Long before Boeing, Microsoft, Starbucks or Amazon, Washington State was known for its world-class agriculture. Apple orchards and waving wheat fields. Hops for the finest beer and potatoes for your favorite French fries.

Most of the world now sees our state very differently — the home of high-tech, high-flying jets and highly caffeinated beverages. Yet agriculture remains at the heart of what makes Washington what it is.

The Spokesman-Review’s hardcover book — “A Year in the Fields”— examines the agriculture industry with in-depth reporting and rich photo journalism.