University of Idaho College of Agricultural and Life Sciences dean announces retirement, outlines program priorities and budget requests

Dean Michael Perella, the head of the University of Idaho College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, told the Idaho House Agricultural Affairs Committee on Feb. 24 that he has announced his retirement effective June and outlined the college’s statewide programs, personnel gains and two funding requests for the coming year.

Perella said the college has hired about 75 new faculty during his nine-year tenure and now operates nine research and extension centers across the state. “I have announced my retirement as of June of this year,” Perella said. He described the land‑grant mission that guides the college’s research, extension and teaching work, and emphasized the college’s role in crop breeding, livestock systems and youth programs such as Idaho 4‑H.

The dean asked the committee to consider two enhancement requests. The first would fund a viticulture and small‑fruits research and extension specialist based at the Parma Research and Extension Center; Perella said the role would perform applied research statewide while responding to region‑specific viticulture questions. He said the position grew from stakeholder meetings that began in 2018 and noted industry support, including the state wine commission. The second request seeks operating funds for the Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment—commonly called CAFE—where Perella said the college is requesting “50% of the operating dollars for phase 1 construction.” He added, “The 250,000 number really comes from the State Board of Education,” referring to the board’s formula for state support.

Perella described CAFE as a dairy‑centric facility that will link livestock and crop production: “This will be a 2,000 cow dairy when it’s finished,” he said, and argued that the facility will help study nutrient management, soil health and water efficiency across crop‑livestock rotations. He also cited Parma as an example of partnership work: stakeholders rallied to rebuild the Parma facility after it suffered years of decline, and the campus now supports multiple crops and breeding programs there.

The dean warned about long‑term risks to production: he said Idaho is losing agricultural acres and noted the common characterization that the state is “losing one farm in Idaho every day.” He emphasized the need to keep investing in breeding, extension and research to maintain productivity as global food demand rises.

Perella and other presenters also described extension and outreach metrics: the college has roughly 220 faculty (more than half off campus), about 75,000 youth involved in Idaho 4‑H and roughly 2,000 4‑H volunteers. Barbara Petty, identified in the meeting as associate dean for extension and director of University of Idaho Extension, was listed among the presenters and was credited in Perella’s remarks for helping the college secure more than $6 million in county funds that support county extension programs.

Votes at a glance

The committee approved committee minutes from Feb. 10, 2025, by voice vote at the start of the session after Representative Shirts moved to approve the minutes; the chair called for “aye,” no opposition was recorded, and the motion passed.

Why it matters: The college leads statewide agricultural research and extension that affects growers, processors and rural communities in Idaho. Perella framed the enhancement requests and CAFE as investments aimed at supporting the dairy and specialty‑fruit sectors and at improving soil, nutrient and water management.

What’s next: Perella said CAFE construction is expected to come online in about a year; the viticulture position and CAFE operating funds are enhancement requests to the legislature and would require appropriation if they are to be funded.