agriculture News

Projections on Drought-Stricken Colorado River More Dire

The U.S. government released projections Wednesday that indicate an even more troubling outlook for a river that serves 40 million people in the American West. The Bureau of Reclamation recently declared the first-ever shortage on the Colorado River, which means …

New Mexico Cattle Ranchers Suffer Losses from Western Drought

State Sen. Pat Woods saw a lot of it over this past year – cows culled from a herd and sent to the slaughterhouse because their owners couldn’t afford to feed them anymore. “It was awfully dry,” said the longtime …

California Drought Hurting World’s Top Almond Producer

As temperatures recently reached triple digits, farmer Joe Del Bosque inspected the almonds in his parched orchard in California’s agriculture-rich San Joaquin Valley, where a deepening drought threatens one of the state’s most profitable crops. Del Bosque doesn’t have enough …

Drought Devastates Washington State’s Wheat Crop

The wheat harvest on Marci Green’s farm doesn’t usually begin until late August, but a severe drought stunted this year’s crop and her crews finished harvesting last week because she didn’t want what had grown so far to shrivel and …

Warming Rivers in Western U.S. Killing Imperiling Fish Industry

Baby salmon are dying by the thousands in one California river, and an entire run of endangered salmon could be wiped out in another. Fishermen who make their living off adult salmon, once they enter the Pacific Ocean, are sounding …

Washington Governor Declares Drought Emergency

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee declared a statewide drought emergency because of hot, dry conditions that have plagued the region and water supply. Citing recent record temperature that killed at least 91 people in the state, increased wildfire activity and drought, …

Feds Authorize Emergency Procedures to Help Drought-Impacted Producers

The United States Department of Agriculture is authorizing emergency procedures to help agricultural producers impacted by extreme drought conditions. USDA’s Risk Management Agency is working with crop insurance companies to streamline and accelerate the adjustment of losses and issuance of …

OSHA Cites Missouri Grain Facility $215K Following Dust Explosion That Severely Injured Worker

OSHA has cited a Missouri grain-handling facility for one willful and six serious safety violations, and proposed penalties of $215,525. The safety agency said that if MFA Enterprises Inc. – operating as West Central Agri Services – had addressed potential …

California Farmers Being Told Drought Could Cut Off Their Water

Thousands of Central California farmers were warned Tuesday that they could face water cutoffs this summer as the state deals with a drought that already has curtailed federal and state irrigation supplies. The State Water Resources Control Board notified about …

Central Oregon Farmers Struggling in Drought

Cate Havstad-Casad, co-owner of Havstad-Casad Family Farms in Jefferson County, didn’t hold back last week while speaking on a Zoom call with state representatives about the drought conditions affecting farmers in Jefferson County. Speaking during a meeting of the House …