Washington agriculture

Rainier cherries cling to the branch in the Ray French Orchard in Richland, Washington, on Monday.

A good crop: Northwest cherry harvest starts to roll with some favorable warm weather

Anna King

Cherry season is upon us as the summer weather warms up east of the Cascades.

Ben Belino races the mile May 2 at Ephrata High School. The graduate had his left leg amputated after a bad car crash. The student plans to play wheelchair basketball for Eastern Washington University. (Credit: Anna King / Northwest News Network)

Star Ephrata, Washington, graduate lost left leg but keeps on track toward his future

Anna King

One 2024 Ephrata High School graduate lost his leg as a result of a head-on car crash nearly two years earlier. But Ben Belino is still racing ahead, as his rural community cheers him on.

Workers clear canals of debris in preparation for spring irrigation season in the Roza Irrigation District.

As the Northwest turns toward Spring, agricultural irrigators, fire managers and water experts watch the sky

Anna King

Federal, state and regional officials are worried about Washington state’s snowpack in the Olympics and Cascades

Sergio Madrigal and his wife, Rosa, stand outside the farm they owned, until recently, near Sunnyside, Washington.

The cow that stole Christmas: Nearly 20 years after mad cow disease was first discovered in Washington state, one family still struggles

Anna King

Nearly two decades ago on December 23rd, a lone holstein cow “stole Christmas.” The milk cow from Canada had been shipped to Washington state in Mabton. It was the first mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), case discovered in the United States.

A mysterious disease in dogs is sickening hundreds of animals across the country, and killing some. That could be problematic this week as many people leave their animals in boarding facilities, or travel with their dogs to gather with family.

Traveling across the Northwest for the holidays? Maybe leave the dog safe at home

Anna King

Mysterious illness takes down many dogs across Northwest and nation, labs don’t know what it is yet.

Ken Luke, a manager with McCain Foods, shows off some of the old standby potato varieties, along with some of the new, like the fresh “King Russet,” at a recent field day in Quincy.

Fries of the future could use less pesticides, water and be more resilient to climate change

Anna King

In a world of calamity and climate change, just don’t mess with my fries! A hundred Northwest farmers and scientists stood in a Quincy-area field recently to make sure the golden goodness lives on despite future restrictions on pesticides, diminished ag lands, limits on water and a changing climate.

Maple, the 7-year-old yellow lab, takes a swift lick on a couple of milkers near Sunnyside, Washington.

Dairy Steamer: Milk cows, like people, get hot and farmers use innovative ways to cool them

Anna King

It’s hot! It even hit about 110 degrees in the Columbia Basin this week. So how do dairy cows, with no air conditioning, stay cool?

Northwest wine industry leader, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, dumps about 40 percent of its contracts with Washington growers.

Northwest wine behemoth – Ste. Michelle Wine Estates – may be listing

Anna King

The massive Northwest wine beast – Ste. Michelle Wine Estates – is dropping major fruit.

A field of wheat stands straight up and lovely just uphill from the Snake River outside of Windust, Washington – but tall standing wheat can also mean that the heads are not laden with heavy grain.

Light Headed: In parts of the Northwest, roll open a head of wheat and there’s not much in it

Anna King

Light wheat is a problem this summer harvest in the Northwest. Farmers say the plants are stressed by heat and little rain. A fresh U.S. Department of Agriculture report says winter wheat crops in the Northwest are forecast to be down this year.

Serafin Rodriguez Cortes, 21, of Kennewick, picks cherries above his head at night in a greenhouse at night outside the Tri-Cities.

Rare, super-luxe greenhouse Northwest cherries fetch top dollar in Asia

Anna King

It’s peak cherry season in the Northwest. The fruits are typically grown outdoors in an orchard. This business in southeast Washington is doing things a little differently.