As the state’s apple growersstrategize to overcome international tariffs, they’re also looking ahead tointroduce to the world a highly-anticipated variety — the Cosmic Crisp.Theend of the 20 percent tariffs on apples shipped to Mexico in mid-May was welcomenews to the state’s apple industry, which saw overall exports down 32.7 percentover...
With a growing number of Washington farm owners turning to theH-2A guest worker program to meet their labor needs, the cost of administeringand providing oversight of the program now exceeds the federal funding providedfor it.It’s a scenario that pushed the state Employment SecurityDepartment to turn to the Legislature this year...
The sweetest words a potato farmer in EasternWashington can hear aren’t aboutcrop yields or perfect weather or the opening of new processing plants.Nah. What really rings golden is: Taco Bell is bringing back NachoFries.Or: McDonald’s now has all-day breakfast.And then there’s “loaded” fries, those deep-fried potato stripsslathered in all manner...
The most recent hops data paints a picture that could beinterpreted as an end to the recent boom for Washington hop farmers.But that does not point toward a fall backto earth, said Ann George, a Moxee farmer and executive director of theWashington Hop Commission, which serves double duty as the...
By Andy PerdueWhile the Washington wine grape market booms, even approaching the state apple industry in size and economic importance, there’s another grape industry that tops the nation in size: juice grapes.Last year, Concord grape growers broughtin nearly 200,000 tons of fruit — 3 percent over the prior year, valued...
The growing number of organic grape-growing regions in theNorthwest provide new opportunities for wine marketing around the popularbuzzword “terroir,” according to a new study by a Washington State UniversityTri-Cities researcher.Derived from the French word “terre,” meaning “land,” “terroir” isused to denote the special characteristics of a place, said Byron Marlowe,...
Washington state is an agricultural powerhouse, leading the nation in the production of apples, grapes, cherries, pears, hops and blueberries.Supplying the world with millions of tons of apples each year, Washington fills nearly two-thirds of the entire apple market in the United States.It’s expected the current planted acreage of wine...
Washington’s $3 billion apple industry is not just the state’s biggest crop, but it also accounts for two-thirds of total U.S. apple production.Proactive international marketing campaigns, coupled with intensive breeding programs, are key factors in making the state the nation’s apple capital.Washington’s “nutrient-rich soil, an arid climate, plentiful water and...
By Jennifer L. DreyWashington’s agricultural exports increased significantly in 2017, but uncertainty surrounding U.S. trade policy has some producers worried the state may be on the verge of losing its competitive edge overseas.Although the numbers are still being finalized, Washington’s agricultural exports appear to have increased by at least 10...
The Northwest saw one of the most perfect cherry crops last year, setting new production and export records. In 86 days, the nation’s leading cherry region shipped 26.4 million, 20-pound boxes of cherries to eager markets around the world.“We had fantastic weather last year,” said Denny Hayden, owner of Hayden...
