Researchers at Washington State University, along with those at the Prosser Research Extension Center, have developed a low-cost robotic arm that can pick apples, potentially lending a mechanical hand to orchard workers and easing the crunch of seasonal labor shortages.

An influential Pasco farming family has developed the state’s first farm-to-bottle distillery and received early accolades for their premium potato vodka, taking top honors in a Best of the Northwest contest.

In response to increased immigration detentions across the state, Washington Attorney General Nick Brown and other state lawmakers have introduced the Immigrant Worker Protection Act for the 2026 session.

Immigrants not legally authorized to work in the U.S. represent an estimated 40% of the people who help to produce many fruits, vegetables and other labor-intensive crops. 

Lamb Weston officials were upbeat in their latest quarterly report, with net sales and gross profit climbing by tens of millions of dollars compared to the same quarter last year. 

Any Christmas tree’s leaves are unchanging, but for researchers at Washington State University, the smell of a Christmas tree is just as important. 

For the third time in 2025, a Mid-Columbia agricultural operation has agreed to a settlement with state justice officials for reportedly treating workers unfairly. 

Amazon will fund an underground water storage project capable of storing up to 1.2 billion gallons of potable water for the city of Hermiston, where the online retailer operates several data centers. 

Washington state is joining 20 other states in opposing the Trump administration’s move to increase the cost of H-1B visa petitions for high-skilled foreign workers to $100,000. 

A farm in the Horse Heaven Hills near Prosser recently got an electric upgrade that enables it to expand its storage capacity as well as power up future projects.