farm workers

In today's Focus On Fruit, B.J. Thurlby talks about the impact new overtime requirements are having on the local fruit industry. If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail gvaagen@cherrycreekmedia.com

Just a few months after the state of Washington began its first year of requiring time-and-a-half to farmworkers, Oregon has its own version of Ag overtime on the books. And, according to Pam Lewison with the Washington Policy Center, Oregon’s bill is better than Washington’s bill. “Th ...

Oregon OSHA recently announced new permanent rules the agency say swill protect workers during extreme heat and smoke events. Ira Cuello-Martinez with PCUN, a farm worker union, is pleased to see new guidelines for things like water and shade access ...

Ag Labor remains one of the chief concerns for the farming community, not only due to increasing costs, but limited availability in 2022. Dan Newhouse, chair of Western Caucus said unfortunately, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which has already cleared the House is stalled in the Senate ...

Four of the five Republicans running for Oregon’s 5th Congressional District took to a virtual stage, last week. Those that participated agreed on a number of issues, including preserving gun rights and cutting off pandemic spending. Whe ...

The National Council of Agricultural Employers will hold a webinar this week that focuses on the impacts of heat stress on farmworkers.  “Mitigating Heat Stress and Increasing Productivity” is scheduled Thursday April 28th at 10 a.m. PDT/11 a.m. M ...

In today's Focus on Fruit, Jon DeVaney, Executive Director of the Washington state Tree Fruit Association talks about the latest efforts to reform the H-2A program. If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail gvaagen@cherrycreekmedia... Read More ...

Wheat prices are higher year-over-year, but despite that increase these are trying times for growers. “We have a price volatility factor going on right now because of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and on top of that, we have inputs that are going through the roof, such as our fertilizer and fuel which has nearly doubled or tripped," said Michelle Hennings is Executive Director of the Washingto

In an effort to showcase the diverse group of people involved in the statewide wine industry, the Washington State Wine Commission has launched a new program called Breaking Ground. The bilingual ambassador program follows 14 Washington-based farmers, with each one submitting a single story that'll be published on-line each month now through November, on the Commission's Website ...

This week, Yakima Valley College started accepting applications for the first class of the school’s new Bachelor of Applied Science in Agricultural Sciences program. The program, according Tent Ball chair of YVC’s Agriculture Department, is designed for students at the very beginning of their careers who are interested in a four-year degree as well as working adults who are interested in advancin