Darwin L. Young
Blackfoot
Darwin L. Young of Blackfoot is being inducted into the 2015 Eastern Idaho Agriculture Hall of Fame for his pioneering efforts to make the desert “blossom like a rose”.
Graduating from high school in 1941, Young was granted a one year deferment from the World War II draft to help on his family farm. The next year he enlisted in the Air Force and became a belly turret gunner on a B17 Flying Fortress. He flew 35 successful bombing missions from England over Germany. And, as was the rule at the time, if you survived that many trips over Germany, you were removed from combat missions.
After being discharged from the service, Young leased and purchased land in the Firth area. Eventually Young and his father and brother pooled their resources and came to the desert west of Blackfoot where they purchased 400 acres of virgin ground, drilled wells, built ditches, plowed the soil and grew potatoes. As time moved on Young bought out the interest of his family members, purchased other land in the area and eventually the farm grew to 1,400 acres of highly productive land.
Young is known for his quiet work behind the scenes in many organizations. He has served on the boards of the Idaho Ground Water Association, the Idaho Potato Growers and Idaho Onion Growers Associations. He has also served as a county commissioner, state legislator and a member of the Idaho State Tax Commission.
He is married to the former Pearl Dye and they are the parents of four children.