North Dakota

As growers nationwide start to wind down spring wheat harvest, the USDA is out with a look at this year’s crop.  USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey said as of Sunday August 25th, 51% of the crop has been cut, which is just slightly behind the five-year average for 53% for this time of year; but ahead of last year’s 50%.  As far as individua...

A bipartisan group of Senators recently launched an effort to get USDA to improve the accuracy of foreign-owned farmland data.  The group, led by Chuck Grassley, Joni Ernst and John Fetterman wrote Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack that FSA data on foreign holdings of U.S. farmla...

A coalition of attorneys general is urging the Environmental Protection Agency to implement a new rule that would create uniform labeling requirements on pesticide products across the country. By streamlining the process and preempting misbranding in states like California, the rule would lift the burdens currently placed on farmers across the country...

With warmer weather in the long-term forecast, growers are planning for the season ahead.  Karen Sowers, Executive Director of the Pacific Northwest Canola Association saw while canola seed is produced across much of the western Hemisphere; in the U.S., ...

First, it was a competition issue, but recently, foreign ownership of U.S. farmland, especially by China, has become a U.S. national security issue.  With that Chinese spy balloon spotted over Montana, the U.S. Air Force is now warning, proposed Chinese land buys in North Dakota are too close to a military drone testing facility.  Io...

The University of Idaho is warning potato growers across the Pacific Northwest to be on the lookout for ring rot.  UI Extension Seed Potato Specialist Kasia Duellman said the tuber-born bacterial disease attacks crop yields, in both commercial and seed potatoes.   ...

According to NASS, winter wheat seedings across the Northwest are up slightly from last year.  Oregon farmers planted 790,000 acres of winter wheat for the 2023, an 8% increase from this time last year.  Idaho growers seeded 770,000 acres, unchanged from 2022, but 8% above the 2021 crop.  Washington’s wint...

The hot, dry weather we’ve seen across much of the western United States has been “ideal” for spring wheat harvest, that according to USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey.  Harvest numbers, he noted, made a big jump this week, increasing 21% to 71% of the overall crop being cut to this point.   “Even with th...

As combines roll across the Pacific Northwest, and the nation, some wheat growers are trying to play a little catch up.  Brad Rippey, meteorologist with the USDA said when it comes to the final look at the winter wheat crop, 95% has been harvested as of Sunday.  Rippey ...

Despite the challenges of inflation and elevated fuel prices, Idaho’s barley growers have recovered many of last year’s losses thanks to solid yields.  Laura Wilder, Executive Director of the Idaho Barley Commission, said 2021’s drought conditions led to a 21% year-over-year production decrease.   To completely reco...