WACD Reading List

Washington (Funding amount: $1,900,000) Kittitas Reclamation District (Kittitas) Whitestone Reclamation District (Okanogan)

Kernza is a perennial crop that's essentially a cousin of wheat, but its roots store carbon in the ground to help prevent soil erosion and runoff.

WASHINGTON – The Biden-Harris administration announced an important step to chart a path forward in a longstanding Columbia River Basin conflict regarding the operation of 14 federal dams and their impacts on the region’s salmon and steelhead populations.

Drought likely to persist across the West, improve in the Northwest

The odds favor a wet and cool winter in Washington and most of Idaho and Oregon, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday, releasing a winter outlook that bodes well for Northwest snowpacks and next year's irrigation season.

With cooler temperatures and more moisture in the air, preparations for next year’s wildfires have begun, and this means planned fires. Both the Roslyn fire department and the Colville National Forest began pile burns last week.

As part of our (USDA) broader efforts on climate change, we are requesting information (comments) from the public on a Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry Partnership Program

La Niña has developed and is expected to impact the weather in the U.S. this winter. - Articles from The Weather Channel | weather.com

Warmer summers — and winters — force Washington vintners to reconsider their crops.

Salmon are now spawning in waters blocked by Grand Coulee Dam. It’s the start of a larger effort to reintroduce salmon into the blocked area.

These farms operate by creating a symbiotic relationship between fish and plants. It begins with a fish tank. Helpful bacteria in the tank turn ammonia from the fish waste into nitrites and then nitrates. The water is pumped from the tank into the area where the plants grow. Plant roots suck up the nitrates. The clean water then flows back into the fish tank to begin the cycle again.

The USDA has rolled out a new insurance option specifically for agricultural producers with small farms who sell locally. The new Micro Farm policy, announced last week, simplifies record keeping and covers post-production costs like washing and value-added products.

...maybe it’s time to come up with a new look and terminology for marketing some of our older, more successful farming practices, such as those that deal with soil erosion and conservation. “There is a pervasive belief that we know all there is to know about soil erosion and soil conservation,” he says.

Tim Kovis, spokesman for the Washington State Tree Fruit Association, said it’s still too early to see the complete picture of the harvest.

Soft white wheat...had its worst production year nationwide since the mid-1970s

there is a worrying inequality in the world of climate science.

The National Association of Conservation Districts and a coalition of 165 leading agriculture, conservation and wildlife groups delivered a letter to Congress urging them to ensure that the proposed $28 billion investment into U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) agriculture conservation programs and conservation technical assistance remains in the final budget reconciliation package.

WACD Past President Chris Herron is quoted.