State

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 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 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 »

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 »

From NASS  There were 7 days suitable for field work, up from 6.8 days reported the previous week. Statewide temperatures for the week ending May 30 were below normal. In western Washington, rainstorms provided much needed precipitation. Ground preparation for planting was excellent. In San Juan County, some fields were replanted due to dry weather. CSA farms planted potatoes, melons ... Read More »

From NW News Network Nicole Berg wades into her stunted wheat field. It’s so short and sparse, she doesn’t think the combine can even reach the wheat without eating rocks. “Combines don’t like dirt and rocks,” Berg says. “They get indigestion.” Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

From the Spokesman Review Wednesday was an immaculate day on the Palouse. Cartoonishly puffy clouds filled a brilliant blue sky. A gentle breeze blew through the 65-degree air. Hill after hill of bright green wheat rolled away for miles in every direction. Palouse farmers are sick of beautiful days, though. They want ominous gray clouds to bring rain and bring ... Read More »

From the National Agricultural Statistics Service During the next several weeks, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will conduct two major midyear surveys, the June Agricultural Survey and the June Area Survey. The agency will contact nearly 4,500 producers across Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington to determine crop acreage and stock levels as of June ... Read More »

From NASS There were 6.8 days suitable for field work, down from 7 days reported the previous week. Statewide temperatures in Washington for the week ending May 23 were below normal. In western Washington, the weather was favorable for farming. Ground preparation for planting was excellent. Areas within the Marshland Flood Control District received hail. In Jefferson and King counties, ... Read More »

From the Seattle Times What do real estate agents, salespeople, vessel crews and farmers all have in common? Their work hours are often long and unpredictable, and until recently, Washington law included an overtime exemption recognizing those unique circumstances. During the recently completed legislative session, only agriculture’s exemption was targeted and removed. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »