Washington State Farm Bureau Report

The American Farm Bureau Federation is urging Congress to continue work on a new farm bill.

Wade and Teresa King continue their fight after the Washington Department of Ecology accused the King's Ranch stockwater ponds of disturbing regulated wetlands.

U.S. Trade Ambassador Jamieson Greer says it's likely the July 1st deadline to renegotiate the USMCA will pass without a final agreement.

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall says permanent year-round E15 would benefit everyone, not just farmers!

With the April 15th tax deadline in a couple of days, farmers are looking for shelters and other benefits they may not have had in the past.

A two-week Iran war ceasefire and opening of the Strait of Hormuz is bringing new hope of relief for farmers and consumers.

Payment limit relief and new tax breaks will help producers this season under the president's tax and spending bill, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

The Iran war, Congress's fight over Homeland Security funding and the voter ID SAVE Act are complicating farm struggles.

Brian Glenn, director of government affairs at the American Farm Bureau Federation, says Congress needs to quickly pass year-round E15.

A Central Washington lawmaker says he continues to hear from growers across the state who are struggling under Washington's agricultural overtime law.

The need for disaster aid in agriculture is not in question this year, but a more efficient and effective system of distribution could be a difference maker for many farmers.

We are seeing today's technological advancements everywhere, even in agriculture where AI and automation are becoming increasingly common.

Wages for ag workers in Washington state are pushing the limits of affordability for farmers.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin says his agency's made big progress in reducing the backlog of pesticide registration reviews, while some remain controversial.

House Ag Chair GT Thompson says both sides agree on the need for a farm bill; we need it now!

Artificial intelligence is changing how we see the world and how we look at the crops in our fields.

USDA's National Ag Statistics Service issued findings from the latest TOTAL Survey, or Tenure, Ownership, and Transition of Agricultural Land survey.

The spring migratory season brings with it the renewed threat of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, or bird flu.

In 2024, USDA data shows Washington state ranked last in take-home farm pay. In fact, Washington's estimated returns to farmers came in at a negative $396.2 million.

Dan Halstrom, President of the U.S. Meat Export Federation, says yes, China is causing some export headaches, but other Asian markets are doing well for U.S. beef.

We hear more about DNA, but RNA research in agriculture has gained significant momentum in recent years when it comes to pest control and gene regulation.

We are seeing a lot more protests across the country lately, and that includes so-called “animal rights activists” who continue to make life harder for many farmers and ranchers.

Senators Ron Wyden of Oregon and Idaho's Mike Crapo wrote a letter, signed by 66 of their colleagues, encouraging the President to make getting U.S. fresh potato access into Japan.

The impact of military action in Iran is already being felt by America's farmers.

It's no secret that the cost of agricultural labor is a major expense for farmers, but it has exploded in recent years to a level that many cannot afford.

As farmers and ranchers continue to grapple with a difficult farm economy, the Senate Ag Committee recently held a hearing to discuss solutions.

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley predicts the House will pass its farm bill soon, but the Senate may have to skip a committee markup.

The U.S. tech industry is continuing a push for more land for data centers in rural areas, and it's causing some farmer pushback.

The National Potato Council installed its 2026 Executive Committee leaders at the organization's Washington Summit, including Ben Sklarczyk (SKLAR-zik) of Johannesburg, Michigan, elected to serve as the NPC's President for the next year.

A couple of weeks after a Supreme Court ruling withdrew much of the authority the President was using to impose tariffs, we're still waiting to see how this plays out.

The Iran-Middle East Conflict has given another argument FOR Congress to quickly approve year-round E15 sales.

U.S. Representative Dan Newhouse will spend his final term in office as Chair of the House Subcommittee on Forestry and Horticulture.

USTR Chief Ag Trade Negotiator Julie Callahan recently addressed rumors that the six-year review of USMCA this year could turn into separate bilateral talks with Canada and Mexico.

The Supreme Court's decision on tariffs was closely watched by America's farmers, who rely on trade for one-fifth of their income.

President Trump's temporary tariffs to replace those the Supreme Court struck down are a bridge back to highly discretionary levies, according to trade experts.

While it's not the only challenge facing farmers and the ag industry today, ag labor reform is probably at the top of the list.

After the Supreme Court ruled the President lacks authority to impose sweeping tariffs under the IEEPA, we now wait to see what happens to those invalidated levies, including removing tariffs on Canada, a major trading partners that we share a border with.

Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins talked at last week's Ag Outlook Forum about a farm economy still facing strong headwinds.

Congress could soon be considering not just a new farm bill, but farm labor legislation.

Recent news that House Ag Chair GT Thompson, of Pennsylvania, announced a new bit of legislation that could lead to the new Farm Bill is getting an enthusiastic welcome.

Growing leaders in the potato industry is what the Potato Leadership Education Foundation, or Potato LEAF, is all about.

Renewal of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement won strong bipartisan support at a Senate Finance hearing as the trade deal that replaced NAFTA comes up for its six-year review.