cattle

Across the Northwest crops are late. Cool spring weather has held back asparagus, potatoes and alfalfa. Even tree fruit blooms were late to flush open. Then, record-warm weather hit.

During spring’s prime calving season, lots of newborn calves have been dying from the cold.

There was a major drought last year that shortened crop seed supply. Now, a deepening drought this spring paired with a dearth of forage for cattle, is causing a Western-wide run on crop seed. Meanwhile, hay is in short supply. And Northwest cattle operators are surveying their empty, dried-up watering holes, calculating how much grass they’ll have this spring.

One of the historically largest farm equipment sales in the country is happening this week in the Northwest. It follows the bankruptcy of the Easterday family empire after its multi-million-dollar cattle swindle.

Nicole Berg wades into her stunted wheat field. It’s so short and sparse, she doesn’t think the combine can even reach the wheat without eating rocks.…

You can drive an hour on the highway and still be in central Oregon’s Crook County. Perhaps, then, it’s easier to understand why patrolling the vast…

Updated Monday, Feb. 8, 2021, 5 p.m. PTThe Easterday family spread unfurls across the Columbia Basin — yawning onion farms, massive potato sheds, huge…

With at least two dozen Oregon dairies threatened by raging wildfires, farmers are grappling with the delicate task of moving them to safer ground — or…

EDITOR'S NOTE: The story below includes a description and image of dead cattle that some people may find disturbing. Two more cattle have been…

Updated April 30, 2020, 10:40 p.m. PT:County health officials are updating their numbers on the Tyson Fresh Meats plant near Pasco, Washington. They now…