Author Archives: Trista Crossley

Low prices and Trump’s trade war are pushing these Northwest farmers to the brink

From KUOW Back in the New Deal era, the Northwest’s mighty rivers were dammed allowing barges to cheaply bring grain from the wheat fields of eastern Washington to the coast for export. Today, at ports along the Snake River, trucks unload grain to five-storey high bins along the banks. Most barges that pull up to the terminals carry the equivalent ... Read More »

Crop progress report 05/18: Cooler temps, rain hit state

According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, there were 4.7 days suitable for fieldwork in Washington. Temperatures cooled across the state, and rain provided timely moisture to crops. Washington crop condition Winter wheat: 3% very poor 6% poor 13% fair 68% good 10% excellent Spring wheat: 2% very poor 4% poor 35% fair 55% good 4% excellent Barley: 1% very ... Read More »

WA Fuel Refund Program for Ag Producers to End June 2nd

Since the end of August 2024, the Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) has been accepting applications for refunds for ag producers who paid taxes related to the state’s cap and trade program on fuel purchases. However, the program is set to end on June 2, 2025, to ensure that all funds are distributed to eligible applicants before July 1st. Thankfully, ... Read More »

Farm groups ask Supreme Court to hear Monsanto’s appeal

From the Capital Press The American Farm Bureau and 11 other farm groups asked the U.S. Supreme Court to shield the Monsanto Company from lawsuits alleging glyphosate causes cancer. Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto’s line of Roundup products, revolutionized the agricultural industry when it was introduced in 1974, the farm groups stated in a friend-of-the-court brief filed May 9. ... Read More »

Crop progress report 05/11: Spring planting makes good progress

From the National Agricultural Statistics Service According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, there were 6.4 days suitable for fieldwork in Washington. Temperatures were near average across the state. Good progress was reported for spring planting and crop emergence.  Washington crop condition Winter wheat: 4% very poor 7% poor 11% fair 68% good 10% excellent Spring wheat: 1% very poor ... Read More »

Stripe rust update 05/07: Stripe rust appearing in the Palouse

By Dr. Xianming Chen On May 6, we were checking fields around Pullman, Wash. Winter wheat and barley ranged from Feekes 5 to 7. We were able to find stripe rust on susceptible checks in all our experimental fields at the Palouse Conservation Field Station, Plant Path Farm, and Spillman Farm. The incidence was low (<0.01%) in all locations, as ... Read More »

Crop progress report 05/04

From the National Agricultural Statistics Service According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, there were 5.9 days suitable for fieldwork in Washington. Temperatures were above average in the east and average to below average in the west. Washington crop condition Winter wheat: 4% very poor 8% poor 10% fair 69% good 9% excellent Winter canola: 6% very poor 28% poor ... Read More »

Agencies extend comment period on Columbia operations

From the Capital Press The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation have further extended the public comment period for their re-do environmental review of Columbia River systems operations to Aug. 15. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

Mississippi river stakeholders to tour Columbia-Snake

From the Capital Press Members of the Upper Mississippi River Waterway Association will tour the Columbia-Snake River system the week of June 23. The tour is the latest in an ongoing partnership with Pacific Northwest stakeholders, who toured the Mississippi River in June 2024. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

Farmer’s faith: Planting Northwest wheat, despite challenges

From Northwest Public Broadcasting Inky black ravens light on newly seeded ground. Andy Juris is planting spring soft white wheat at an elevation of 3,000 feet outside of Bickleton, Washington. The crop will be harvested starting in August. Then, it’s bound for the Columbia River barges, out to Portland or Vancouver. It’ll then be sent upon the ocean for Japan, ... Read More »