About WSDA

For more information, e-mail us or call (360) 902-1801.

The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) carries out more than 25 distinct programs that support the agricultural community and promote consumer and environmental protection. WSDA has about 600 year-round employees and employs about 300 others seasonally or intermittently to work in inspection and insect detection programs. The 2007-09 biennial budget is $130.5 million, with $28.6 million provided by the state general fund. Most programs are fee-supported.

WSDA is headquartered in Olympia with program offices located in Yakima and a number of other communities in eastern and western Washington. Check out our "Who to Contact" for brief descriptions of WSDA programs and who to contact for information about each.

WSDA Budget Overview, July 2008
This booklet contains information on WSDA's mission and goals, its statutory authorities, and its 2007-09 biennial budget by fund source and program. Copies of the booklet are available by contacting us.

Washington State Agriculture
With 34,000 farms operating on more than 15 million acres, Washington is a major agricultural state. The Evergreen State produces some 300 commercial crops and livestock products valued at $6.4 billion to Washington farmers and ranchers.

Washington ranks first in the U.S. for production of 11 commodities, including apples, sweet cherries, pears, hops and red raspberries. Growers' production ranks second in the U.S. for an additional eight commodities, including potatoes, grapes and onions. Washington is also the second-largest producer of wine in the U.S. The state's diverse agricultural economy includes aquaculture, farm forest products, cranberries, spearmint and peppermint oil and mink.

Washington's location in the northwest corner of the U.S. and it's deep-water ports present excellent trade opportunities. Washington is the third largest agricultural exporter in the nation, with $6.7 billion in ag exports last year. About one-third of Washington's agricultural commodities are exported with about 75 percent of the commodities going to Asia. Food processing is a $12 billion industry and is the state's second largest manufacturing industry.

Washington's combination of rich soils, diverse climates and large-scale irrigation make it one of the most productive growing regions in the world. The cool, moist valleys of Western Washington are ideal for raising milk cows, berries, nursery products, flowers and poultry. Eastern Washington, known for its desert-like climate, has both irrigated and dryland farms. Agricultural highlights include cattle ranching, dairy farms, wheat, apples, pears, cherries and other tree fruits, as well as varieties of grapes and vegetables.

The productivity of Washington's agriculture is demonstrated by farmers' record or near-record yields per acre in the U.S. for commodities ranging from apples, potatoes, and dryland wheat to pounds of milk per cow.

More information on the Washington's agriculture is available at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service Washington Field Office.

Agriculture - Washington's No.1 Employer (click link to see food processing & crop map images)
As the state's largest employer, agriculture is important in every county across the state. A crop map shows the market value of crop and livestock products and three of the leading agricultural commodities in each of the Evergreen State's 39 counties. A separate map shows the valuable contributions that the food processing industry makes to the state.

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