From the Capital Press The navigation lock at The Dalles Dam on the Columbia River will be closed for repairs for five weeks early next year. That’s three weeks longer than the usual two-week closure for repairs each year. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

From NASS There were 6.1 days suitable for field work, down from 6.7 the previous week. Statewide temperatures for the week were above normal. In San Juan County, topsoil moisture increased. Fruit crops were harvested. Livestock was on stock-piled feed, and CSA farms continued to harvest annual crops. In Jefferson County, grain harvest was nearly complete, and corn harvest began. ... Read More »

From agriculture.com This year’s record of U.S. agricultural exports could be broken next year, as the U.S. expects to keep China’s feet to the fire on existing trade agreements, according to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack. The USDA leader made a virtual appearance at the Ag Outlook Forum Monday. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

From the National Association of Wheat Growers Yesterday, the House Ways and Means Committees advanced its contributions to the proposed $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation package, which included provisions to offset components of the bill. The National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) is glad to see that proposals to tax capital gains at death were not included in the committee advanced ... Read More »

From the Capital Press The USDA Risk Management Agency has announced the crop insurance harvest prices for wheat. The agency will use a price of $9.86 per bushel for winter wheat and $9.21 per bushel for spring wheat. Read the rest of the article here. (A list of FAQs on the wheat harvest price from RMA is here.) Read More »

From NASS There were 6.7 days suitable for field work, down from 7 the previous week. Statewide temperatures for the week were above normal. In San Juan County, irrigated locations did not need as much water due to cooler, shorter days. Harvest happened on CSA farms. Apples, pears and plums ripened. Livestock were fed stored feed. Yakima County received much ... Read More »

From the Capital Press The Washington Farm Bureau can challenge the state’s capital gains tax before it takes effect, rather than wait for farmers to be taxed, Douglas County Superior Court Judge Brian Huber has ruled. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

From the National Association of Wheat Growers The National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) welcomes the news from Vice President Kamala Harris’ trip where a bilateral package was announce that would suspend or eliminate the Vietnam Wheat Import Tariff. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) and Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance have been working diligently on a bilateral ... Read More »

From the Capital Press Zippy Duvall recently got an up-close look at the Lower Granite Dam, one of four dams Pacific Northwest farmers say are critical to their livelihoods. Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, toured the area to learn more about the lower Snake River dams and offer his support to the region’s farmers. Read the rest ... Read More »

From NASS There were 7 days suitable for field work, unchanged from the previous week. Statewide temperatures for the week ending Sept. 5 were below normal. In San Juan County, there was no change in livestock management. Irrigated orchards showed ripened fruit. Pastures turned from green to a brown crisp due to no rainfall. In Yakima County, there was another ... Read More »