THOUGHT PIECES

Stephen B. Blezinger Smaller producers often simply accept as fact that their production costs are going to be higher than their larger counterparts. However, there are myriad ways for any herd to become more cost-effective and profitable.

The October Monthly Monitor reflects cautious optimism in certain areas of agriculture, marked by export strengths and potential price recoveries, but shadowed by long-term rebuilding challenges, weather dependencies and the impact of the upcoming election. TYNE MORGAN

Assistance includes $143 million for crop and forestry losses due to Hurricane Milton, $92 million to offset grazing losses due to drought and wildfire in 2022 WASHINGTON, Oct. 30, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is issuing payments this week to agricultural producers impacted by natural disasters, including $143 million in crop insurance indemnities… USDA to Issue More than $235 Million to Farmers Hit by Natural Disasters, Including Hurricane Milton

By FERN’s Ag Insider The least expensive way to attack greenhouse gas emissions on the farm may be larger investment in agricultural research and development, said University of California professor Aaron Smith in a blog on Tuesday. He cited a 2010 study that estimated agricultural R&D reduced carbon emissions through higher productivity at a cost of $15 per… Higher Ag Productivity May Be Cheapest Way to Reduce Carbon Emissions

Potato supply for the winter will be plentiful. “Every storage area that I have spoken with had a great Russet potato crop come in. The quality looks really good pretty much everywhere,” says Ken Gad of Cambridge Farms, Inc. “Overall everybody also harvested on time or even ahead of time because the weather cooperated tremendously.… Strong potato crop from multiple North American regions

By Joel Donofrio When a quality product meets the high expectations of its advanced marketing, a star of the produce section is born. The Cosmic Crisp apple fits that description, and its skyrocketing production and consumption leads a wave of new varieties that are expected to help boost the 2024 Washington apple crop above three… How Cosmic Crisp is boosting the Washington apple harvest this year

This Week’s Market Overview With the season wrapped up outside of the Desert Southwest, more growers are reporting average to below-average alfalfa hay yields. Intense summer heat hindered plant growth, and many growers opted for shorter cutting intervals to target higher-testing hay. The summer was relatively dry, so there was less rain-damaged hay in the… The Hoyt Report Oct 25,2024

Members of groundwater, surface water districts will be asked to ratify the potential agreement in mid-November BY: CLARK CORBIN

While this year is a totally different apple year for Washington state compared to last year, concerns and challenges remain. “Last year, there were just too many apples in the market, which made it a really terrible year for growers,” says Chris Ford with Viva Tierra Organic. Supply exceeded demand, grower prices were extremely low,… U.S. apple industry impacted by overproduction and competition from other fruits

Kate Prengaman The Washington Apple Commission met Oct. 15 in Ellensburg for the first time with new president Michael Schadler on board and discussed the ongoing harvest, the promotional budget for the 2024–25 crop year and how the success of those programs is measured.