Tag Archives: economy

From the Capital Press The Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer Index rose in late 2024 and early 2025 with the fortunes of President Donald Trump, whom many farmers viewed favorably. But for much of 2026, survey results have been more in line with pessimistic scores from the previous administration. Producer sentiment dropped in April with concerns about input costs and ... Read More »

By Ben Tindall, in the Washington State Standard As the 2026 Washington state legislative session came to a close, there was at least one thing worth noting: some of the worst anti-farm ideas introduced this year did not make it across the finish line. That is the good news. The bad news is that stopping bad bills is not the same ... Read More »

From the Capital Press A Washington State University economist says it’s time for farmers to sell their wheat, as the conflict in Iran has pushed prices higher. But, the conflict is likely to increase input prices for farmers. Last fall, economist Randy Fortenbery told farmers they might want to start thinking about selling their wheat when December futures prices hit ... Read More »

From the Capital Press Washington in 2024 ranked No.1 in producing apples, blueberries, hops, pears, onions and sweet cherries. It was No. 2 in grapes, potatoes, raspberries and winter wheat, grapes. And in take-home farmer pay, it ranked No. 50. Despite excelling at growing high-value crops, Washington agriculture actually lost money, according to the USDA. That’s not to say every ... Read More »

From Pacific Northwest Ag Network Now is a difficult time in farm country across the U.S.  But many farm groups in Washington argue that times are even more challenging for producers and growers in the Evergreen State. Michelle Hennings, Executive Director of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers said during a recent trip to Olympia, she spoke to lawmakers about the issue of ag viability in ... Read More »

By Jon DeVaney Special to the Seattle Times More and more of our Washington state apple, pear and cherry growers are being forced out of business by circumstances beyond their control. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Census of Agriculture, Washington state lost 3,700 farms between 2017 and 2022 — more than two farms per day. The number of ... Read More »

From Progressive Farmer Farmers heading into 2026 are facing what congressional agriculture leaders repeatedly described as a “perfect storm” — high input costs, weak commodity prices, labor shortages and lingering trade disruptions. But top lawmakers from both parties say there is renewed urgency to complete some unfinished farm-bill work and potentially tackle agricultural labor reform. Read the rest of the ... Read More »

From the Capital Press Gil Crosby and his neighbors aren’t sure what they’ll plant this spring. “Lentils are down, garbanzos are down, peas are down, winter wheat price is down … I don’t think there’s going to be any malt barley contracts and feed barley’s not good,” said Crosby, the new president of Washington Association of Wheat Growers for a ... Read More »

The National Association of Wheat Growers has put together an information sheet on the Trump administration’s Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) program specific to wheat farmers. The one-time, $12 billion FBA is intended to help producers through market disruptions and elevated input costs until the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA) goes into effect next fall. Row crops will receive $11 billion, ... Read More »

From the Capital Press The USDA will distribute $11 billion to growers of 20 crops by the end of February to offset expected 2025 losses, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said. The USDA plans to later distribute $1 billion to farmers of specialty crops such as apples, cherries, hops and pears. The agency needs more time to study economic losses for ... Read More »