From smallgrains.wsu.edu With wheat harvest starting, the crop year 2021 has been one of, if not the most challenging years we’ve experienced here in eastern Washington and across the Pacific Northwest mostly because of a record dry spring, record heat, and let us not forget the multiple frost events this spring. This year has been a learning experience for myself ... Read More »

Andy Juris, Washington Association of Wheat Growers secretary/treasurer and a farmer from Klickitat County, is featured in KXLY’s latest Tribute 4 Our Farmers television spot. Read More »

From NASS There were 6.7 days suitable for field work, down from the previous week. Statewide temperatures for the week ending Aug. 1, were above normal. In San Juan County, drought conditions remained. Most hay was done, but a lot was poor quality. Some fields of barley pulled through the drought and were harvested. Blueberry harvest had begun, and other ... Read More »

From the Capital Press A dearth of soil moisture due to drought might not allow researchers to plant wheat this fall at Washington State University’s dryland research station, and farmers in other parts of the region might face the same problem. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

From the Spokesman-Review Short stalks, thin rows, cracked soil and small bushels; the wheat Kevin Klein is harvesting in a field near Sprague just looks plain different this year. At least that’s what he sees, and considering he’s a fourth generation farmer who’s been working some type of a field for basically his entire life, its not too much of ... Read More »

From agweb.com A month after President Biden stood in front of the White House announcing an infrastructure deal, language of the $1 trillion bipartisan bill defeated the obstacles of Washington and made its way through the Senate. The bipartisan U.S. Senate members cleared a procedural vote on a possible infrastructure bill Wednesday with a 67-32 vote. It marks the first procedural ... Read More »

From NASS There were 7 days suitable for field work, unchanged from the previous week. Statewide temperatures for the week ending July 25, were above normal. In Whatcom County, drought conditions remained. All crops needed irrigation. Raspberry harvest ended, and blueberry harvest began. In San Juan County, many farms had livestock on stockpiled feed. Many grazing pastures were completely brown. ... Read More »

From the Risk Management Agency The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced its Risk Management Agency (RMA) will authorize Approved Insurance Providers (AIPs) to extend deadlines for premium and administrative fee payments, defer and waive the resulting interest accrual and allow other flexibilities to help farmers and ranchers through widespread drought conditions in many parts of the nation. Producers now ... Read More »

From the Capital Press Northwest white wheat farmers may see discounts because of high protein levels in their crops. Higher protein wheat is good for crackers, but detrimental for most soft white products such as cookies or cakes, said Art Bettge, a Moscow, Idaho, industry consultant. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

From the Capital Press Washington’s pending capital gains tax will burden farmers and ranchers and influence investment decisions, eight agricultural groups assert in a court document. The groups filed an amicus brief July 16 in Douglas County Superior Court, supporting a lawsuit filed by the Washington Farm Bureau and some of its members challenging the tax’s constitutionality. Read the rest ... Read More »