By Lulu Chen, Intern at the AgAID Institute, Washington State University Can data be a game changer for farmers in the face of climate change? Farmers are at the forefront of risk and uncertainty in the face of a rapidly changing environment. Irregular weather patterns, severe temperatures, and shifting precipitation levels create significant challenges to […]
By Morgan Lawrence, USDA Northwest Climate Hub Climate change has caused unprecedented warming, varying precipitation patterns, and higher risks of drought and wildfires across the Northwest. These impacts threaten agriculture, natural resources, and human health in the region. Transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable forms of energy can reduce carbon emissions and slow the effects […]
By Doug Finkelnburg, University of Idaho Extension I recently had the pleasure of attending and presenting at the “Making and Using Biochar” workshop hosted by my colleague and Area Forestry Extension Educator Chris Schnepf in Sandpoint, Idaho. The program was designed to give foresters, forest owners, and agriculturists an introduction to biochar in forestry and […]
By Andrea Krahmer and Nellie McAdams, Oregon Agricultural Trust From wine grapes to cattle and hay, Oregon produces more than 220 different crop and livestock products. About one-quarter of Oregon’s land base (16 million acres) is in agricultural production, and these lands provide opportunities for carbon sequestration and resilient food systems in the face of […]
By Aaron Whittemore, Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources, Washington State University The Columbia River Basin has grappled with limited water supplies for decades. This was most noticeable during 2015, when we experienced severe summertime drought across large areas of Washington State, which reduced the amount of water available to meet the region’s demands. […]
By Lulu Chen, Intern at the AgAID Institute, Washington State University Warmer summers brought on by climate change pose a unique difficulty for beekeepers. However, a recent study by Washington State University suggests a viable remedy. The study looks into the practice of “queen banking,” which involves keeping extra queens for use in the future. […]
By Katie Doonan, Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources, Washington State University Okay, okay- while baby kangaroos singlehandedly solving climate change is out of the question, the potential for baby kangaroo droppings to help decrease methane emissions is an exciting prospect! Methane from ruminant digestion is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in […]
By Morgan Lawrence, USDA Northwest Climate Hub Wildfires in the Great Basin are bigger and badder than ever. In fact, the 12 largest fires on record in the region have all burned in the last two decades, and more acres of rangeland burn annually than forest in the U.S. Rising temperatures and changes in precipitation […]
By David I Gustafson, Adjunct Research Faculty at Washington State University When it comes to climate adaptation and mitigation opportunities in agriculture, few (if any) are of greater importance than practices that sequester more soil carbon, which can directly reduce the heat-trapping effects of atmospheric CO2. Boosting soil carbon also has multiple direct benefits for […]
By Janelle Christensen, USDA Northwest Climate Hub Atmospheric rivers are a buzzword right now. A few years ago, I had never heard the term, and now I hear it on the news and tossed about in everyday conversation with colleagues and friends. Although atmospheric rivers are not a new phenomenon, they were only given a […]
