By Morgan Lawrence (she/her), USDA Northwest Climate Hub Northwest rangelands provide valuable resources including livestock forage, wildlife habitat and healthy watersheds. However, these landscapes face challenges associated with climate change, such as increasingly severe droughts, wildfires and extreme precipitation events. Such events can negatively impact livestock, forage and habitat health leading to reduced agricultural productivity, […]
By Chad Kruger, Center for Sustaining Agriculture & Natural Resources One of the most significant challenges to climate adaptation planning in agriculture is the difficulty in visualizing what future climate change might mean for your area in a concrete way. From late 2014 to early 2016 the Pacific Northwest experienced what could be called “climate […]
By Dani Gelardi, Washington State Department of Agriculture Earlier this year we detailed the positive and negative impacts of the Climate Commitment Act (CCA) to Washington’s agricultural sector. To briefly recap, we discussed the many new programs funded by the CCA, including those that make it easier and more affordable for producers to implement practices […]
Applications are now open until October 18th for the 2025 cohort of the Climate Analogs Academy, a training opportunity for Extension professionals in specialty crops to increase climate resilience in their regions. When it comes to climate change resilience in agriculture, the question is generally not why agricultural operations should be prepared, but which preparations will be effective? Through […]
By Sonia A. Hall, Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources, Washington State University In an article earlier this year I discussed StockSmart, the free, online decision support tool we launched in 2023 that accesses remotely sensed forage production data and allows the user to easily define what is accessible to their livestock based on […]
By Teal Potter, WSU Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources How do you work to address climate change in your job? I feel my body’s stress response when I think about that question, and I expect many of you do too. It’s overwhelming. Most of us don’t have the necessary supportive network to figure […]
Are you interested in integrating research, extension, and communication to help build more resilient and sustainable agricultural systems in Washington State, the Pacific Northwest and beyond? Join our team at Washington State University’s Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources as a new, full-time Associate in Research! Current projects include supporting the dairy industry in understanding and […]
By Aaron Whittemore, Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources, Washington State University There has been a lot of chatter lately surrounding carbon markets and opportunities they provide for agricultural producers. However, many in the industry struggle to understand the ins and outs of these complex markets, despite the apparent intrigue. Dr. Jordan Shockley, Professor […]
Join WSU Extension and the Washington State Department of Agriculture on Wednesday, July 10th to learn about composting as a waste disposal option for small meat processors and producers. The workshop will be held in Moses Lake, WA, from 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. in the Ag Building at the Grant County Fairgrounds. Lunch will be […]
By Sonia A. Hall, Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources, Washington State University, and Tip Hudson, Washington State University Extension We recently released StockSmart, a free, online decision support tool that we developed in partnership with the University of Arizona and the US Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station, that accesses remotely sensed forage […]
