Pacific Northwest Ag Network

According to NASS, as of August 1st, Washington apple production is forecast at 6.50 billion pounds, down 4% from last year's production.  Washington ranks number one in apple production, accounting for 64% of the U.S. production this year.  Me...

2021 was a challenging year for the ag industry across the Pacific Northwest, and those ramifications are still being felt.  Chris Voigt Executive Director of the Washington state Potato Commission says last year's heat dome, the extremely hot temperatures the region experienced in late June, led to a smaller crop than expected.  He...

Oregon’s State Fire Marshal’s Office is taking public feedback as the agency develops new statewide code for defensible space.  OSFM’s Allison Green said they’ve heard concerns from farmers and ranchers in areas that might be considered at high or extreme risk for wildfires, which would trigger potential future code enforcement.   “We have folks here...

In the world of virtual fencing, ranchers now have one more option.  Researchers at the University of Idaho recently announced a less expensive alternative to GPS technology.  Commercial virtual fence systems deliver an electric shock to a cow’s neck when the animal approaches a virtual barrier, eliminating the need for wire fencing by relying on GPS technology.  However,  the...

Investigators in Oregon are asking for your help trying to find the person or persons responsible for the shooting and killing of a wolf in the Pine Creek Wildlife Management Unit in Baker County.  On Friday, August 5th, Oregon State Police Fish & Wildlife troopers received information from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife that a collared wolf, OR112, may be dead at a location just of

It’s a trend many consumers, and many motorists have enjoyed as of recent; oil prices moving lower.  In fact, for the past nine weeks, the price for a barrel of West Texas Crude has dropped to $88 in Monday's trade, an over 4% drop from Sunday's numbers.   W...

New data released by ERS shows the growth in the number of farmers markets is slowing.  From 1994 to 2019, the number of farmers markets rose from 1,755 to 8,771 nationwide, averaging growth of nearly 7% each year.  Expansion began to slow in 2011 before eventually falling below a 1% per year increase between 2016 and 2017.  Since t...

American shoppers struggling with inflation are looking at higher beef prices continuing in their local meat cases.  Because of high feed prices and severe drought, ranchers were forced to reduce their cattle herds.  Grain prices have dropped to their lowest levels since Russia invaded Ukraine, but Reuters says that might not mean lower food prices right away at the grocery store.  Corn fu... Read

The Biden administration announced late last week a $74 million effort to improve health care facilities in rural communities.  The Rural Development grants will help 143 rural health care organizations expand critical services for three million people in 37 states, Guam and Puerto Rico.  ...

Some Canadian farmers have joined in solidarity with their farm counterparts in the Netherlands over government targets to reduce nitrogen emissions.  Last week, several provincial capital cities, as well as Ottawa, saw slow-rolling tractor convoys.  Al...

When it comes to the ongoing conversation of climate change, the impact agriculture has, and what the future of the industry looks like, Cameron Mulrony said it's vital that producers share how cattle benefit the climate.  The Vice President of the Idaho Cattle Association pointed out the non-farming community needs to know that the beef industry is a good guy when it comes to the climate conversa

Oregon’s Department of Agriculture is now recommending against all in-person exhibitions of poultry, because of the ongoing epidemic of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza.  Bird flu already prevented 4-H students from displaying birds at the Deschutes and Lane County fairs. ODA sa...

There are a lot of things you can say about high commodity prices.  They make export values look really good, but sometimes those high prices can reduce the actual amount of product that overseas buyers are willing, or able to buy from American producers.  Th...

"Unfortunately not unexpected, but if you look at the map of wildfires current in the Northwest, extending from northern California through Oregon, Washington and then eastward through Idaho into western Montana, there are a number of large wildfires on the map...

Over a million dollars in federal funding is coming to Oregon for firefighting efforts.  Senator Jeff Merkley said it’s a step toward disaster prevention. "These funds go to the fire chiefs to prepare and basically develop their plans for tackling the fires. They’re v...

Senators Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Joni Ernst of Iowa introduced bipartisan legislation last week to protect and expand access to high-speed internet in rural communities and encourage rural broadband investment. The Access to Capital Creates Economic Strength and Supports Rural America Act would provide regulatory relief to rural telecommunications service providers by allowing them to submi

Year-over-year consumer inflation in July was 8.5%, down from the 9.1% we saw in June.  The month-over-month inflation was 0%, though that was largely the result of a 4.6% drop in energy prices.  Food prices reported a nearly 11% year over year increase in July, with a 1% month-over-month jump.   ...

The USDA is investing up to $12 million in partnerships that expand access to conservation technical assistance for livestock producers and increase the use of conservation practices on grazing lands. The Natural Resources Conservation Service is accepting proposals through its Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative until September 22...

Earlier this month, the Department of Agriculture announced funding for two outreach and education efforts for farmers and ranchers.  FSA is investing $10 million for agriculture-oriented taxpayer education as well as $4.5 million in outreach for the Conservation Reserve Program's Transition Incentives Program.  Bo...

Farm state Senators have joined House colleagues in trying to crack down on foreign ownership of U.S. farmland.  In June, House appropriators included a ban on Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran owning U.S. farmland in their annual USDA spending bill.  Cu...

New artificial intelligence developed at Oregon State University could help protect bees from new pesticides.  Typically, pesticide developers expose a group of bees to a new chemical and if more than 50% survive, it’s deemed nontoxic for these critical pollinators.  But, OSU...