From KXLY.com Both Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho are under severe to extreme drought conditions now. Dryland farmers, and their crops, are struggling with the little rain. Wheat head comparison from Ryan Poe’s field. The left is what a normal sized wheat head looks like, the right shows a smaller wheat head with some frost damage. There are pockets of ... Read More »

From the Capital Press Northwest wheat industry leaders say Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson’s plan to remove four dams on the lower Snake River has little support. But they worry about what the Republican  congressman could do to push the plan through anyway. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

From the Capital Press The Biden administration announced Wednesday it will redefine “waters of the United States,” claiming the Trump administration’s rule left streams unprotected, particularly in the arid Southwest. The Environmental Protection Agency said it won’t return to the 2015 Obama administration’s WOTUS definition, but will revert to the pre-Obama rule and then write a new one. Read the ... Read More »

From mynorthwest.com Much of the Western United States is in a drought right now, and after one of the driest springs in 100 years, Eastern Washington is no exception, with the state having issued a drought advisory for everywhere east of the Cascades and south of the Puget Sound. The first of its kind ever issued in Washington, the drought ... Read More »

From agriculture.com The grain market is wavering – like it’s teetering on the top of a cliff. Of course, we don’t know which side it will fall on (up or down), but it’s certainly going one way or the other. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

From NASS There were 7 days suitable for field work, unchanged from the previous week. Statewide temperatures for the week ending June 6 were above normal. In San Juan County, there were higher than average temperatures for the month. Livestock was on pasture, while some pastures showed signs of water stress. CSA farms planted warm weather crops. A few late ... Read More »

From agweb.com Corn was $3.20 per bushel when Kyle Mehmen signed his first carbon contract 18 months ago. Today, corn prices are above breakeven, which buoys his spirits. Even so, Mehmen, general manager of MBS Family Farms, based in northeast Iowa, is still bullish on carbon and has crop acres enrolled in four different programs. “Carbon markets pay for practices ... Read More »

From agweb.com Farmers who insured their crops this year and made the decision to plant cover crops will now be eligible for a financial bonus from USDA. USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) announced the Pandemic Cover Crop Program, which allows farmers who planted cover crops to be eligible for a crop insurance premium. The assistance is $5 dollars an acre crop insurance premium discount for certain producers. ... Read More »

From agriculture.com The Biden administration could “impose a significant financial burden” on farm families with its proposal for stricter application of capital gains taxes, said House Agriculture chairman David Scott on Wednesday. Scott also said any increase in estate taxes “for those taking over farmland is untenable.” Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

By Dr. Xianming Chen Rusts in western Washington  Last week, we were taking the second-time stripe rust notes of the winter cereal nurseries and the first-time notes of spring cereal nurseries in Mount Vernon (Skagit County) in western Washington. Winter cereals ranged from boot (Feekes 10) to flowering (Feekes 10.5), and spring plants were in early jointing (Feekes 4-5). As ... Read More »