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While we haven’t seen very hot weather across the Northwest, it has been warm enough, long enough, to dry out area soils.

The National Multi-Agency Coordination Group in Boise raised the national wildland fire preparedness level one step higher to Preparedness Level 3.

The U.S. agricultural trade deficit is widening in 2025, driven by shifting global trade dynamics and rising import demand.  USDA’s Outlook for U.S. Agricultural Trade report provides projections for exports and imports, offering insight into current trade trends.  From January through April, ...

Cattle inventories are shifting in surprising ways. Let’s break down what that means for local ranchers and farmers.

President Trump’s administration directed immigration officials to largely pause raids on farms, hotels, restaurants, and meatpacking plants.  Reuters said that information came from an internal email, a senior Trump official, and a person familiar with the matter.  The order to ...

As we look at a new month, which starts Sunday, the National Weather Service says the warm sunny weather the Northwest has enjoyed over the past couple of days will be moving off to the east.   “The cool weather that will be moving into the West early next week looks like it may stick around for a while," said USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey.  "We are ...

What might weather look like where you are at at this month and the summer months? USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey offers an outlook, including:   “We are watching the western and central U.S. for the possibility of drought expansion or intensification. We do exp...

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and mental health has never been a more important topic for U.S. farmers and ranchers.  Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins said farmers are suffering through tough times.   “The suicide rate among our farmers is similar to that of our veterans, and it's stunningly and heartbreakingly high, and we have to realize that something has to be done," she noted.  "

In 2023, the USDA said 9.3% of U.S. households with an adult aged 65 and older were food insecure at some time, meaning they had difficulty providing enough food for their members due to inadequate resources.  This prevalence of food insecurity in households with an adult 65 and over in 2023 was similar to 9.1% in 2022 but...

Last week, central Washington’s Dan Newhouse and Virginia Representative Suhas Subramanyam introduced legislation creating an Office of Agritourism at USDA.  They say the bipartisan Accelerating the Growth of Rural Innovation and Tourism Opportunities to Uphold Rural Industries and Sustainable Marketplaces Act, better known as the AGRITOURISM Act will represent the interests of agritourism busines