Berries

Organic fresh produce sales grew by 3% last year while total volume dropped by 3.7%.  The Organic Produce Network said total sales topped $9.4 billion for the year.  The 2022 Organic Produce Performance Report says the fresh berry category was the top organic produce category with more than 16% of organic fresh produce dollars in 2022.  Fresh berry sales...

On Thursday, Democratic leadership appointed Oregon representative Andrea Salinas to the House Ag Committee.   “Oregon’s sixth district stretches across hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland and produces everything from wine grapes to hazelnuts, berries to dairy products, grass seed, and countless other crops that people around the globe enjoy," noted the freshman Democrat from Tigard. 

Ask anyone in the tree fruit, berry or vegetable industries, they’ll tell you all about the high labor costs associated with their labor-intensive commodities.  A recent USDA study looked at those costs and what can be done to help producers with their bottom line.   “There...

Last month, western Washington representative Suzan DelBene announced that the farming community may be eligible for disaster-related relief funds due to excessive heat and droughts. “Many on this call I know experienced firsthand this series of heat waves, the heat dome that hit the Northwest last summer, including the time in June where our temperatures went up to 120 degrees.  Pai...

According to the Centers for Disease Control: Right now 5.8 million Americans over age 65 live with Alzheimer's disease." And that number could double by 2050, according to Kansas State University Extension Food Scientist Karen Blakeslee ...

The Washington state Department of Agriculture announced late last week that 25 projects across the state will share in $4.6 million in 2018 USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant funds.  And the projects vary as much as the state’s Ag industry.   P...

The latest look at crop quality from the USDA paints a challenging picture for Washington spring wheat.   Just 44 percent of the Evergreen State’s spring wheat is in good to excellent condition, Oregon is sitting at 72 percent at good to excellent.   T...