Washington

In the area of bird flu, when the Trump Administration took over earlier this year, the priority was moved from culling all infected birds to developing a vaccination.  Washington state Veterinarian Dr. Amber Itle said it’s important to remember what vaccines do and don’t do.   “So just lik...

On Thursday, southwest Washington Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, along with California Republican Young Kim, introduced the bipartisan Research for Healthy Soils Act to research the impact of microplastics and harmful PFAS chemicals on biosolids.   ...

Washington State University’s 107th Lind Field Day Thursday saw more than 230 growers and producers discussing the latest research conducted in the inland Northwest.    “This has been amazing experience and the support from the growers and the community around is humongous for us," said Surendra Singh, Director of the Dryland Research Station.  "And this is our da...

The Washington State Department of Agriculture announced this week that the Compost Reimbursement Program will come to an end Monday June 30th.  However, participating farmers already enrolled in the program this year will still be reimbursed.  WSDA sa...

Japanese beetles have made their first appearances of the year in the Lower Yakima Valley.  The Washington State Department of Agriculture said nine beetles were detected in ten traps in Grandview and one beetle was detected in a trap in Wapato on June 9.   ...

When the Trump Administration announced that federal cuts were ending the USDA Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program, Save Family Farming was quick to sound the alarm.  SFF Executive Director Ben Tindall said ending this program will impact those that can least afford it.   “...

Grain growers from across the region are invited to Washington State University’s Lind Dryland Research Station to see first-hand the latest research on new grain varieties, crop rotations and much more.  Surendra Singh, Director of the Lind station, said while many growers see the numbers and data on the work taking place at WSU, he said there’s something special about seeing and touching the wor

The Washington State Department of Agriculture's Farm to School Purchasing Grant Application is open for the 2025–2027 biennium.   WSDA said the grant provides funds for schools and early learning services to source and prepare high quality, nutritious, culturally relevant foods for their meal programs. The program emphasizes p...

The water supply for central Washington continues to dwindle, and irrigation demands will not be met this season in the Yakima Basin.  The Bureau of Reclamation’s June Total Water Supply Available Forecast indicates senior water rights will receive 100% full entitlements, but junior water rights will only receive 43% of their full entitlements this year.  That is a  decreas...

The Washington Department of Ecology has expanded the drought emergency declared in April.  Ecology declared drought for the Yakima Basin watersheds on April 8, while issuing a drought advisory for Puget Sound region and portions of the Central and North Cascades.  Since t...