b'E C O N O M YBonners Ferry is the economic hub of Boundary County. Furthermore, the great majority of people in the countys work force also reside within the county. Small businesses are predominant in Boundary County, with enterprises employing between one and four people comprising approximately 70% of total businesses in 2003. While much has been said about the need to diversify Boundary Countys economic base, studies show that in 2000, compared to the national median, Boundary County is slightly more economically diverse than most. Strikingly, from 1970 to 2000 non-labor income, which includes investment and retirement income, grew from 22.9 percent of new personal income generated to 41.8 percent. New income generated by government also increased notably during that time, rising from 13.2 percent in 1970 and grew to 19.5 percent in 2000. The largest decline in new income generated was in farm and agriculture services, which dropped by 4.4 percent.6Major Employers:1. U.S. Forest Service2. Boundary County Government3. Boundary Community Hospital4. Boundary Regional Health Center5. The Kootenai Tribe6. Boundary County School District 7. Riley Creek Lumber Company, Inc.AgricultureAbout 68,000 acres in the survey area is used for crop production, hay, and pasture. Major crops are spring wheat, winter wheat, oats, barley, alfalfa, clover seed and canola. Ornamental nursery and irrigated hops make up a small but signicant acreage. Most of the prime cropland is located on the Kootenai River ood plain, which has been drained and protected from ooding by a system of ditches, pumps and levees. The remainder of the cropland and most of the hayland and pasture is located on the high benches of cleared forest land, with some pasture located on wet bottom lands and meadows along the major creeks of the area. The average size of individual farms and ranches is about 300 acres.7Total and Per Farm Overview, 2017 and change since 20122017 % change since 2012Number of farms 348 -6Land in farms (acres) 68,884 -8Average size of farm (acres) 198 -3Percent of county land in farms 8.4%FIGURE 6. Boundary County Total Farm Overview. 82017 Market Value of Agricultural Products SoldCounties Sales ($1,000) Rank in State Producing ItemTotal30,800 33 44Crops26,927 24 44Grains, oilseeds, dry beans, dry peas5,216 32 42262 I D A H O I N F R A S T R U C T U R E G U I D E B O O K'