Crop outlook strong as harvest nears

Pacific Northwest Farmer’s Cooperative (PNW) plans to hire between 60 and 70 temporary workers to help with this year’s large harvest.

“It’s looking big,” David Weitz of PNW’s Grain Division said of this season’s harvest.

Weitz said less peas and more garbanzo beans have been grown locally this year compared to last year.

The region’s weather has cooperated to create high expectations for this year’s crop yields amongst farmers, he added.

“The weather has been very promising. We’ve had a lot of moisture and it hasn’t been very hot so far,” Weitz explained.

Whitman County Extension Agent Steve...