Washington State Department of Agriculture

Governor proclaims March “Washington Agriculture Month”

Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) is celebrating agriculture’s vital role in the state following Governor Bob Ferguson designating March 2026 as Washington Agriculture Month.
agr.wa.gov

New World Screwworm: What every dog owner needs to know

You may not have heard of new world screwworm, but veterinarians and animal health officials are paying very close attention right now, and pet owners should too. A serious outbreak of this parasite ...
agr.wa.gov

State proposes springtime eradications to protect communities from invasive pests

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) Pest Program is proposing eradication projects for the spring of 2026 to eradicate spongy moth and Japanese beetle. The eradication ...
agr.wa.gov

Animal health considerations after a flood

Pets, livestock, residents, agricultural workers and their families have been impacted by the recent atmospheric river flooding event in Western Washington. People and animals are displaced, feed ...
agr.wa.gov

WSDA confirms HPAI in domestic flocks in three Washington counties

OLYMPIA, WA. — Nov. 20, 2025 — Fall migration of wild waterfowl is peaking in Washington State bringing high risk of avian influenza (bird flu) to domestic flocks statewide. Washington State ...
agr.wa.gov

WSDA confirms HPAI in Grant County

OLYMPIA – October 10, 2025 – The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) confirms Grant County’s first detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI or H5N1), commonly known as bird ...
agr.wa.gov

WSDA receives $4.2 million in Specialty Crop Block Grant funds

OLYMPIA – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded Washington state over $4 million to support specialty crops in 2025 through the Specialty Crop Block Grant program. Specialty crops are ...
agr.wa.gov

West Nile virus detected in Yakima County horse

OLYMPIA, WA – Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) has reported the first case of West Nile virus (WNV) in a Yakima County horse this year. On September 11, the Washington Animal Disease ...
agr.wa.gov

New World Screwworm: An emerging threat to mammals

The New World Screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) may have an unusual name but it’s a very real parasitic fly that poses a serious threat to both animals and people. Although the U.S. successfully ...
agr.wa.gov

STAR Program: New tools to assess and advance conservation agriculture

The STAR (Saving Tomorrow’s Agriculture Resources) program is gaining traction in Washington and beyond—providing a free, science-based tool to evaluate the conservation impact of farm management ...
agr.wa.gov

New plants added to state quarantine list

After months of public and industry outreach, investigations into the impact on small businesses, and receiving petitions from the community, the Washington State Department of Agriculture’s (WSDA) ...
agr.wa.gov

Washington Bee Atlas nets over 25 new or rare bee species in its first year

OLYMPIA – After only its first full program year searching for and documenting Washington’s native bees and their host plants, volunteers with the Washington State Department of Agriculture’s (WSDA) ...