State

Crop progress report 09/08: Winter wheat planting in full swing in Washington

From the National Agricultural Statistics Service There were 6.8 days suitable for fieldwork in Washington, unchanged from last week. Washington had temperatures ideal for fieldwork, with little moisture received last week. Yakima County had air quality issues due to wildfire smoke. Gala apple harvest continued, and Granny Smith and Honeycrisp varieties also went into packing houses. Vegetable stands were bursting ... Read More »

Renting acreage appealing for new producers, but complicated

From the Capital Press With U.S. farm property values at record levels, renting acreage feels more financially viable for new growers and ranchers. They generally lack capital or collateral to compete in the thin sector of the real estate market with more established ag producers and investors. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

Crop progress report 09/01: Fall planting underway in Washington

From the National Agricultural Statistics Service There were 6.8 days suitable for fieldwork in Washington, up from 6.3 days the previous week. Washington did not receive much precipitation last week. Temperatures were warmer than usual in western Washington, but cooler than normal in eastern Washington. Western Washington reported drier conditions than normal, and irrigation was needed to keep crops going. ... Read More »

Don’t forget to apply for fuel tax repayments

The Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) is accepting applications for partial repayments to ag producers or transporters of ag products who paid carbon fees related to the state’s cap and trade program on fuel purchases. Qualifying purchases are between Jan. 1 – Dec. 31, 2023. Funds will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications should be submitted at DOL’s ... Read More »

Crop progress report 08/25: Washington cooled off, received rain

From the National Agricultural Statistics Service There were 6.3 days suitable for fieldwork in Washington, down from 7 days the previous week. Washington experienced cooler than average temperatures for this time of year, with the state also receiving rain. Columbia and Walla Walla counties reported that all winter wheat was harvested with favorable yields. The spring crops were only in ... Read More »

Crop progress report 08/18: Washington winter wheat harvest wrapping up

From the National Agricultural Statistics Service There were 7 days suitable for fieldwork in Washington, up from 6.8 days the previous week. Western Washington producers saw a good amount of rain late in the week. This precipitation was advantageous to dairy farmers growing corn. Central Washington was dry but cooled off. Pastureland was getting short, and wheat harvest was wrapping ... Read More »

Lower Snake River System Educational Tour Brings U.S. Congressional Staffers to Lewiston

The Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG), in partnership with the Washington State Potato Commission, The McGregor Company, and Northwest RiverPartners, is hosting a tour for more than a dozen U.S. congressional staffers from Washington, D.C., as well as the region’s district offices, on Tuesday, Aug. 20. The objective of the tour is to have the federal staffers see for ... Read More »

Washington cap-and-trade rebates start Aug. 26

From the Capital Press It will be first-come, first-served when Washington distributes $28.5 million to partially refund cap-and-trade surcharges to farmers and haulers of farm goods. The Department of Licensing plans to activate a website and start taking applications for rebates Aug. 26. Applicants can file online or print applications to mail. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »