farming

It’s going to be another tough year for Washington farmers, who were already facing record-low worldwide commodity prices.

President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Jan. 20, freezing all funds appropriated under the Inflation Reduction Act, which farmers say are necessary to keep their farms and certain projects running.

In his first month in office, President Donald Trump has issued a flurry of executive orders to pause or cancel federal funding on a range of programs and grants — some of which go directly to farmers.

This year, Montana will send an all GOP congressional delegation to Washington, D.C., and Republicans control the House and the Senate.

Trump’s 2018 tariffs are among the developments that undercut state’s apple market, devastating small farmers.

Terry Murphy writes, "If farmers are forced to utilize a battery electric vehicle, shipment of crops, and ultimately supply chains could face serious disruptions and price increases."

The gathering, billed as a discussion about climate resilience and renewable energy, quickly became one about the economics of moving Oregon farms and plant nurseries off fossil fuels for the health of the planet and to save them money.

Jennifer Zaso writes, "The more carbon in the soil, the more yield and nutrition farmers will be able to realize in the crops they grow."