Agriculture

Mar. 26—WENATCHEE — An old saying — said to be Japanese, and said to be a curse — talks about living in interesting times. While it's always an interesting time to be in the tree fruit business, times are especially interesting now. The election of Donald Trump back to the presidency revived talk of tariffs and trade wars. Tree fruit could be among the industries caught in the crossfire, but ...

WALLA WALLA – Farmers in Columbia County may have trouble accessing programs through the U.S. Department of Agriculture locally when the USDA’s Dayton service center closes under federal cost-cutting reforms.

The latest beef in Olympia? Cow burps, gas and poop. Washington lawmakers are considering a bill that seeks to gather better data on the scale and scope of methane emissions released by dairies and feedlots in the state.

Cattle ranchers in Washington and Idaho are benefiting from a strong cattle market due to smaller herd sizes and robust consumer demand for beef.

Dec. 12—After Northwest pear growers endured their worst harvest in nearly 40 years this fall, some good news and optimism for the future was needed — and provided — at the Washington State Tree Fruit Association's annual meeting. The gathering, held Monday through Wednesday in Yakima alongside the Northwest Horticulture Expo, gave pear growers a chance to share what works in pest control, ...

Dec. 11—YAKIMA — After two years of bumpy weather and bumpy harvests, the 2024 apple and cherry harvests were closer to average. Pear growers were not so lucky. With harvest 2024 in the books, Washington State Tree Fruit Association President Jon DeVaney said cherry growers saw much better-growing conditions and much better yield as a result. "This year's cherry harvest was a welcome relief ...

Nearly six months after a water curtailment order sent shockwaves through Idaho’s agricultural community, farmers ratified a new long-term water agreement, the two sides confirmed late Thursday.