The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) has launched the $10 million Sustainable Packaging Innovation Lab as part of the Assisting Specialty Crop Exports initiative. The application period is open for this new funding opportunity, and awards will range from $50,000 to $250,000 for research, scale, and commercialization applications that support U.S. exporters through innovative packaging solutions. 

Join State Representative Tom Dent and State Senator Judy Warnick on January 11, 2025 from 1:00 – 7:00 p.m. as they host Pizza for Producers at the Grant County Fairgrounds in Moses Lake, Washington.

The East Columbia Basin Irrigation District (ECBID) Board and staff need additional information from landowners and/or representatives to complete the projected Odessa Ground Water Replacement Program (OGWRP)/ Landowners and/or representatives requesting remaining acreage allocation(s) are required to complete requests even if a survey was previously completed.

On December 19, 2025, a respected contributor to the Columbia Basin agricultural community, Glen Ford Roundy Junior passed away.

The Washington State Potato Foundation (WSPF) will be hosting a 1st Annual FFA Extemporaneous Speaking Contest where local high school students will be presenting 4-6 minute speeches about pressing potato industry issues.

The Marketing Assistance Program for Specialty Crops (MASC) program provides $2 billion to expand markets by helping specialty crop producers offset higher marketing costs related to the tenderness and perishability of fruits, vegetables, floriculture, nursery crops and herbs; specialized handling and transport equipment with temperature and humidity control; packaging; moving perishables to market quickly; and higher labor costs.

Don't miss out on the opportunity to join us for an amazing event on January 28th - 30th, 2025 at the Three Rivers Convention Center.

The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) will hold two rounds of online review and listening sessions on their rulemaking process for revisions and modernization of Chapter 16-202 Washington Administrative Code (WAC 16-202) governing chemigation and fertigation.