Climate
Going green to grow green
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, agriculture is responsible for approximately 10% of the U.S.’s greenhouse gas emissions. A Swiss company plans to reduce that footprint by building a zero-carbon nitrate fertilizer plant at the Port of Benton in Richland, Wash. Atlas Agro has its roots in the fertilizer industry….
Keeping farmers’ lights on at a lower cost
David Funk, president of Zero Emissions Northwest, wants to shine light on ways farmers can reduce their on-farm energy costs and reliance on traditional forms of fuel. “Zero Emissions Northwest is all about helping farmers access grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and from other sources to help…
Fuel workgroup winds down
In September, the Washington State Department of Ecology’s (Ecology) Fuel Exemptions Workgroup wrapped up four months of work. Whether it was successful or not might depend on who you are talking to. Washington State’s Climate Commitment Act, which includes a cap-and-invest program, went into effect in January 2023 and requires…
Riparian buffer taskforce report released
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee’s riparian taskforce’s final report was released in December and contains a number of recommendations developed through discussions by a wide variety of stakeholders, including wheat industry representatives. Michelle Hennings, executive director of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG); Ben Adams, past president of WAWG and…
Different crops, same issues
Farmers in the Skagit Valley may be producing crops unthinkable in Eastern Washington, but they face many of the same pressures as dryland wheat farmers do. At stop after stop, producers on last month’s legislative food and farm tour discussed issues such as farmland preservation, labor, the cost of inputs,…
Grant program gets green light
After three years of stop-and-go progress, the Sustainable Farms and Fields (SFF) grant program finally has the green light to start funding climate-smart farming practices across Washington state. “Sustainable Farms and Fields is a brand new program we are rolling out. It is intended to support growers who are interested…
