News
Read recent and past articles from Basin Business Journal here
After some rough years, apple market may be improving in 2026
OTHELLO — It’s been a rough few years for apple and pear growers, but 2026 looks like it could bring better news. …
Wenatchee port commissioner named to WSTC
OLYMPIA — Gov. Jay Inslee has appointed Janet “JC” Baldwin of Wenatchee to fill an open seat on the Washington State Transportation Commission, according to an announcement from the WSTC. Baldwin is a small busines…
Fresh market: Some Indian produce tariffs to be lifted
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Tariffs imposed on American apples, peas and lentils by the Republic of India in 2018 will be lifted within 90 days. Lifting of the tariffs …
Farm machines thrash it out at Lind Combine Derby
LIND — Lind held its annual Combine Derby June 10.The event has been a Lind tradition since 1988, and this year’s derby brought a crowd of about 4,500 people t…
2023 cherry harvest looking optimistic
WENATCHEE — The cherry harvest is coming in full this year, according to the Washington State Tree Fruit Association. The weather conditions that have played h…
Weather hurts hay quality, price
COLUMBIA BASIN — The first cutting is in for alfalfa hay in the Basin, and it’s not all it should be, according to Mark Anderson of Anderson Hay & Grain. “W…
WSU Lind Dryland Research Station welcomes new director
LIND — Washington State University soil scientist and wheat breeder Mike Pumphrey was a bit dejected as he stood in front of some thin test squares of stunted,…
Buying power: Expanded opportunities for online shopping, but still room for brick and mortar
OLYMPIA — From pandemic lockdowns to a surge in thefts to major changes in shopping habits, it’s been a bumpy few years for retail businesses. Renee Sunde, …
Basin Business Journal commodity report for June 2023
Here's how agricultural commodity prices have changed in the last month:
Engineers, plant scientists decode electrochemical signals in soil
PULLMAN, Wash. — Seeking new tools to improve soil health, scientists at Washington State University are studying electric signals that bounce between plants a…
Invasive pest trapping season resumes
OLYMPIA, Wash. – The hunt is on. The Washington State Department of Agriculture is beginning its annual search for pests that could threaten the state’s env…