From USDA U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced on Jan. 22 that all Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices nationwide will soon reopen to provide additional administrative services to farmers and ranchers during the lapse in federal funding.  Certain FSA offices have been providing limited services for existing loans and tax documents since Jan. 17, and will continue to do so through ... Read More »

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist The Washington Legislature convened its 105-day session on Monday, January 14thin what we expect to be a busy year.  Democrats control the agenda in Olympia after significantly increasing their margins in the November election.  Democrats control the Senate 28-21 and in the House by 57-41.  There are many new faces in Olympia as twenty-eight new ... Read More »

The Washington Department of Agriculture recently updated its rules relating to use-restricted herbicides in certain counties.  The purpose of this change was to update references and make the rule easier to understand. Complete information is available on the agency web site at: https://agr.wa.gov/LawsRules/Rulemaking/PM/UseRestrictedHerbicides.aspx Read More »

Washington Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers talks to the Capital Press about the next few years in Congress, her decision to step down from a leadership role and how she’ll continue to represent the state’s farmers and ranchers. Read the interview here. Read More »

From the Capital Press The partial federal government shutdown could delay the hiring of a USDA researcher to lead the investigation into starch problems in wheat, an industry representative says. Before the shutdown, the USDA Agricultural Research Service in Pullman, Wash., was on track to post the job announcement in January, said Mary Palmer Sullivan, vice president of the Washington ... Read More »

From the Capital Press A wall is standing between farmers and ranchers and the government assistance and insurance they need to keep their operations intact. The standoff between President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats over funding for a wall on the Mexican border has stalled funding for USDA and shut down “non-essential” activities. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

From U.S. Wheat Associates If there is anything we learned from 2018, it is that the trade policy landscape is unpredictable. While many upcoming or ongoing issues are known, there are a range of possible outcomes within each, some of which could drastically alter the trade landscape in the future. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

From the Capital Press The three Northwest legislatures go to work this month, addressing a wide variety of issues that will impact their state’s farmers and ranchers. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

On Tuesday, Jan. 8, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue tweeted the following: “We’ve extended deadline for Market Facilitation Program applications. Kept @usdafsa offices open as long as possible, but closed when funding lapsed. January 15th deadline extended for period of time equal to number of business days FSA offices were closed, once shutdown ends.” The government shutdown, which ... Read More »

Handicapping association’s 2019 federal, state legislative agenda It may be a new year, but many of the issues on the Washington Association of Wheat Growers’ (WAWG) legislative agenda aren’t. The WAWG leadership team is gearing up for what looks to be a busy legislative season. The midterm elections saw a large number of freshman lawmakers elected to the state legislature, ... Read More »