The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced the 2024/2025 rates it will charge for voluntary grading, inspection, certification, auditing, and laboratory services for a variety of agricultural commodities including meat, poultry, fruits, vegetables, eggs, dairy products, rice, cotton, and tobacco.

The American Soybean Association is circulating a letter petition to raise concerns regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Draft Insecticide Strategy (IS). Growers, producers, and applicators are encouraged to sign the petition by Saturday, September 21, 2024 by 12:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time to help voice their concerns with the EPA IS draft.

The Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) began processing Climate Commitment Act (CCA) reimbursement applications. Reimbursements will only occur while funds are available and if CCA remains viable. During the first few days of the portal being opened, over 377 applications were received.

Braver Angels, an organization founded in 2017 focused on political depolarization, is holding a virtual Urban Initiative Town Hall Meeting September 24, 2024 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. to kickstart a discussion on how to help the general public understand the issues farmers and non-urban residents face bringing farm products to markets.

Chakradhar Mattupalli, an Assistant Professor of Plant Pathology at the Washington State University (WSU) Mount Vernon Northwester Washington Research and Extension Center, has been awarded approximately one million dollars in biosecurity grant funds from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agricultures (NIFA) Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) develop WSU program to expand early pathogen detection in potato crops.

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will be the administrators for fiscal year (FY) 2025 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP).

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 University (WSU) Extension will be holding virtual training on Packinghouse Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) on November 4-7, 2024.

The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) has filed a rule change with the Code Reviser Office on behalf of the Washington State Potato Commission.