Articles

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife was very busy last week with several depredations in the eastern part of the state.   Investigators were called all to private pasture land in the Silver Creek area of Harney County on Monday, February 27th.  Th...

Kennewick Modernizing its Meters It is a major city-wide endeavor. Kennewick water meters are going hi-tech. It is designed to not only replace the aging meters (pictured below) but also assist water users better manage their water use. New Meters "talk" to the City With the new "Smart" meters the City no longer needs to actually physically check each meter or try to estimate w

Voting is considered a right by some, a solemn duty by others, and a whole other sector of the voting age population believes theirs doesn't count.

American bison is trying to gain access to the Japanese market.  Industry officials recently had an opportunity to meet face to face with Japanese officials during a visit to some U.S. bison processing facilities.  Jim Matheson, Executive Director of the National Bison Association, said they’ve lobbied Japan for access for several years.   "It so happened ...

After clearing the House twice, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act stalled in the Senate during the 117th Congress, and failed to get a vote.  Now that a new Congress has been seated, what does that mean for the legislation.  Dan Newhouse, chair of the Western Caucus and one of the key sponsors of the bill says his office is working on a strategy to reintroduce legislation.   "What's it goi

After recording huge numbers in 2021, beef export figures came back to earth in November 2022.  But the news is far from bad, according to U.S. Meat Export Federation President and CEO Dan Halstrom.  He noted while beef exports were down year-over-year in November, several markets set new yearly value records in just 11 months.   “Korea, Ch...

In today's Wine Minute, Katie Salisbury with the Washington Wine Commission talks about international efforts in a post-pandemic world.     If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-9791, or e-mail glenn.vaagen@townsqu...

The USDA is out with its latest edition of the America’s Farms and Ranches at a Glance report.  It’s intended to be a snapshot of what’s actually taking place on the farm nationwide.   “Farming is still overwhelmingly a family business, 98% of US farms are family owned and operated and they accounted for over 80% of total value production,” said ERS Research Economist Noah Miller.  “Of these famil

R-CALF USA is making a push for Congress to consider mandatory country-of-origin labeling of beef.  The organization is encouraging its members and others to show their support to lawmakers for the American Beef Labeling Act.  The bill was introduced by Republican Senators John Thune and Mike Rounds, alongside Democrats Jon Tester and Cory Booker last month.     The legi...

The Washington Farm Bureau named Republican state Senator Brad Hawkins, from East Wenatchee, a 2022 Champion of Agriculture.   “I'm super honored to receive this recognition from the Farm Bureau I'm proud of my 100% voting record in support of our orchardist and farming families because standing with them on their issues benefits all of us.”   ...