Agriculture in Kittitas County

Kittitas County Agricultural Statistics

Kittitas County grows great grass. Historically, resident farmers used domestic livestock to harvest that grass. Today, the export market demand for premium-quality hay has shifted farm acreage toward timothy, orchardgrass/alfalfa, sudangrass, and annual grass hay. Farm gate market value in 2007, aggregated across 1,038 farms and 191,087 acres, were $22.2 million in livestock sales and $38.7 million in crop sales.

The most recent county agricultural statistics are available from the 2022 Census of Agriculture report for Kittitas County (PDF).

Additional statewide statistics can be found at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Census of Agriculture website.

The Art of Range Podcast

The Art of Range podcast provides education through conversation with some of the brightest minds in rangeland management and livestock production. Washington State University rangelands and livestock specialist Tip Hudson interviews researchers, ranchers, and resource professionals to bring you extended discussion on topics that are of interest to anyone in rangelands work. A new episode releases every two weeks. This project is funded by a grant from the Western Center for Risk Management Education.

Helpful Resources

Stock Smart

Use StockSmart to calculate stocking rates for cattle, horses, and sheep on any landscape in the Western U.S. Visualizing livestock terrain use by defining animal distribution related to water and slope helps you make more informed management decisions to graze sustainably.

WSU Animal Agriculture

Relying on traditions of excellence and combining modern technology with current advancement in scientific research, the WSU Extension Animal Ag Team delivers educational programs and resources to aid livestock producers develop practices to respond to new opportunities, challenges and demands.

WSU Integrated Pest Management

The Washington State Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Extension Implementation Program is a coordinated outreach effort by a team of Washington State University Extension Specialists to bring IPM knowledge to agricultural and urban pest managers across the state of Washington. Our ultimate goal is to increase adoption of IPM practices, toward a pest management paradigm that reduces human health risks, minimizes adverse environmental impacts, and maximizes economic returns and sustainability.

WSU Tree Fruit

WSU Tree Fruit Research and Extension develops and applies research-based information for sustainable tree fruit production in Washington and the world.

Agriculture Articles

Livestock Mortality Composting By Tipton D. Hudson, WSU Extension – Kittitas County, originally posted online in 2013 (PDF). There are a number of good reasons to consider composting mortalities. Composting can prevent flies, […]
Pasture Leases By Tipton D. Hudson, WSU Extension – Kittitas County, originally published December 2010 (PDF). Pasture leases should be treated just like any other business agreements — they should be in […]
Winter Rangeland Grazing By Tipton D. Hudson, WSU Extension – Kittitas County, originally published July 2013 (PDF). Why Intermountain bunchgrass rangeland is characterized by plants with a high proportion of reproductive tillers to vegetative […]
Fall Grazing & Supplementation By Tipton D. Hudson, WSU Extension – Kittitas County, originally published September 30, 2008 (PDF). Low-cost producers are generally those who most effectively utilize standing forage resources. Fall and early […]
Dung Beetle Friendly Parasite Control By Tipton D. Hudson, WSU Extension – Kittitas County, and Holly Ferguson, WSU Extension – IAREC, Prosser, originally published in 2009 (PDF). July 09 range and livestock newsletter DRAFT. Dung-beetle […]