The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) announced the rapid implementation of significant enhancements to federal crop insurance programs following the enactment of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on July 4, 2025. Under the new legislation, beginning farmers and ranchers will receive substantially increased premium support during their first decade of farming operations, making crop insurance more ... Read More »

On Aug. 19, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins alongside Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Sen. Marsha Blackburn, Sen. Bill Hagerty, Rep. John Rose, and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden, announced USDA will no longer fund taxpayer dollars for solar panels on productive farmland or allow solar panels manufactured by foreign adversaries to be used in ... Read More »

From the Tri-City Herald/Todd Myers It has been fifty years since the four dams on the Lower Snake River were completed. Originally built to provide transportation, they now create the equivalent of 75 percent of all wind and solar power in Washington state, helping balance those intermittent resources across the Pacific Northwest. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

This Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation, or to refinance ... Read More »

According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, there were 6.6 days suitable for fieldwork in Washington. Washington crop condition Spring wheat: 6% very poor 45% poor 35% fair 11% good 3% excellent Barley: 4% very poor 49% poor 32% fair 14% good 1% excellent Washington crop progress: Winter wheat harvested: 69% this week 54% last week 63% last year 61% ... Read More »

From the Capital Press It says a lot about the connection that Washington State University weed researchers Drew Lyon and Ian Burke have forged that when both decided to leave, they turned in their letters of resignation at the same time. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

From The Center Square Washington state loses on average two farms a day, with more than 3,700 farms lost between 2017 and 2022, according to the United States Department of Agriculture Census of Agriculture and noted in the recently released “Mental Health and Suicide Prevention for Agricultural Producers and Workers” report compiled by the Washington State Department of Agriculture. Read the rest ... Read More »

By Michelle Hennings Executive Director, Washington Association of Wheat Growers Happy Harvesting. This time of year reminds us that anything is possible with dedication and perseverance, and we appreciate the beauty of nature, the joy of hard work, and the power of gratitude! The Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG) has consistently advocated for a modernized farm bill. The current ... Read More »

From the Capital Press Wireworms are no longer as big a problem for farmers as they have been over the last decade and a half, a longtime Washington State University researcher says. “They can still rear their ugly heads, they still need to be managed, you still need to be paying attention to what you’re doing crop rotation wise and ... Read More »

According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, there were 6.7 days suitable for fieldwork in Washington. Washington crop condition Spring wheat: 7% very poor 41% poor 36% fair 13% good 3% excellent Barley: 4% very poor 46% poor 34% fair 15% good 1% excellent Washington crop progress: Winter wheat harvested: 54% this week 35% last week 45% last year 45% ... Read More »