Reefer Report: The onion capital of the West

Washington State is by far the largest producer of onions nationally (25% of annual volume), followed by Mexico (18%) and Idaho (11%). Yerington in the Mason Valley is not so well-known and widely regarded as one of the country’s most extensive onion-growing operations. It is located 70 miles south of Reno, NV, and 370 miles…

How to take the wheel: Wanda Billups

It takes a heavy dose of courage to go out on your own and make a life for yourself. For many, the volume of “what if”s and “what about”s is enough to keep them in their comfort zone, never venturing out, never exploring what all is possible.  But that’s not Wanda Billups. She wanted a…

Flatbed report: January’s manufacturing numbers are weak across various industries

According to Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED), manufacturing production edged down 0.6% in January after recording no change in December. Compared to January last year, manufacturing output declined 1.3% year-over-year (y/y). The Federal Reserve’s monthly index of industrial production and the related capacity indexes and capacity utilization rates cover manufacturing, mining, and electric and gas…