The Pacific Northwest Ag Network Report airs daily, Monday through Friday, during the 5, 6, and 7 AM hours on 920 News Now. Glenn Vaagen and the Pacific Northwest Ag Network team bring you the most in-depth ag news focused on products grown across the region each morning. They connect you with the latest research at WSU, OSU, and the University of Idaho, commodity group leaders, and state and federal lawmakers.
PNW AG Network News
Washington State University's Borjesson Announces Retirement
Under Dori Borjesson's watch, WSU's vet college admitted its biggest class ever, expanded lab space in Bustad Hall, and launched a new public health degree. Now she's announced she'll retire in the spring of 2027. Continue reading...
19h ago
Idaho Counties Designated Natural Disaster Areas
A USDA disaster designation is now in place for nine eastern Idaho counties after this year's drought, and farmers there can apply for emergency loans to help cover livestock losses, equipment costs, or debt relief before March 1st. Continue reading...
19h ago
USDA Allocates $500M To Provide Temporary Support For Beef Proces
With cattle supplies historically tight and foreign ownership rising in meatpacking, the USDA is stepping in with up to $500 million to support smaller, independent beef processors. Continue reading…
20h ago
Connecting Idaho To Spain's Agriculture
Rachel Wandell, a University of Idaho senior, toured Spanish farms and markets where a government mandate requires one market to run every Wednesday — a policy designed to give both vendors and shoppers something they can count on. Continue read...
20h ago
Focus On Fruit: Is Olympia Starting To Get It?
Is the non-farming community in Olympia starting to understand the struggles and difficulties tree fruit growers, and the overall agriculture community, are facing? The Washington State Tree Fruit Association's Jon DeVaney weighs in. Continue reading...
20h ago
Dairy Leaders Push for Ag Labor Reform on Capitol Hill
More than three dozen dairy farmers walked the halls of Capitol Hill this week, pushing lawmakers to fix a visa program that leaves dairy operations short-staffed because it was built for seasonal work, not year-round farms. Continue reading…
20h ago
OPINION: Now Is The Time To Reform Our Agricultural Labor Laws
Farmers are struggling given current economic conditions; a recent USDA report pulling 2024 data ranks Washington state 50th in farm profitability. A primary driver of that last-place ranking is the high cost of labor. Continue reading…
20h ago
Country Music's John Rich Focused On The Rights Of Landowners
After John Rich helped kill a $2 billion TVA project threatening Tennessee farms, homes, and a county water supply, President Trump called him personally and offered him a seat at the USDA table. Continue reading…
20h ago
Higher Food Prices Affecting Consumer Purchasing
Fuel costs, higher interest rates, and years of rising food prices are reshaping how people shop for groceries — and big retailers are already adjusting their shelves and pricing to keep up. Continue reading…
20h ago
Animal Ag Working To Prevent Activists From Hijacking Livestock
The Senate's new Farm Bill framework gives small, state-inspected meat plants a path to sell online across state lines - something the cattle industry has been chasing for a long time. Continue reading...
20h ago
Seniors, Veterans Need To Watch For Summertime Scams
Veterans are being targeted by scammers promising secret government payouts or charging fees for documents the VA provides for free — a pattern AARP says is showing up more frequently. Continue reading…
20h ago
USDA Delivers Final 'Farmers First' Program Improvements
The USDA just rolled out changes to several farm disaster programs, raising payment rates, lowering drought thresholds, and expanding who qualifies for livestock and forage assistance. Continue reading…
20h ago
Drought Declared In Two More Oregon Counties
Governor Kotek added Curry and Union counties to Oregon's drought emergency list, with nearly all of Union County in severe to extreme drought as of the end of June. Continue reading...
Jul 15, 2026
Hot Temperatures Impacting Spring Wheat Crop Nationally & NW
Across the Pacific Northwest, spring wheat is nearly all headed out, and most of it is rated good to excellent — but hot temperatures moving through the region have USDA forecasters keeping a close eye on quality. Continue reading…
Jul 15, 2026
Dairy West Continues To Provide Defibrillators For NW Dairy Farms
Dairy West is putting defibrillators directly on dairy farms in Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Utah after an Idaho farmer died from a sudden cardiac event and EMS took 34 minutes to reach a nearby farm. Continue reading…
Jul 15, 2026
ODA Reminding Animal Owners To Plan Ahead This Summer
Oregon's wildfire season is a reminder that pets and livestock need their own emergency plans - including a packed go-kit with food, records, and a labeled carrier ready to grab on the way out. Continue reading...
Jul 15, 2026
Washington Shifts From Spongy Moth Treatment To Monitoring
Aerial spraying for spongy moth wrapped up in Washington, and now the work shifts to 20,000 scent-baited traps placed statewide to see if the treatments actually worked. Continue reading…
Jul 15, 2026
Beef Exports Were Solid In May Despite Issues In China
U.S. beef brought in over $818 million in export value last May, the strongest per-head return in four years, while suspended plants in China continue to hold back an estimated 2 billion dollars in sales. Continue reading…
Jul 15, 2026
Strong Year In The Black Sea Offset Lower Wheat In U.S. & Canada
The USDA quietly shaved 14 million bushels off its U.S. wheat outlook this month, while farmers across the Black Sea region are looking at some of their best harvests ever. Continue reading…
Jul 15, 2026
Oregon Grass Used During The World Cup
The grass under World Cup players' cleats was grown from Oregon seed - and there's a reason turf managers keep coming back to the Willamette Valley for it. Continue reading...
Jul 15, 2026
