Invitation to WSU/UI Carbon Markets Workshops

Interested in learning more about whether carbon markets could provide additional revenue for your farm? Join Washington State University and the University of Idaho for

The “Green” Gold Rush: Opportunities and Risks of Carbon Markets for Washington Dairies, Digesters and Beyond

Join us from 10:00 -2:30 (lunch provided!) at one of the three following locations:

    Feb 6 (Tuesday): Rustlers Grill, 405 Front St, Lynden, WA

Feb 7 (Wednesday): Snipes, 905 Yakima Valley Hwy, Sunnyside, WA

Feb 8 (Thursday): Othello Police Department Training Room, 500 E Main St., Othello, WA

The workshop now has a detailed agenda with speakers. The workshop will provide an overview of carbon markets, including:

• Opportunities and risks in various types of carbon markets (voluntary, regulatory, clean fuels programs)
• Grant and cost-share opportunities
• Technology overview
• Long-term dairy industry outlook

REGISTRATION PREFERRED as we will provide lunch. Questions? Reach out to Georgine Yorgey at the Washington State University Center for Sustaining Agriculture & Natural Resources, yorgey@wsu.edu, 206-235-7154.

NRCS-WA announces dates, locations of Local Working Group meetings

Local Working Groups (LWG) are NRCS’s way of listening to people interested in agriculture and natural resources so they can best serve local communities across Washington. Local Working Groups are typically composed of agricultural producers, Tribes, owners/operators of nonindustrial private forest land, professionals representing agricultural and natural resource interests, and individuals representing a variety of disciplines in the soil, water, wetland, plant, forestry, and wildlife sciences who are interested in agricultural and natural resource issues in their communities. Local Working Group participation is also open to the public.

USDA Programs to Prepare and Recover from Severe Winter Weather

Winter storms create significant challenges and often result in catastrophic loss for agricultural producers, especially for those raising livestock, row crops and vulnerable crops like citrus. Despite every attempt to mitigate risk, your operation may suffer losses. As you prepare for the potential impacts of upcoming winter weather, know that USDA offers several programs to help with recovery.

Risk Management

For producers who have risk protection through Federal Crop Insurance or the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP), we want to remind you to report crop damage to your crop insurance agent or the local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office.

If you have crop insurance, contact your agency within 72 hours of discovering damage and be sure to follow up in writing within 15 days. If you have NAP coverage, file a Notice of Loss (also called Form CCC-576) within 15 days of loss becoming apparent, except for hand-harvested crops, which should be reported within 72 hours.

Disaster Assistance

USDA also offers disaster assistance programs, which are especially important to livestock, fruit and vegetable, specialty and perennial crop producers.

First, the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) and Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybee and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP) reimburses producers for a portion of the value of livestock, poultry and other animals that died as a result of a qualifying natural disaster event– like these winter storms – or for loss of grazing acres, feed and forage. To participate in LIP and ELAP, you will need to file a Notice of Loss by the annual program payment application date. The LIP payment application and notice of loss deadline is Feb. 29, 2024, for the 2023 program year and March 3, 2025, for 2024 program year losses. For ELAP, producers are required to complete and a notice of loss to their local FSA office no later than the annual program application deadline of January 30 following the program year in which the loss occurred. 

2024 Dairy Scholarships

The Dairy Farmers of Washington are happy to announce that the Washington Dairy community scholarships are officially open for applications!

Dairy Farmers of Washington is committed to empowering the next generation of dairy leaders and industry professionals to achieve their educational goals and strengthen the Washington dairy industry.

The winning scholarship recipients will be leaders amidst their peers and committed to strengthening the Washington dairy community. The winning recipient for each scholarship will receive $5,000. Two runners-up for each scholarship will each receive $1,500.

To learn more about the scholarship criteria and application process, please visit our website. The deadline for submissions is May 1, 2024, so make sure to submit your application before then.

USDA Encourages Producers Participating in Conservation Reserve Program to Consider Forest Management Incentive

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is offering financial assistance to agricultural producers and private landowners enrolled in its Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to improve the health of their forests. The Forest Management Incentive, available through USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), can help participants with forest management practices, such as brush management and prescribed burning.    

“Healthy forests offer many benefits, from providing habitat for wildlife to sequestering carbon,” said FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux. “Through the Forest Management Incentive, USDA’s Farm Service Agency provides an additional forest improvement tool to producers participating in the Conservation Reserve Program. This incentive enhances the Conservation Reserve Program’s environmental benefits and helps protect our country’s natural resources.”    

The Forest Management Incentive is available to participants with active CRP contracts with forest cover that are not within two years of expiring. The incentive is a payment to eligible CRP participants who properly completed authorized forest management practice activities to improve the condition of resources, promote forest management and enhance wildlife habitat.   

Pacific Coast Coilition Grant

Open to applicants in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington. This fourth round of funding include pandemic recovery (such as price declines and additional marketing costs due to COVID-19), as the majority of those monies are derived from the federal CARES Act.



Our grantees are focusing on products and methods connected to value-added product development, product line expansion, alternative processing technologies and sustainability enhancement methods that increase profitability.

Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage Programs Receive 2018 Farm Bill One Year Extension, Farmers Can Now Enroll for the 2024 Crop Year

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that agricultural producers can now enroll in the Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for the 2024 crop year. Producers can enroll and make election changes for the 2024 crop year. The deadline to complete enrollment and any election change is March 15, 2024.  

On Nov. 16, 2023, President Biden signed into law H.R. 6363, the Further Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2024 (Pub. L. 118-22), which extended the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (Pub. L. 115-334), more commonly known as the 2018 Farm Bill, through September 30, 2024. This extension allows authorized programs, including ARC and PLC, to continue operating.

“Having the Farm Bill extension in place means business as usual for Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage program implementation for the 2024 crop year— nothing has changed from previous years,” said FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux. “These programs provide critical financial protections against commodity market volatilities for many American farmers so don’t delay enrollment. Avoid the rush and contact your local FSA office for an appointment because even if you are not changing your program election for 2024, you still need to sign a contract to enroll.” 

Rural Energy For America Program

The program provides guaranteed loan financing and grant funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems or to make energy efficiency improvements. Agricultural producers may also apply for new energy efficient equipment and new system loans for agricultural production and processing.

How may the funds be used?

Funds may be used for the purchase and installation of renewable energy systems, such as:

• Biomass (for example: biodiesel and ethanol, anaerobic digesters, and solid fuels).
• Geothermal for electric generation or direct use.
• Hydropower below 30 megawatts.
• Hydrogen.
• Small and large wind generation.
• Small and large solar generation.
• Ocean (tidal, current, thermal) generation.

Funds may also be used for the purchase, installation and construction of energy efficiency improvements, such as:

• High efficiency heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems (HVAC).
• Insulation.
• Lighting.
• Cooling or refrigeration units.
• Doors and windows.
• Electric, solar or gravity pumps for sprinkler pivots.
• Switching from a diesel to electric irrigation motor.
• Replacement of energy-inefficient equipment.

Energy Efficiency Improvement applications must contain an Energy Audit, or Energy Assessment (depending on Total Project Costs) that complies with Appendix A to RD Instructions 4280-B

Agricultural producers may also use guaranteed loan funds to install energy efficient equipment and systems for agricultural production or processing.