State

From the Capital Press Washington farmers and truckers have barely touched a $28.5 million pot of money the state set aside to partially refund them for the cap-and-trade taxes they paid on fuel in 2023. They have claimed $1.86 million, or just 6.5% of the money, the Department of Licensing reported Tuesday. The department started taking applications Aug. 26. It ... Read More »

From the National Agricultural Statistics Service There were 7 days suitable for fieldwork in Washington, up from 6.9 days the previous week. In southwest Washington, little precipitation was received. Yakima County continued to experience dry weather. In northeast Washington, producers brought their cattle home, and fall planting was underway. East central Washington had dry weather. Winter wheat seeding was mostly ... Read More »

From the National Agricultural Statistics Service There were 7 days suitable for fieldwork in Washington, unchanged from the previous week. Western Washington received some rain, and temperatures were slowly cooling off. The weather slowed the drying of corn stalks, which delayed silage harvest. Yakima County had abnormally dry conditions for this time of year, and producers still had not seen ... Read More »

Compliance with highly erodible land (HELC) and wetland conservation (WC) provisions are a requirement for participation in Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) programs. FSA will be hosting a webinar to assist current and potential customers with understanding their responsibilities regarding highly erodible land and wetland conservation. This webinar will also provide insight into the process ... Read More »

The Washington Wheat Foundation (WWF) is preparing for its annual fundraising auction at the Tri-State Convention on Thursday, Nov. 21. The WWF is accepting donations of any kind from wheat growers. Funds raised from the auction support the WWF Ambassador Program, as well as foundation-funded research and project grants. Programs supported through grants include the Northwest Natural Resources Institute, Washington State ... Read More »

From the National Agricultural Statistics Service There were 7 days suitable for fieldwork in Washington, up from 6.7 days the previous week. Washington did not see much rain statewide. Western Washington had temperatures cooler than normal. Yakima County had dry conditions with no precipitation. Apple harvest continued with mid-season varieties filling up the packing house. Farmer’s markets sold a variety ... Read More »

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, seven Washington state counties suffered from a drought intensity value during the growing season of D2-Drought-Severe for eight or more consecutive weeks or D3-Drought-Extreme or D4-Drought-Exceptional. The primary counties eligible are Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Kittitas, Okanogan, Skagit, and Yakima counties The contiguous counties that are also eligible are Adams, Benton, Ferry, Franklin, Island, King, ... Read More »

Members of the state agricultural industry that participated in the Riparian Taskforce recently submitted a letter providing an agricultural perspective in response to some of the recommendations released earlier this summer by Plauche and Carr, the Seattle law firm that led the taskforce. The final report recommends funding and implementation of voluntary restoration efforts and acquisition of riparian areas through ... Read More »

From the National Agricultural Statistics Service There were 6.7 days suitable for fieldwork in Washington, down from 6.8 days the previous week. Washington saw good weather and some reports of rain. Western Washington received some rain, and crops were still growing well. Yakima County experienced overcast conditions that contributed to a small amount of rain. Apple harvest continued with midseason ... Read More »

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 »