Agriculture is Washington state's backbone

Throughout our state, fruit trees are blossoming and vibrant tulip fields blooming. Colorful lentils carpet the fields on the Palouse. It’s spring, when photographers and sightseers have a field day.

While spring is eye-catching, it is the late summer and fall when our state reaps the benefits of the harvest. It is when crops yield “green” generating cash in markets around the world.

While Washington ranks 14th in agriculture revenue nationwide, our state is a leader in apples, cherries, wine, dairy products, beef cattle and calves, wheat and potatoes.

Agriculture adds $51 billion a year to ou...