The WSU Center for Sustaining Agriculture & Natural Resources is requesting agriculture professionals to complete this 5-minute survey to shape the future of the Washington Professional Development Program to meet the needs of our agriculture professionals and support farmers, ranchers, and producers in agricultural sustainability. The Western SARE Professional Development Program (PDP) is designed to […]
By Janelle Christensen, USDA Northwest Climate Hub As the climate changes, the forests we love and care for will need to adapt to a “new normal.” We want to help, but sometimes are unsure of what to do. The choice of what to do often becomes more challenging because these places are more than places. […]
The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) is pleased to announce the WSDA Climate Resilience Survey, linked below. WSDA, in collaboration with Washington State University, is developing a Climate Resilience Plan for Washington agriculture. The plan will summarize recent climate science, identify vulnerabilities, highlight opportunities, and include newly developed resources. It is essential that this work […]
Dani Gelardi, Washington State Department of Agriculture Last year, we asked, “How will the Climate Commitment Act (CCA) impact Washington agriculture?” For a brief primer on the topic, read the 2022 blog post. Now, with one year passed, let’s review how farmers are faring under this ambitious state law to reduce greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions. […]
The Northwest Climate Resilience Collaborative, hosted at the UW Climate Impacts Group, is excited to launch our first-ever Science Justice Summer School. This two-week program for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows will dive into a range of justice-related topics through lectures, discussion groups and more. The Science Justice Summer School will run from July 10 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 Sonia A. Hall, Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources, Washington State University The weather we experience any given year is the product of a complex combination of short-term variations (think cold fronts), mid-term cycles (think of El Niño and La Niña years as an important example affecting our region), and long-term trends (think […]
By Sonia A. Hall, Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources, Washington State University A recent article in the Good Fruit Grower reported on effects of wildfire smoke on wine grapes and, most importantly, on the resulting wine. Based on a panel discussion at this year’s Unified Wine and Grape Symposium, this article takes an […]
By Sonia A. Hall, Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources, Washington State University Wildfire season is underway, with blazes in New Mexico and California in the news. So an article I came across recently seems particularly relevant. Researchers with Resources for the Future, a self-described “independent, nonprofit research institution,” make the (not new, but […]
By David I. Gustafson, Ph.D., Adjunct Professor, Biological Systems Engineering Department, Washington State University This is an opinion piece published in the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin on December 13, 2020. We will be sharing further details on the results of this project through blog articles in 2021. Stay tuned! We’re all exhausted. As we near the […]