Fire Center (BIFC) was created in 1965 because the US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and National Weather Service saw the need to work together to reduce the duplication of services, cut costs, and coordinate national fire planning and operations.  The National Park Service and Bureau of Indian Affairs joined BIFC in the mid 1970s.  The US Fish and Wildlife Service later joined in 1979.  The Center’s name was changed in 1993 from the Boise Interagency Fire Center to the National Interagency Fire Center to more accurately reflect its national mission.  The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), located in Boise, Idaho, is the nation's support center for wildland firefighting.

The NIFC tour will include a briefing on the agency and its activities.  Attendees will then tour different offices including NICC (National Interagency Coordiation Center,) RAWS (Remote Automated Weather Stations), the Great Basin Cache, the Boise Smokejumper base, the largest cache of radios in the world, and the Wildland Firefighters Monument.

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Nunhems Seed Policy Tour

Wednesday July 15 1:30 - 5:00pm

The vegetable seed business of Bayer CropSciences operates under the name of Nunhems.  Nunhems is the global specialist in vegetable seeds and sharing products, concepts and expertise with the professional horticultural production industry and supply chain.  Its portfolio includes leading varieties and brands in crops such as leek, onion, carrot, melon, cucumber, tomato, watermelon, lettuce, pepper and chicory witloof. 

Nunhems is among the world’s four leading vegetable seed companies with an extensive range of 28 species and some 2,500 varieties.  With more than 1,3000 people Nunhems is present in all major vegetable production areas in more than 44 countries worldwide.  Their North America operations are based in Parma, Idaho.  Currently, the company is investing nearly $19 million in an expansion.  The Parma sight has 150 full time employees.

The policy tour would involve both a briefing and a plant tour. The plant tour would include grading and cleaning of vegetable seed (most likely carrot or onion) as well as the Quality Assurance Department and the area where seed is grown out and tested.

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Idaho Wine Country

Sunday July 12 1:00 - 5:00pm

Idaho Vintners Greg Koenig and Ron Bitner will host a group of participants for a tour of two of Idaho’s finest locally, family owned wineries and provide a briefing on the establishment of Idaho’s first wine appellation district – the Snake River Appellation.  This will be a nice opportunity for participants to see the agricultural country around the greater Treasure Valley area, enjoy some fresh air and learn about wine-making in Idaho.

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Banner Bank Building- Green Work Space

Tuesday July 14 9:45am - 12:15pm

The Banner Bank Building in downtown Boise is Idaho's first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum rated building - the highest rating available from the US Green Building Council.  This eleven story, 180,000 square foot building uses 50% less energy than a typical office building of its size.  Sustainable features are apparent throughout the building including rainwater and gray water recycling, geothermal heat, recycled construction materials and raised flooring.  The building provides state of the art indoor environmental quality meaning tenants enjoy superior air quality and daylighting.

The tour will point out and discuss the sustainable features of the building.  It will also detail why the Banner Bank Building was designed and constructed, and is being operated with sustainable design principles as a guiding focus. 

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JR Simplot

Tuesday July 14 9:30am - 12:30pm

The J.R Simplot Company is a privately held food and agribusiness corporation based in Boise, Idaho.  We employ approximately 10,000 people in the US, Canada, China, Mexico and Australia.  Annual sales are about $4.5 billion, derived principally from food, fertilizer, turf and horticulture, cattle feeding, and other enterprises related to agribusiness.  Simplot is one of the world’s largest frozen-potato processors, annually turning out 3 billion pounds of French fries and other potato products worldwide.  The firm also is one of the nation’s largest beef-cattle producers, and ranks as a major agricultural-fertilizer manufacturer, with markets in the US, Canada and Mexico.  The company is named for founder J.R. Simplot.

Attendees will tour a potato processing plant in Caldwell, Idaho. The Cadwell facility processes traditional french fries such as shoestrings, thin cuts, and regular cuts, and tater gems, hashbrown patties, and individual-quick-frozen shredded hashbrowns.

The plant’s products are sold throughout the US and to international markets through customers such as regional and national quick-service restaurants, and retail and full-line distributors. 

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