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Lacewing IPM clinics scheduled for June
ROYAL CITY — The results of a three-year trial to test the use of lacewings to control orchard pests will be the s…
Ski industry on the lift
With the pandemic restricting the availability of indoor activities, many outdoor means of recreation saw an increase in popularity due to people staying safe …
Labor shortage likely to persist
SPOKANE VALLEY — If you’re having trouble finding people to fill job vacancies, Sam Wolkenhauer has some bad news for you. It’s not going to get any better. “The working-age population will shrink in the 2020s, a…
Wool power: Alpaca ranchers gather for show
MOSES LAKE, Wash. — It was, on the face of it, just another Saturday in which the sounds and smells of agriculture wafted from the Ardell Pavilion at the Grant…
Hay exports overcome transportation challenges
ELLENSBURG — For sheer value of Washington state’s farm exports, you can’t beat apples. According to figures recently published by the U.S. Department of Agri…
Fresh from the farm: Produce stands fill local niches
OTHELLO/QUINCY — Nature is said to abhor a vacuum; agriculture definitely does. Two produce stands, one in Othello and the other in Quincy, show how farmers sa…
Self-pollinating plant shows rapid loss of genetic variation
PULLMAN — Without bumble bees, a flowering plant that can self‑pollinate lost substantial genetic variation within only nine generations, an experimental study found. A group of “selfing” monkeyflower plants lost …
Idaho and Taiwan sign 2-year wheat trade agreement
BOISE, Idaho — Idaho Gov. Brad Little on Monday signed a two-year agreement supporting Idaho wheat sales to Taiwan in a deal that officials say gives wheat pro…
WineVit conference set for February
CASHMERE — The WineVit 2023 conference will be held Feb. 6-9 at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick, according to a press release from the Washington Winegrowers Association. The annual three-day event…
State of the spuds: Potato harvest looking up
COLUMBIA BASIN — The state of the taters is, well, pretty darn good this year. “The potato harvest is definitely a lighter crop than what we’re historically used to,” said Dale Lathim, executive director of Potato…
B's Rubs: Othello teacher has spices for all occasions
OTHELLO, WASH. — When you step into the large garage space occupied by B’s Rubs at the Port of Othello’s business incubator, the first thing that hits you is t…