Washington State Farm Bureau Report

Now that a new Farm Bill has passed the House and has moved on to the Senate, many are asking if the two chambers can agree on enough to get this done.

Mike Wenkel, Chief Operating Officer of the National Potato Council, says some of the industry’s biggest concerns mirror other segments of agriculture.

One year after President Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs, a key member of his trade team says it’s a win for agriculture, even as experts signal continued uncertainty.

The Endangered Species Act is currently under review in the House Natural Resources Committee, with new legislation aimed at updating a law that has seen few significant changes since its passage in 1973.

Now that the 2026 Farm Bill has passed out of the House, it now moves on to the Senate.

After several months of work and negotiation, the House of Representatives passed the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, also known as the farm bill, with a bipartisan vote.

Sparks flew at the House Rules Committee Monday over whether the pending farm bill includes a lawsuit shield for makers of the key farming herbicide glyphosate or Roundup.

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall says there are opportunities we should be taking advantage of for new markets right here in the United States.

Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer assured lawmakers the administration is both aware of and working to help struggling farmers.

When it comes to the mounting frustration of high input costs and chronically low prices, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, says he’s hearing repeatedly from farmers who are at their wits’ end.

Big news from the USDA that America’s ag trade deficit has dropped significantly in the past year.

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.

AgWorld Support Systems wants to remind all you golfers out there in the ag community, the 2026 AgWorld Golf Classic is fast approaching in a little over a month.

President Trump plans to visit China next month and his U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer spoke recently about what to expect from the summit.

The American Farm Bureau Federation surveyed more than 5,000 farmers and ranchers across the country about the rapidly increasing price of fertilizer

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.