Up, up and organic — AgMinute for Aug. 30, 2013

Sales of organic foods grew by 25 percent between 2008 and 2011, a period of economic downturn in much of the world.

The early farmer gets the premium — AgMinute for Aug. 29, 2013

Idaho potato growers starting early harvests say yields appear to be about average, and most are pleased by the size profile and quality of their crops. Several growers throughout the state have begun their early harvests a few days ahead of the usual schedule, motivated by limited water supplies and the opportunity to capture high prices before the general harvest floods the market.

The Wheat State — AgMinute for Aug. 28, 2013

The Kansas State University Wheat Genetics Resource Center is improving production and disease resistance of wheat and other crops.

Burning frustration — AgMinute for Aug. 28, 2013

Livestock ranchers suffering significant cattle losses and more than 280,000 acres of burned out grazing land in the rugged Boise National Forest are frustrated with the U.S. Forest Service and BLM, claiming the devastation they are experiencing could have been avoided.

Dredging delayed — AgMinute for Aug. 26, 2013

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is postponing the environmental impact assessment of its sediment management plan on the lower Snake River. The Walla Walla, Wash., district of the corps is also delaying proposed dredging of the lower Snake River in Lewiston, Idaho.

Stressing out new breeds — AgMinute for Aug. 23, 2013

Victor Raboy, a research geneticist with the Agricultural Research Service in Aberdeen, sees potential to breed desirable traits in crops by exposing them to stressful environments, based on a modern field of science that challenges traditional notions of genetics.

Bulking up delayed — Aug. 22, 2013

The loss of a beef weight-building drug may be disruptive for some feedlots but the effect will probably be a wash for the cow-calf producers who supply them, experts say. The pharmaceutical company Merck recently suspended sales of its Zilmax drug.

Defending COOL — AgMinute for Aug. 21, 2013

A court has allowed farm groups that support the U.S. Department of Agriculture's mandatory country-of-origin meat labeling regulations to intervene in a lawsuit challenging the rules.

Irrigation rules threaten specialty crops — AgMinute for Aug. 20, 2013

Opposition to the Food and Drug Administration's proposed produce safety rule has been led by the Idaho-Oregon onion industry and FDA officials' recent visit to the Pacific Northwest centered around that sector. But onions are only one of an estimated 200 commodities that would have to meet the proposed standards, which include limits on how much bacteria could be detected in irrigation water.

Wooing Asia and Mexico — AgMinute for Aug. 19, 2013

Washington businesses are invited to participate in an upcoming visit with prospective buyers from Asia and Mexico. The Washington State Department of Agriculture will sponsor meetings Sept. 9 and 10 in Seattle.

I'd like to buy the world a glass of milk — AgMinute for Aug. 16, 2013

Dairy exports in the first half of the year totaled a record-high $3.17 billion, up 16 percent from $2.74 billion in the first half of 2012, pushed by increasing global demand.

Read about how farmers are confronting controversy over biotechnology in "Surviving a Biotech Backlash," available at http://bit.ly/BiotechBacklash

Can't stop the water — AgMinute for Aug. 15, 2013

Food and Drug Administration officials visited farms, packing sheds and irrigation systems in Idaho, Oregon and Washington this week to get a first-hand look at how their proposed produce safety rule could impact farmers.

Read about how farmers are confronting controversy over biotechnology in "Surviving a Biotech Backlash," available at http://bit.ly/BiotechBacklash

To get wheat is glorious — AgMinute for Aug. 14, 2013

Members of a Chinese trade team visiting Oregon and Idaho Aug. 3-8 said they're interested in buying more soft white wheat from the Pacific Northwest, a class they haven't historically imported.

Read about how farmers are confronting controversy over biotechnology in "Surviving a Biotech Backlash," available at http://bit.ly/BiotechBacklash

Open fields doctrine — AgMinute for Aug. 13, 2013

A federal judge has ruled that the constitutional prohibition against unreasonable searches doesn't apply to U.S. Labor Department investigators who want to enter farm fields.

Read about how farmers are confronting controversy over biotechnology in "Surviving a Biotech Backlash," available at http://bit.ly/BiotechBacklash

The vegetable whisperer — AgMinute for Aug. 12, 2013

Vegetable growers mystified by something going wrong with their crops can take the first step toward solving the problem by consulting a website managed by scientists at the Northwest's three land-grant universities.

Read about how farmers are confronting controversy over biotechnology in "Surviving a Biotech Backlash," available at http://bit.ly/BiotechBacklash

Idaho seeks another AVA — AgMinute for Aug. 9, 2013

A petition to create another American Viticulture Area in Idaho has been accepted for formal review. An AVA is a specific wine grape growing region designated by the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.

Read about how farmers are confronting controversy over biotechnology in "Surviving a Biotech Backlash," available at http://bit.ly/BiotechBacklash

A is for average — AgMinute for Aug. 8, 2013

Wheat farmers across the Northwest have taken to their fields amid concerns that drier-than-normal weather would reduce yields and prices would slip lower.

Read about how farmers are confronting controversy over biotechnology in "Surviving a Biotech Backlash," available at http://bit.ly/BiotechBacklash

Flooded with concern — AgMinute for Aug. 7, 2013

A top Food and Drug Administration official is visiting the Pacific Northwest to hear directly from farmers about their concerns regarding the agency's proposed food safety rules for agricultural water.

Read about how farmers are confronting controversy over biotechnology in "Surviving a Biotech Backlash," available at http://bit.ly/BiotechBacklash

A paragon of potatoes — AgMinute for Aug. 6, 2013

The U.S. Potato Board has chosen a veteran in the produce industry to serve as its new president and CEO. The Denver-based board, which serves as the nation's marketing organization and central organizing force, has chosen Blair Richardson.

Read about how farmers are confronting controversy over biotechnology in "Surviving a Biotech Backlash," available at http://bit.ly/BiotechBacklash

The organic buzz — AgMinute for Aug. 5, 2013

Fences don't stop bees, so a farmer can't manage them organically the same as they would livestock. That's something the USDA's National Organic Standards Board must take into account as it develops organic standards for bees.

Read about how farmers are confronting controversy over biotechnology in "Surviving a Biotech Backlash," available at http://bit.ly/BiotechBacklash

The House talks timber — AgMinute for Aug. 2, 2013

A package of legislation is moving through the U.S. House of Representatives that seeks to improve forest management and reduce the threat of wildfire on federal lands.

Read about how farmers are confronting controversy over biotechnology in "Surviving a Biotech Backlash," available at http://bit.ly/BiotechBacklash

Wheat prices rebound — AgMinute for Aug. 1, 2013

Japan's decision to lift its ban on purchasing U.S. western white wheat will boost wheat prices, but other factors such as corn prices will have more impact, analysts say.

Read about how farmers are confronting controversy over biotechnology in "Surviving a Biotech Backlash," available at http://bit.ly/BiotechBacklash