Washington

Earlier this month, Southwest Washington’s Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Mississippi Representative Michael Guest introduced bipartisan legislation to permanently authorize the Office of Rural Health within the CDC, ensuring the office remains in place through future presidential administrations.  The...

The latest numbers from NASS show American farmers are expected to produce 1.38 billion bushels of winter wheat this year.  If that number is realized it would be a 2% increase from 2024’s harvest numbers.  As of May 1st, the national yield is expected to average 53.7 bushels per acre, ...

“This bill is kind of a marker, it starts the discussion and I'm hoping that we can make some needed updates to it before final passage,” said Representative Dan Newhouse, after he and California’s Zoe Lofgren reintroduced the Farm Workforce Modernization Act on Wednesday.  He said  reintroducing th...

Congratulations to the University of Idaho, as the kids from Moscow prove they know their dirt.  The U of I placed first overall during the 2025 National Collegiate Soil Judging Contest.  The event which took place April 27th-May 2nd back in Stevens Point, WI, included 27 teams from across the country.  And the U of I wa...

More of the national winter wheat crop is headed.   "39% of this 2025 U.S winter wheat crop, headed by May 4th, that's six points ahead of the five-year average and slightly behind last year's pace of 41%,” said USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey.  He noted...

When compared to 2024 numbers, Idaho’s potato acres are projected to decrease by 15,000 in 2025.  If realized, that would be a 5% year-over-year drop, according to the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation.   In addition, total U.S. potato acres are ...

According to NASS, potatoes held in storage on April 1st, totaled 131 million cwt, down 6% year-over-year.  Potatoes in storage accounted for 31% of the 2024 crop, virtually unchanged from the number reported in April 2024.   As far as storage in the Northwest, Idaho had 47,000 cwt in storage, down from the 53,000 cwt reported last year.  Washington's...

On Friday, several Northwest lawmakers sent a letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin supporting the agency's plans to review the Biden Administration's tailpipe emissions standards.  The Multi-Pollutant Emission Standards for Model Years 2027 and later, finalized by the EPA in March 2024, looked to reduce emissions of from light-duty and medium-duty vehicles.  Those s...

A $14 million class action lawsuit has been filed against Lamb Weston, alleging the company did not provide meal or rest breaks.  Lamb Weston, which produces frozen potatoes and other foods, is accused of failing to provide 10-minute breaks, and half-hour lunches to its Washington workers.  The sui...

The value of U.S. industrial hemp production reached $445 million in 2024, representing a 40% year-over-year jump.  According to the National Hemp Report, released last week, total planted area for hemp jumped to almost 45,300 acres, 64% increase from 2023, with harvested area also rising to just under 32,700 acres.  Floral ...