farm economy

The past 12-18 months have been very good for the livestock industry across both the Northwest and the country.  Will the trend continue this year?   Many experts say yes.  Jackie Madill, Executive Director of the Washington State Beef Commission said La Nina will help address grazing needs   “Going into a more mild, and wetter weather system always helps here in the Pacific Northwest, so I'm exci

The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is set to expire this year if Congress doesn’t take action.  Dustin Sherer, director of government affairs for the American Farm Bureau Federation, said letting the TCJA expire would have significant impacts to agriculture and a majority of Americans.   “...

The Washington farming community is being asked to participate in a survey in an effort to help lawmakers better understand the challenges of the Ag industry.  The survey, hosted by the Washington state Department of Agriculture, is open tree fruit, dairy, wheat, potatoes, grapes or hops producers.  The goa...

As part of last week's National Ag Day, a broad range of 36 food and agriculture organizations collaborated to produce the 9th annual Feeding the Economy Report.  One of the groups sponsoring the report is the Corn Refiners Association, and CRA President and John Bode said the report comes to some important conclusions.  ...

Oregon berry farmers will start hiring for summer in just a few months, but some worry new federal immigration policies will lead to a labor shortage.  Narendra Varma grows a variety of vegetables and berries at his Sherwood farm and said it’s always a challenge to ramp up hiring ahead of summer.  But this seas...

The annual Feeding the Economy Report was released in conjunction with National Agriculture Day on Tuesday.  The report is a farm-to-fork economic impact study that estimates the direct and indirect economic contributions of the food and agriculture industries on jobs, wages, economic output, and business taxes.   ...

Tuesday is National Ag Day, and the day will be extra special in Idaho.   “The governor has proclaimed the 18th as Idaho agriculture day," noted the Idaho State Department of Agriculture's Sydney Kennedy.  "And really, the event is all about giving opportunity to the public to learn more about Idaho agriculture and the significance it has in our state.”   Kenne...

Bill Perry, the new President and CEO of AgWest Farm Credit, is a familiar name to the Northwest farming community.  Perry has been with AgWest for over 20 years, starting in rural Montana, and now working in Spokane, WA.  Looking at the Northwest farm economy, he noted that while several commodities are struggling, there are a few bright spots, such as cattle and dairy.  Despite the host ... Read

Farmer sentiment continued to move higher in February, as the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer rose 11 points to 152.  The boost was primarily driven by the stronger sentiment among producers, with the Current Conditions Index climbing 28 points to 137, marking a significant rebound from its low of 76 in late summer and early fall 2024.   In contras...

Lori Stevermer, president of the National Pork Producers Council, recently testified before the U.S. Senate Ag Committee on the state of the U.S. agricultural economy.  Stevermer highlighted the top pork industry issue, California’s Prop 12, a state regulation posing an “existential threat” to all of U.S. agriculture.   ...