Washington State Farm Bureau Report

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.

With the review process of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement sent to begin later this year, the Senate Finance Committee took a closer look at the deal last week.

Newly released farm income data confirms the economic crisis in rural America is real, and American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall says the solution could be found in passing a new farm bill.

New data from U.S. court filings indicate farm bankruptcy has risen again.

John Mesko, CEO at the Potato Sustainability Alliance, says they help improve the economic, environmental and social aspects of potato production in the U.S. and Canada.

USDA released its initial 2026 farm income forecast and as expected, shows a further decline in overall farm income, offset only by government payments.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr is asking cattle producers to increase their herd size.

House Ag Chair “GT” Thompson outlined his Farm Bill 2.0 priorities at this year's annual meeting of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture.

The USDA projects that net farm income will slip lower in 2026 and remain about $48 billion under the record highs of 2022.

GreenLight Biosciences' Jonathan Adamson says they've shown that RNA can be a viable solution to control the pests that potato growers deal with regularly.

U.S. meat exports are improving over the past year, with shipments growing to Latin America, Indonesia, South Korea and others, but there are two other significant markets that are sounding pretty good!

Super Bowl Sunday is consistently one of the highest demand days for food across the U.S., supporting the farm economy.

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.

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall says a balanced diet shouldn't be about elevating one food group over another.

The Columbia Plateau cactus could be on its way to becoming Washington's official state cactus.

When it comes to pests when growing your potatoes, or any other crop for that matter, they can be a nightmare. But Syngenta has a new product they think could be a real difference maker.

U.S. Apple sales saw some significant growth in November, part of that driven by exports, which were up dramatically … many of which were from here in Washington state that produces a vast majority if the nation's export apples.

U.S. beef, Dan Halstrom, President and CEO at the U.S. Meat Export Federation, says without China, things are down but other markets are stepping up.

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall says Congress must take action now to ensure that farmers and ranchers can survive.

While some progress has been made in stabilizing the farm economy through the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program and Emergency Commodity Assistance Program, recent numbers show farmers still need help.