Pacific Northwest Ag Network

The Washington state Department of Agriculture announced another bird flu case Thursday.  A backyard flock in Kitsap County tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza on June 29th.  Kitsap is the 11th county with bird flu detected in domestic flocks, with 27 infected flocks statewide.  All inf...

The University of Idaho held a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday for the dairy facility at the Idaho Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment, better known as Idaho CAFE.  When complete, the $45 million project will be the largest research dairy in the nation, housing over 2,000 cows.  College...

Dawn talks about how Helena can help farmers balance increased input costs with the need of commodities. If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail glenn.vaagen@townsquaremedia.com

A major conference on electric transportation wrapped up Thursday in Portland.  Organizer Jeff Allen said they had a number of vehicles on display, including a tractor, showcasing how EV’s can help save farmers money. “A lot of the diesel that farms burn, they burn idling. Of course, with...

According to American Farmland Trust, smart growth and investment in America's downtowns and main streets must occur now to secure the land that grows our food.  Earlier this week, the organization released its new report, Farms Under Threat 2040: Choosing an Abundant Future and the accompanying web mapping tool. AFT r...

The American Farm Bureau Federation is out with some dramatic new figures on the toll fuel inflation is taking on producers and consumers.  AFBF Chief Economist Roger Cryan said the cost of growing food and fiber is soaring. “At the retail level, gasoline is up 50% from a year ago and fuel oil is up 100% from a year ago, quite a high-cost increase for farmers," with diesel up 74% from a year

In today's PNW Ag Network Wine Minute, Sam Tannahill talks about help available for growers adjusting to the removal of the overtime exemption for the farming community.   If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail glenn.vaag...

Home-grilled cheeseburgers, a summer cookout staple, will cost consumers more this Independence Day weekend.  ERS said the ingredients for a home-prepared 1/4-pound cheeseburger totaled $2.07 per burger, with ground beef making up the largest cost at $1.20.  ...

Brewer's yeast used to make beer is typically discarded once it's no longer needed.  Sometimes, though, the leftover yeast is mixed into livestock feed as a source of protein and vitamins.  According to new research from ARS, there now may be even more reason to continue this practice.  Laboratory result...

April and May combined for the 4th wettest on record for Oregon.  But that doesn’t mean the region is done with drought.  Dr. Joe Casola, NOAA’s Western Regional Climate Services Director, said all of that moisture helped. “Streams had a lot of ...

The Food and Drug Administration recently concluded it has no further questions regarding the safety of drought-tolerant HB4 wheat, developed by Bioceres Crop Solutions Corp.  In response, U.S. Wheat Associates and the National Association of Wheat Growers issued a joint statement this week.  The gro...

What do parents need to know when it comes to scholarships, grants and paying for college?  EOU's Danny Bailey takes a look. If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail glenn.vaagen@townsquaremedia.com...

What will be the effects of higher interest rates be on farmers and the agriculture industry? "I'm almost gun-shy of making strong predictions in the environment we've been in, in the last couple years." But USDA Chief Economist, Seth Meyer, said classic economics would say that normally: "Rising interest rates in the United States strengthens the dollar, makes us a little less expo

What impact did mid-April's snow have on the Northwest pear crop.  We put that question before PBNW's Jeff Correa.   If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail glenn.vaagen@townsquaremedia.com...

According to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Market Basket Survey, the average cost of a summer cookout for ten people is $69.68, which breaks down to less than $7 per person. AFBF Chief Economist Roger Cryan said the overall cost for the cookout is up 17% year over year, for a variety of reasons. “One o...

Creighton University’s June Rural Mainstreet Index sank into negative territory for the first time since September 2020.  Dr. Ernie Goss is co-creator of the RMI. “Inflation is a really big concern, of course, with the accompanying interest rate hikes. The Federal Reserve,...

In May, the U.S. Trade Representative’s office initiated the second USMCA dispute regarding Canadian dairy tariff-rate quota policies.  The TRQs deny allocation access to eligible applicants, including retailers, food service operators, and other types of importers, and impose new conditions on the allocation and use of the TRQs. Wiscon...

The Supreme Court this week denied R-CALF’s lawsuit against 13 state beef councils and the Beef Checkoff.  The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association said the ruling effectively ends “yet another R-CALF attack on the Beef Checkoff and prevents the activist attorneys at Public Justice, from further diverting Checkoff and beef industry resources.” NCBA intervened in the...

Earlier this week, the National Chicken Council announced findings from a recent national survey of Americans regarding consumer attitudes about chicken and plant-based ‘chicken’ alternatives.  Survey participants included individuals who consume meat and animal products, along with flexitarians, vegetarians and vegans.  The results indicat...

Crop producers have until July 15th to submit their crop acreage report to their local USDA Farm Agency office.  And as FSA Deputy Administrator Scott Marlow notes, there is also a new option available for producers to access their farm records and acreage maps. "If p...

Every year has challenges for farmers across the Pacific Northwest.  But, 2022 has put more challenges before Idaho producers than typical, that according to Idaho Farm Bureau Federation President Bryan Searle.  He said weather has been more difficult than normal, with an extremely dry winter and early spring, giving way to wet and cool conditions, with some locations experiencing flooding. In ad.