Conservation group hopes to protect habitats, skiing, and affordable housing in WA's Methow Valley An important wildlife corridor – and a key access point for cross-country skiers – could be parceled out and developed. But the Methow Conservancy is keeping it open to the public. Courtney Flatt Play AudioListen 4 mins
Black-led farming program in Seattle is being asked to uproot Nurturing Roots is a Black led community farm that started in 2016 that’s based in Seattle’s Beacon Hill neighborhood. It’s a group that’s also urged city leaders to put more land in the hands of Black farmers. Gustavo Sagrero Álvarez Play AudioListen 2 mins
A Northwest dryland wheat farmer looks to the sky, contemplates the coming harvest Even with all the rain and snow in California this winter, it’s been pretty dry in our region, especially in much of eastern Oregon and parts of eastern Washington.For wheat farmers, that means there could be some nail-biting months ahead.Chris Herron owns an eight-square-mile dryland farm in north Franklin County, Washington. Correspondent Anna King spent the day with him and produced this audio postcard.This transcript has been condensed and edited for clarity. Anna King Play AudioListen 4 mins
Proposed WA bill would raise threshold for farmworker overtime This is the second year that farmworkers will be eligible for overtime. Right now, if they work past 48 hours they’ll get paid time and half. Next year they’ll be the same as everyone else - anything past 40 hours would count as overtime. But there’s new proposed legislation in Olympia that is trying to re-negotiate that. Gustavo Sagrero Álvarez Play AudioListen 1 min
Ban foreign entities from buying Washington forest and farmland, lawmaker urges Legislators in Washington are joining more than a dozen other states that are considering whether to restrict or ban foreign entities from buying farmland. The initial hearing on Olympia's version of the foreign ownership restrictions however drew more criticism than support on Tuesday. Tom Banse Play AudioListen 2 mins
How ancient seeds from the Fertile Crescent could help save us from climate change Some of the tens of thousands of seeds stored at a facility in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley may hold keys to helping the planet's food supply adapt to climate change. Many seeds were saved from Syria's war. Ruth Sherlock Play AudioListen 7 mins
New podcast uncovers a true story of family, fraud, land and power in the American West Kim Malcolm talks with Anna King, host of the new podcast Ghost Herd. Kim Malcolm Play AudioListen 9 mins
Costs, and potential benefits, of reducing emissions in Washington's agricultural industry Soil management in the agricultural industry can generate greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. Reducing those emissions for growers in Eastern Washington can initially come with a high price tag, leading farmers to weigh the costs against potential benefits of solutions. Courtney Flatt
No-till farming, cover crops reduce greenhouse gasses but cost growers at the start, study finds Reducing carbon emissions caused by agriculture in Eastern Washington could cost growers. At least at the start. Courtney Flatt
