Pacific Northwest Ag Network

The latest numbers from NASS show American farmers are expected to produce 1.38 billion bushels of winter wheat this year.  If that number is realized it would be a 2% increase from 2024’s harvest numbers.  As of May 1st, the national yield is expected to average 53.7 bushels per acre, ...

Once the national leader in asparagus, Washington is expected to see less than 3,000 acres harvested this year.  Alan Schreiber, Executive Director of the Washington Asparagus Commission, said it’s all about dollars and cents.   “The m...

Labor is a difficult topic in the farming community.  And perhaps the tree fruit industry serves as the best example of that.    Kate Tynan Senior Vice President at the Northwest Horticultural Council said as producers continue to struggle to find a domestic workforce, more and more are turning to the H-2A program.  She added many pe...

Last week, Idaho Senator Mike Crapo and Oregon’s Ron Wyden reintroduced legislation to expand the Short Line Railroad Tax Credit.  They say this bipartisan proposal would provide operators with essential resources to ensure communities and small businesses can rely on safe infrastructure.   The Sh...

Due to federal cuts and changes in D.C., Washington State University’s Bread Lab announced last month it has been ordered to cease spending a five-year, $10 million Soil to Society grant.  The funding came through the USDA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative’s Sustainable Agriculture Systems program.  WSU said they were in yea...

The U.S. and the United Kingdom announced Thursday that they had reached the framework of a trade agreement that included opening U.K. market access for American agricultural products.  Dave Salmonsen, senior director of government affairs for the American Farm Bureau Federation, said the new agreement is the first step in a much larger picture.   Th...

Over the weekend, the U.S. and China agreed to temporarily lower tariffs on each other’s products, which Bloomberg called a dramatic ratcheting down of trade tensions between the two largest economies in the world.   For the next 90 days, the combined 145% levies on most Chinese imports will be dropped to 30%, including the rate tied to fentanyl by Wednesday May 14th.  The 125%...

Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the suspension of live cattle, horse, and bison imports through U.S. ports of entry along the southern border due to the northward expansion of the New World Screwworm virus.   “While we are working with Mexico on responding to the screwworm, it’s my duty to take all steps within my control to protect the U.S. livestock ind...

The National Association of Conservation Districts wrote to leaders of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, urging robust support for USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service’s operations budget.  With the support of more than 120 conservation and agriculture groups, NACD requested $1.2 billion in FY 2026 ...

Idaho ranchers Lynn and Glenna Rasmussen are suing Simplot for allegedly causing a major toxic spill from a phosphate slurry pipeline, which they claim devastated their cattle operation.  The lawsuit alleges that agribusiness giant downplayed the volume and toxicity of the September 2023 spill in the Caribou National Forest, which the couple claims contaminated local water sources with hazardous s

On Thursday, The Trump Administration announced a trade agreement-in-principle with the United Kingdom.  Kent Bacus, Executive Director of Government Affairs at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, said this announcement is welcomed news for the American rancher.   “This ...

Hannah McAuliffe, the 2024 Oregon Ag in the Classroom Educator of the Year, discusses how a lack of Ag teachers will likely impact the industry into the future.   If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail glenn.vaag... Read More ...

A new report shows the health of Oregon’s forests, following years of drought and historic wildfires.  And researchers are relying on aerial fly-overs to gather critical data.  Oregon’s Department of Forestry and the U.S. Forest Service work together...

Far West Agribusiness Association announced last week that Doug Brock has been appointed Executive Director.  FWAA said Brock brings a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to the agricultural community to the role.   Prior to this role, Brock served as the Business Unit Manager for The McGregor Company in Eltopia, WA, for over 32 years.  FWAA said hi...

USDA’s May World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates, better known as the WASDE, typically draws a lot of interest, since it’s the first look at crop commodity production, use, trade and price trends for the new marketing year.  World Agr...

Fire officials urge everyone across the Northwest to prepare properties now for the wildfire season ahead.  Oregon’s Office of State Fire Marshal has for years encouraged everyone to create defensible space, but Assistant Chief Deputy Chad Hawkins said seemingly minor mistakes could make a big difference this fire season.  He said peopl...

The Rural Broadband Association applaud the introduction of the Lowering Broadband Costs for Consumers Act.  The bipartisan legislation directs the Federal Communications Commission to require broadband service providers to contribute to the Universal Service Fund.   ...

At a press conference on Capitol Hill last week, House Ag Committee Democrats railed against Republican plans to cut spending on food aid in SNAP.  The Democrats emphasized that funding for SNAP supports hungry families as well as farmers, grocery workers, truckers, and food manufacturers.    ...

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney met with President Trump in Washington D.C., and while the two have spoken on the phone, this was their first face-to-face meeting.  This was also the first major diplomatic meeting for Canada’s newly elected leader.   C...

“It's just been a deal that was we thought, very complicated. It became very simple," President Donald Trump said Thursday at the White House, announcing the U.S./United Kingdom trade agreement-in-principle.  "It's opening up the country that we really didn't have the kind of access to that I would have thought; I was surprised. I think i...

“This bill is kind of a marker, it starts the discussion and I'm hoping that we can make some needed updates to it before final passage,” said Representative Dan Newhouse, after he and California’s Zoe Lofgren reintroduced the Farm Workforce Modernization Act on Wednesday.  He said  reintroducing th...