State's canola crop up by 8,000 acres from last year

The past month's yellow fields on the Palouse reflect in statewide canola numbers released June 30 by USDA's National Agriculture Statistics Service.

For both winter and spring canola in 2019, Washington has 75,000 acres planted, with county totals not calculated until the fall.

Montana has 120,000 acres growing and Idaho and Oregon were not listed this year. In 2018, Idaho stood at 43,000 acres and Oregon 4,700.

The Washington canola number is up 8,000 acres from last year, continuing a trend that also shows in Whitman County.

In 2012, seven Whitman County operations grew canola. Five years l...