How is immigration policy affecting the 2025 harvest season?

That's the topic of the final piece in a four part collaborative series from NWPB, the Yakima Herald-Republic and El Sol de Yakima.

Numbers from harvest don't show big impacts from policy shifts, but on a deeper level... “It is having a real profound impact on the residents of the Yakima Valley and Columbia Basin right now, even without the experience of the mass deportations that we fear are forthcoming.” That's Erik Nicholson, a farm labor consultant who works with farmworkers and growers.

For tree fruit growers, labor is the biggest variable production expense.

In early October, the Trump administration announced changes to the H-2A program, which brings farm workers from other countries to work in ag.

This latest update will lower hourly wages for H-2A workers and allow growers to deduct housing costs from paychecks.

For the full story and the full series, go to NWPB.org.

“Harvest at a Crossroads: How Immigration Changes Are Affecting Northwest Farming and Communities” is funded by the Poynter Institute.

Costumes, decoration and candy.

Those are the things leading the charge in America's ever growing Halloween spending.

$13.1 billion is the expected price tag, according to the National Retail Federation.

The chief economist for the U.S.

Chamber of Commerce says costumes, but not for me or you or the kids, are another big ticket item this year.

Here's Curtis Dubay.

“To spend almost $1 billion on pet costumes is definitely something that's eye catching.

I think it's part of a broader trend that we're spending a lot more on pets than we used to.” We'd love to see your costumed pets, so send us your photos to News@NWPB.org.

Now to an NWPB original short documentary just released.

Part of the Northwest Coast is known as the ‘Graveyard of the Pacific.

It's home to an estimated 2,000 shipwrecks.

NWPB explores the history and the cultural impacts in the new doc ‘Wrecked: Sinking Ships and Colliding Cultures on the Northwest coast.

Find that short documentary on the NWPB YouTube page.