Farmers face a fourth consecutive year of drought, forcing tough decisions on irrigation, crop survival and water management for orchards and vineyards across the state.

The conflict in Iran has caused fuel prices to soar and Washington State farmers said it hits them hard when they are putting crops in the ground. 

It was a mixed bag for Lamb Weston in its latest quarterly report, where company officials noted net sales increased quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year but net income declined. 
 

The first signs of the wine grape growing season have appeared in regional vineyards, about two weeks ahead of the average start of the season.

Benton County is among the locations where the Washington State Department of Agriculture’s Washington Bee Atlas identified a bee species never before recorded in the state.  

The federal agency that maintains the Columbia River’s shipping channel is proposing to build seven giant in-water pens as part of a $377 million project to manage dredge spoils over the next 20 years. Meanwhile, the river’s shipping industry is working to get local ports off the hook for part of the $132 million they will soon have to pay for the project.

An indoor agriculture company with greenhouses in Pasco has secured an additional $15 million in financing as it looks to grow its operations. 

The Washington State Department of Agriculture is again pressing property owners in Pasco and parts of Kennewick to sign up to have their property treated for invasive Japanese beetles that can devastate numerous crops as well as gardens and lawns. 

A Richland-based nonprofit focused on promoting and protecting the contributions of farmworkers is among nine organizations across the state to share in $1.1 million in workplace safety grants.