farming
America’s farmers are getting older, and young people aren’t rushing to join them
On Oct. 12, National Farmers’ Day, Americans honor the hardworking people who keep the world fed and clothed. But the farming labor force has a problem: It’s aging rapidly. The average American farmer is 57 and a half years old, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That’s up sharply […]
USDA’s climate grants for farms and forests run into Republican buzzsaw
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is spending more than $3 billion to cultivate more American farmers and forest landowners as partners to mitigate climate change — even while some Republicans on Capitol Hill try to stop the program entirely. The administration launched a new farm program, Partnerships for Climate Smart Commodities, this year. It is the […]
U.S. Senate votes to curb farmland purchases by China, Iran, North Korea, Russia
WASHINGTON — U.S. senators approved bipartisan amendments to the annual defense policy bill Tuesday night that would prohibit China, Iran, North Korea and Russia from purchasing U.S. farmland and screen American investment in high-tech ventures on foreign adversary soil. By a 91-7 vote, the lawmakers approved a measure that would require review of — and direct the president to […]
Farmers are exempt from the cap-and-trade law. So why are many still paying?
No one said distributing exemptions for the state’s cap-and-trade program would be easy. And six months into the program, it’s still not. On Thursday, state Department of Ecology officials sat down with more than 30 farmers, fuel distributors, climate advocates and fishermen to iron out wrinkles in the new climate program’s exemption process for farm, […]
Washington apple growers cheer as India says it will end tariffs
India will soon end retaliatory tariffs imposed on American apples and crops such as chickpeas and lentils, the White House announced Thursday, signaling a win for Washington crop growers who say they faced significant losses since the tariffs were enacted in 2019. President Joe Biden made the announcement Thursday as part of Indian Prime Minister […]
Farmers see fuel costs rise despite cap-and-trade carveout
Farmers in Washington are supposed to be exempt from the new cap-and-trade program but, six months in, some say they are still getting hit with added fuel costs. The state Department of Ecology says they have given all of the necessary resources to fuel suppliers to exempt farmers. The fuel suppliers say the department has […]
Crop growers and Cantwell press for Washington state Farm Bill priorities
With work underway in Congress to draft a new version of a major agricultural policy law, Washington producers of crops like apples, cherries and potatoes, backed by Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., are emphasizing the importance of programs to support farming research and expand overseas markets for U.S.-grown goods. But the latest negotiations to reauthorize the […]
Effects of climate change on farming, federal spending explored by U.S. Senate panel
WASHINGTON — U.S. senators on the Budget Committee dug into the impacts of climate change on farming during a Wednesday hearing, raising concerns about what the next few decades hold for food production and the way of life. But Republicans and representatives of farm groups pushed back against increased government regulation. Brent Johnson, president of […]