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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

From the Capital Press The Environmental Protection Agency has released a three-step framework for regulating insecticides, winning praise from farm groups, state agriculture departments and the USDA for reworking a widely criticized plan proposed last year by the Biden EPA. The EPA released its final “insecticide strategy” on April 29, one day before a court-set deadline to come up with ... Read More »

From the National Agricultural Statistics Service  According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, there were 7 days suitable for fieldwork in Washington, and good weather continued for planting progress. Washington crop condition Winter wheat: 4% very poor 7% poor 14% fair 65% good 10% excellent Winter canola: 4% very poor 22% poor 52% fair 16% good 6% excellent Washington crop ... Read More »