From Agri-Pulse The Senate Agriculture Committee reached a bipartisan agreement with the House for extending grain inspection standards and livestock price reporting today. The legislation, which has the support of the House Agriculture Committee, would ensure that grain inspections could continue during a labor dispute. The bill (HR 2051), which the Senate panel approved on a voice vote, includes a ... Read More »

From the Capital Press Ranchers in Eastern Washington who have lost grazing ground to drought or wildfire will be able to graze CRP (Conservation Reserve Program) land through Dec. 15, says Judith Olson, state director of the USDA Farm Service Agency in Spokane. That’s welcome news and will help meet the short-term needs of hundreds of ranchers throughout Eastern Washington ... Read More »

Small Grains and Canola Revenue Harvest Prices Available USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) today announced approved harvest prices for the 2016 crop year for revenue protection insurance plans within the Common Crop Insurance Policy for wheat, barley, fall canola and rapeseed located in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. For producers who bought either of the revenue protection plans, the harvest ... Read More »

From the Tri-City Herald While the effects of this drought are still being felt across the Mid-Columbia, area water officials are urging cities, schools and parks to start preparing for drought conditions next summer. On Wednesday, the subcommittee of the Yakima Integrated Plan Workgroup focused on municipal water use announced that a letter has been sent to 204 public entities ... Read More »

This week, NAWG joined a broad coalition of more than 2,000 companies, associations, and organizations in writing to members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate urging Congress to act immediately to extend, enhance or make permanent expired and expiring tax provisions that are important for agricultural producers across the country. Provisions, including Section 179 expensing and bonus depreciation, ... Read More »

From The Spokesman-Review The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is following through on its promise to propose a new clean-water rule for Washington, in case the state doesn’t come up with its own plan in time. The EPA plans to officially publish its proposed rule in mid-September for public review. It posted details on its website last week. “Our preference is to ... Read More »

From Agri-Pulse Deadline is Sept. 30, 2015. Listen to the interview here. Read More »

From Agri-Pulse A federal judge in North Dakota declined to block implementation of the Obama administration’s Clean Water Act rule nationwide, leaving it in force in all but 13 states. U.S. District Judge Ralph R. Erickson last week granted a request by the 13 states to stop the Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers from enforcing the rule. ... Read More »

Revenue coverage now available for malting barley producers in the Pacific Northwest USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA), recently announced the availability of a new malting barley endorsement to the Small Grains Crop Provisions for the 2016 crop year. The endorsement provides revenue coverage on malting barley and is available in all counties where barley is insured in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and ... Read More »

From blogs.usda.gov Grazing livestock may soon be a common sight in the Palouse region of southeastern Washington, usually known for its rolling hills and grain production. Jonathan Wachter, a soil science doctoral student at Washington State University, has been working with a local farm to improve the competitiveness of organic mixed crop-livestock systems and their potential adoption by growers in ... Read More »