American Farmers and the USDA Had Finally Embraced Their Role in the Climate Crisis. Then Came the Federal Funding Freeze - Inside Climate News
For two decades, farmer John Burk has been working to improve the soil on his farm in Michigan, taking a few extra steps to make it more resilient and productive. His efforts have paid off. “When we have the dry, hot summers or lack of rainfall, our crops can sustain the dry spells better. We […]
USDA cuts hit small farms as Trump showers billions on big farms • Stateline
Trump administration cuts of more than $1 billion in local food programs has hurt some of the nation’s smallest farmers along with schools and food banks relying on their products.
WDFW seeks public input on Lower Columbia River tributary fisheries | The Daily Chronicle
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is asking for public input on management strategies for salmon and steelhead in Lower Columbia River tributary fisheries, the WDFW stated in a …
Yakima irrigators looking at water shortage, need March miracle - Capital Press | Capital Press
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation forecasts Yakima Basin irrigators with junior water-rights will receive 48% of their full allotments and could receive far less if the spring turns warm and […]
NACD Applauds USDA for Release of First Tranche of IRA Funding to Producers - NACD
NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 21, 2025 CONTACT: Candice Abinanti candice-abinanti[at]nacdnet.org NACD Applauds USDA for Release of First Tranche of IRA Funding to Producers Washington, D.C. – The National […]
The next generation of farmers struggles to fit on preserved farmland
Conservation easements have checked development from gobbling up agricultural tracts for decades, but growers increasingly chafe against the policies’ size restrictions.
For some Cheney High School students, agriculture wasn't it. Then they joined the school's floriculture team
A meander through Cheney High School’s halls means passing by dozens of classrooms to entertain the senses: like the dissonance of band class or the squeaking of sneakers on the gym floor. But only one amuses the olfactory system with an enticing aroma of eucalyptus, flowering stock and roses.
Boise River tree project benefits stream bank, trout | Research Center | capitalpress.com
A wider variety of projects can be completed during the winter maintenance season under the district’s stream alteration permit, recently reworked with help from the Idaho Department of Water Resources
FTC sues John Deere over farmers' right to repair tractors : NPR
The Federal Trade Commission and two states accuse Deere of costing farmers time and money by unfairly limiting software access and forcing the use of only authorized dealers.
Hydroelectric Dams in Oregon That Harm Salmon Could Be Shut Down — ProPublica
The newly signed legislation follows reporting from Oregon Public Broadcasting and ProPublica that underscored the risks and costs associated with a plan to migrate salmon past hydroelectric dams using a giant fish collector and tanker trucks.
Feds offer help complying with website accessibility rule - Route Fifty
A toolkit from the Department of Justice called on governments to understand the rule, work out when they need to comply, train staff and identify content that needs to be changed.
Chemicals in sewage sludge fertilizer pose cancer risk, EPA says | AP News
Harmful chemicals in sewage sludge spread on pasture as fertilizer pose a risk to people who regularly consume milk, beef and other products from those farms, in some cases raising cancer risk “several orders of magnitude” above what the Environmental Protection Agency considers acceptable, federal
California infernos in January? Why wildfire season keeps getting longer and more devastating. • Stateline
As climate change warms the planet, wildfires have become so unpredictable and extreme that new words were invented: firenado, gigafire, fire siege — even fire pandemic.
High levels of ‘forever chemicals’ mainly from drugs may be contaminating drinking water for 23 million Americans | CNN
Wastewater plants are failing to remove a group of potentially toxic chemicals before pumping treated water into rivers and lakes — and climate change may be making the situation even worse, a new report finds.
WSDA: We need help to stop Japanese beetles | Rural Life | capitalpress.com
The Washington State Department of Agriculture hopes more property owners this year will give the department access to spray for Japanese beetles, a pest gaining ground in Eastern Washington. The department will seek consent from more than 17,600 property owners in Benton, Franklin and Yakima counties, about double the number of property owners contacted last year.
Lawmakers, experts tackle rising farmer suicide rates in Washington amid growing pressures | Local | qvpr.com
WENATCHEE — Washington lawmakers and researchers strategize to address mental health challenges among farmers. Farmers are 3.5 more likely to die by suicide than the general population, according to the