The East Columbia Basin Irrigation District (ECBID), along with its partners, are seeking funds to construct surface water distribution systems to replace acre for acre groundwater irrigation on approximately 70,000 acres in the Odessa Subarea including 164,000 acre feet of new diversions from the Columbia River. Funding is being sought through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Program authorized by Public Law 83-566 (P.L. 83-566).

There are two opportunities to attend the annual PNW Fumigation Stewardship Training. The first training takes place on August 13, 2024 at Big Bend Community College in Moses Lake, Washington. On August 14, 2024, an identical training will take place at the 3 Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick, Washington.

Medium sized businesses are now eligible to be included in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops (FSCSC) Program. Their inclusion makes them eligible to apply for assistance for a percentage of the costs associated with obtaining or renewing a food safety certification. In addition, program assistance has been expanded for 2024 and 2025 expenses.

Agricultural producers should make an appointment with their local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office to complete crop acreage reports before the applicable deadline after planting is complete. July 15 is a major deadline for most crops, but acreage reporting deadlines vary by county and by crop.  

As drought declarations have become more prevalent in Washington State, the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) is offering $1.7 million in drought planning and preparedness grants

Employers and workers have the opportunity to take part in LNI’s webinar series from July to September led by Employment Standards program staff to learn about key employment laws.

The Washington State Potato Commission’s spiral-bound publication “Insects, Nematodes & Pathogens Important to Potatoes in the Pacific Northwest” is available for the asking.

Due to lack of interest, the Washington State Potato Commission will no longer provide yellow sticky cards to monitor multiple insect pests and delta traps with pheromones to monitor adult potato tuber worm.