Caravan of Hay

COLFAX - Have you noticed the amount of hay trucks on Whitman County highways late this summer and fall?

The harvested area for hay is up by 60,000 acres in Washington since 2019, according to the Oct. 1 statewide crop production report from the USDA National Statistics Service (NAS). It means more trucks shipping the harvest.

Reasons why are connected to potatoes and the timing of rain.

In a normal year, about 160,000 acres of potatoes are planted statewide. In 2020, the number is down by 20,000, with many acres shifted to other, late-planting crops after the virus shutdowns in March.

"Proces...