WACD Reading List

A handful of U.S. farmers are looking at a new solution to extreme weather. Perennial grains may better withstand extreme drought like the one earlier this year that devastated some wheat farmers in Kansas. Researchers at The Land Institute in Salina, Kansas, have been developing perennial wheat, rice and sorghum that can be planted once every few seasons, which helps build soil and store carbon. The institute has also developed the perennial grain Kernza, which is grown at their research farm and on a small number of acres throughout the country. The challenge is that perennial crops yield less than annual ones and the financial risk for farmers is still high.

Geologists have descended into Spokane this month following the catastrophic Spokane Complex fires to assess the likelihood of mudslides.

A year ago, Oregon’s nursery industry was bracing for an economic downturn. While many of those fears never materialized, prolonged uncertainty has become the industry’s new norm as nurseries look […]

Aurum Hill Farm on 42 acres southeast of Olympia plans to sell the spice locally and to expand its greenhouses if the harvest is successful, the owner says.

Join Thurston Conservation District for a three-event two-day celebration of what’s possible when we’re United in Conservation. Join Thurston Conservation District for United in Conservation, …

High precipitation could be in the forecast for the state, but that doesn’t necessarily mean snow.

In Washington state, climate change is expected to bring lower stream flows, warmer winter temperatures and less snowpack in lower elevations. That’s according to a presentation from the state’s climatologist.

Hay farmers in the Columbia Basin are well into their third cutting, boosted by mostly favorable weather. “I would suspect the highest-quality alfalfa is returning a positive margin to producers, […]

After seeing no changes for three consecutive days to start the week, containment on the Sinlahekin Fire in Okanogan County is now in retreat.

Developers are offering land owners in Klickitat County lucrative deals to build energy facilities, but residents have questions about how the power will be used.

Several agriculture nonprofits are challenging the Trump administration’s directives aimed at discouraging “diversity, equity and inclusion” policies among recipients of USDA grants. Three organizations on the West Coast — Washington […]

Understanding what happened in these forests 56 million years ago may help humanity recognize similar thresholds before we cross them again, the lead author of a new study writes.

On a hot August afternoon, wool expert Brent Roeder strode among sheep, combing his fingers through their fleece to assess color, length and uniformity.

WEISER, Idaho — As crews advanced toward containing the Tartar Fire early Aug. 10, farmer Gabe Flick felt fortunate. “We had neighbors that lost range ground and cows,” Flick said […]

With wildfire season in full swing, the town of Mosier held a public meeting to explore whether the Indigenous practice of prescribed burning is right for their community.

More than 5.5 million people live areas impacted by drought Drought intensified across the Pacific Northwest in late July and early August, according to the most recent edition of the […]

The American West is battling a persistent wildfire season, with the Pacific Northwest bearing the brunt as dozens of massive blazes rage in Oregon and Washington.

If you’d like to know just how bad the smoke in your area could get, an interactive map could help. The tool from Washington State University is part of an air quality project for the Northwest.

With little warning before evacuations, having a packed emergency kit can make all the difference.

Lauren Stubbs is studying pea-canola intercropping to improve soil health and farm sustainability.

A wildfire in Northern Douglas County continues to blacken the landscape with no official containment.

People on the Warm Springs Reservation have evacuated, and other communities in Central and Eastern Oregon are threatened as more than 1 million acres in Oregon have been consumed by wildfires.

Multiple fires persisted, and new fires erupted throughout the weekend, including a fire along Bigelow Gulch Road, as Spokane skies remained hazy.

Wildfires have now scorched four million acres of land in the U.S. Federal fire managers say all of the country's resources are currently deployed to major fires.

John Deere owners should soon feel free to fix their own machines. The Federal Trade Commission and several state attorneys general have secured a “right to repair” settlement with farming equipment company Deere & Co., known as John Deere. The company faced complaints for withholding repair software and forcing customers to use authorized dealers. It's Deere's second right to repair settlement this year, following a $99 million class-action settlement in April. Deere must now provide diagnostic and repair tools to equipment owners and independent shops, and can't retaliate against them for using alternatives. The company has denied wrongdoing but says it supports more flexible repair options.

Drastically fewer sockeye are returning to the Upper Columbia than expected. That’s why Washington isn’t allowing sockeye fishing this season there.

Firefighters have scaled back the Chelan Hills Fire to about 9,400 acres after it surged to 20,000 acres overnight, but authorities say danger remains.