ag labor

Cattle ranchers in West Texas are strapping fit-bits on their cows.  The fitness trackers keep track of the herd's movements at a time when the industry is facing a labor shortage.  Instead of wrapping them around their hooves, they're worn as ear tags and collars.    The...

On Monday, USDA’s Economic Research Service reported data that shows the H-2A seasonal worker program has expanded over time.   U.S. agricultural employers who anticipate a shortage of U.S. domestic workers can fill seasonal farm jobs with temporary foreign workers through the H-2A visa program.  The Depa...

It’s been a while, thanks to the pandemic and the slow march out of state mandated restrictions, but the Chelan/Douglas County Farm Bureau will hold their Annual meeting and Dinner Monday October 3rd.  The event will take place at the Wenatchee Convention Center, starting at 5 p.m.   CDCF...

How could technology and innovation impact the future of farm and ag labor?  That was the focus on a workshop hosted earlier this month by Washington State University at the Tri-Cities campus.  The workshop, “Labor and Automation Effects on Social Sustainability and Resilience in U.S. Agriculture”, was a sp...

According to NASS, 2021 Washington Total Farm Production Expenditures dropped 6% year over year.  Farm Production Expenditures in Washington are estimated at $9.07 billion for 2021, down from $9.69 billion in 2020.  The four largest expenditures at the state level accounted for 56% of total expenditures last year; that included labor at 25%, Farm Services at 13%, Feed coming in a 12% and fertilize

Labor remains a top concern for the tree fruit industry.  The American Fruit Growers held its annual State of the Industry survey, and on the farm labor was a big topic in the survey, and one-third of the respondents say it’s not an issue for them, at least not yet.  For the remai...

In today's PNW Ag Network Wine Minute, Sam Tannahill talks about help available for growers adjusting to the removal of the overtime exemption for the farming community.   If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail glenn.vaag...

In today's PNW Ag Network Wine Minute, Sam Tannahill talks about the removal of the Ag Overtime exemption in Oregon, and what that could do on the state's wine industry. If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail gvaagen@cherrycreekmedia... Read More ...

Of the six members of the U.S. Apple Association’s emerging leader program, the NextGen Apple Fellowship, two come from the Pacific Northwest. Tim Cote is a projects analyst and Director of Orchard Safety for AgriMACS in Yakima, noted while he was initially nervous about being named to the 2022 NextGen Apple Fellowship class, he’s looking forward to tackling some of the biggest issues impacting t

Efforts continue to improve ocean cargo shipping as one way to resolve current supply chain disruptions. Yet, as commodity export trade manager Walter Lanza expressed, the outlook for 2022 does not look especially bright for a variety of reasons ...