Row Crop

Whether 2027 brings a Super El Niño or a typical winter, Pacific Northwest potato growers are bracing for heat, smoke, and spotty rain that can fuel early blight and white mold across their fields.

Idaho potato growers took 15,000 acres offline this season trying to balance supply and keep prices from falling. The Idaho Potato Commission says costs are still far above pre-COVID levels and profit is hard to come by.

Washington State potato growers were counting on a trade deal with Japan to open fresh potato access — it didn't happen, but the state's Potato Commission says other markets are still in play.

Specialty crop growers can apply for USDA financial assistance through a login.gov account or at their local FSA office, with a deadline landing this Friday, August 7th.

For years, Washington potato growers had more overseas demand than they could handle. That has changed, with exports dropping around 10 percent as China and India become serious competitors in the same markets.

WSU researchers have confirmed the first psyllid carrying the zebra chip bacterium this season after testing more than 1,460 insects across the Columbia Basin potato region.

American fruit and vegetable growers lost more than 7 billion dollars in 2025, and the losses are expected to keep climbing through 2027 as prices fall short of what it costs to grow the crops.

Idaho potato growers planted fewer acres in 2026 than they have in recent years, and early frosts already have farmers watching closely to see how the season plays out.

Corteva Agriscience's Verpixo uses an active ingredient called Adavelt to stop Cercospora from taking hold in sugarbeet crops, and it mixes well with other common crop protection products already in use.

Farmers who've been improving soil health and water quality may now have a clearer path to premium prices, thanks to a new USDA rule tied to biofuel production credits.