Raising seeds is painstaking work. Plants and their pollinating insects must be carefully managed and tended to produce fertile seeds of known parentage. The western Snake River Valley offers the perfect conditions for alfalfa, vegetable, and corn seed production. A dry, mild climate largely free of diseases, with plenty of water for irrigation. . Canyon County Idaho produces 95 percent of the nations sweet corn seed. The amount of labor involved in seed production keeps farm sizes relatively small and in turn sustains main street communities here while rural towns in other parts of the country struggle to survive.