Pacific Northwest Ag Network

Federal farm wage rates shifted this month across the Pacific Northwest. Washington saw increases across the board, Oregon had mixed changes, and Idaho gets its new rates August 17 due to an ongoing lawsuit.

Four new directors are joining the Washington Apple Education Foundation board, all with ties to Yakima and Wenatchee and careers built around Washington's tree fruit industry.

Near Juntura, OR the Bentz family ranches nearly 200,000 acres and has restored miles of riverbank. Their conservation work earned V Box Land and Livestock a top regional honor from the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.

Advocacy doesn't always mean storytelling, sometimes it’s correcting misinformation. Tucker Van Dyke, the Oregon FFA state Secretary, used IP28 as an example in today's Future of Farming.

Oregon's wildfire emergency declaration includes insurance protections for residents in affected zip codes, covering grace periods, delayed cancellations, and easier claims reporting.

The Washington sale barns saw close to 1,300 head trade Friday, with lean-type slaughter cows leading the gains and the CME feeder cattle index settling at $348.65 after a 48 cent drop.

Washington State's agriculture department is redoing its website and recruiting real users to weigh in. Virtual interview slots are open August 12 through 18, and you don't need any special background to participate.

The Senate ag committee hit a wall on the Farm Bill this week. The National Farmers Union says farmers need relief from high input costs and low prices, and waiting longer just isn't an option.

AI data centers have quadrupled across the US in four years, and Senator Ron Wyden thinks it's time they paid more into the system. His proposal would end certain federal tax breaks and fund support for workers pushed out by AI automation.

Three new USDA announcements affect farmers right now, covering crop insurance payment deadlines, prevented planting coverage, and a push to modernize how the agency collects farm data.

Rural electric utilities can now apply for partially forgivable federal loans ranging from $1 million to $100 million to upgrade grid reliability using hydro, geothermal, and biomass energy sources.

Reservoirs in the Yakima Basin are 57% full and dropping. Junior water rights holders are getting 58% of their water allocation this month, a slight bump from July.

Senate farm bill talks broke down Thursday over a disagreement on SNAP cost-sharing. Democrats wanted a two-year delay before states chip in. Republicans offered one year. The committee recessed without a deal.

WSU's Jim Harbertson works on something most wine drinkers never think about: tannin management. He recently shared his research goals through the Wine Minute segment.

Dry summer heat is taking a toll on pastures from the Pacific Coast to the Great Plains. Nationwide, only one in four acres of rangeland is rated good to excellent right now, and the numbers keep slipping.

When budgets are tight, Colleen Donovan says the local farmers market is a great way for consumers to save money on fresh local products.

Three Zoom meetings this month give Washington hunters a chance to hear about roughly 60 proposed rule changes covering deer, elk, moose, waterfowl, turkey, and more, ahead of the 2027 to 2029 seasons.

Forty students earned a shot at national FFA office this fall, including Livvy Sturm from Oregon and Joshua Nelson from Idaho, who will face a nine-student interview panel at the national convention.

Freeze and frost damage across Okanogan County triggered a federal disaster designation, opening the door to FSA emergency loans for local farmers. Neighboring counties including Chelan and Whatcom are also included. Apply by March 31st.

BLM lands across Oregon and Washington are under fire restrictions right now. Officials say smoke and fire conditions can change quickly, so checking local closures before heading out is worth the extra minute.

Blueberry season is in full swing, and depending on where your berries come from, the story behind them is pretty different. Washington had a clean start, Oregon battled fruit flies, and Georgia finished strong after a dry growing season.