State

Inslee to propose ‘new ways’ to site energy projects

From the Capital Press Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, outlining his climate agenda for the 2023 legislative session, said Dec. 12 he will propose “new ways” to push through energy-related projects more rapidly. Inslee, who last month decried “nimbyism” as a threat to decarbonizing the economy, said state laws for approving transmission lines and manufacturing plants that support renewable energy are ... Read More »

No red wave in Washington

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist While there are a couple of legislative races still too close to call, it is clear that Democrats will expand their majorities slightly. In the Senate, Democrats have picked up one seat (29-20) as Rep. Sharon Shewmake (D-Bellingham) has defeated Sen. Simon Sefzik (R-Ferndale) who was appointed last January to replace Sen. Doug Ericksen after ... Read More »

Washington’s Green New Deal: Climate agenda generates unanswered questions

From the Capital Press Step by step, Washington state has adopted the main canons of the Green New Deal, a sweeping set of mandates aimed at reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

Crop progress report 11/20: Colder temps in Washington motivated farmers to prepare for winter

From NASS There were 3.5 days suitable for fieldwork in Washington, down from 4 days reported the previous week. Colder than normal temperatures were reported statewide. Little to no precipitation was reported. Agricultural activity slowed as the 2022 grain corn harvest wrapped up. Western Washington was dry with freezing temperatures reported throughout the week. In central Washington, Okanogan County was ... Read More »

FSA encourages producers to vote in county committee elections

The 2022 Farm Service Agency County Committee Elections began on Nov. 7, 2022, when ballots were mailed to eligible voters. The deadline to return ballots to local FSA offices, or to be postmarked, is Dec. 5, 2022. County committee members are an important component of the operations of FSA and provide a link between the agricultural community and USDA. Farmers ... Read More »

Meet our 2022/23 Washington Wheat Ambassadors

Two new high school seniors have been selected to represent Washington wheat farmers as ambassadors for the upcoming year: Shaley Tiegs of Fairfield and Angelina Widman of Rosalia. Tiegs and Widman were selected after a written application process that included submitting a short introductory video. The ambassadors will represent Washington wheat farmers at various civic and community events and will ... Read More »

Crop progress report 11/13: Rain, snow and much colder temps in Washington

From NASS There were 4 days suitable for fieldwork in Washington, down from 4.3 days reported the previous week. A strong weather system moved out of northwest Washington. Dry conditions and much colder temperatures moved into the region. Most of the fall harvest was complete. There was still a little bit of corn for grain in the fields in east ... Read More »

NRCS announces new riparian buffer program

The Washington state office of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is launching a new voluntary Riparian Buffer Program in fiscal year 2023 that will compensate producers not only for things such as time, materials, labor and equipment required to install the buffers, but also for the income the land put into buffers would have produced. According to NRCS in ... Read More »

Crop progress report 11/07: Washington experienced a strong weather system

From NASS There were 4.3 days suitable for fieldwork in Washington, down from 5.5 days reported the previous week. A strong weather system arrived in the Northwest late in the week bringing strong winds and some heavy rain. Temperatures fell as cooler air followed the weather system. Topsoil moisture conditions improved throughout the state. Two to three inches of rainfall ... Read More »

Douglas: Colder, snowier winter heading for parts of PNW

From the Capital Press The Pacific Northwest is in for a colder, snowier winter that will fade into a dry ending for spring, a veteran weatherman predicts. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »