By Trista Crossley Wheat Life Editor As the clock begins ticking louder on the 2018 Farm Bill, Josh Tonsager, the National Association of Wheat Growers’ (NAWG) vice president of policy and communications, gave a farm bill update at last month’s Tri-State Grain Growers Convention. “From a national level, we’ve (NAWG) been interacting regularly with House and Senate ag committee staffs ... Read More »
By Gordon Stoner For The Hill The United States is known for producing the highest quality wheat in the world, yet when U.S. farmers market their wheat at a Canadian elevator, it is automatically labeled as “foreign wheat” and given the lowest possible grade (a way to measure grain quality). Cross-border wheat faces major hurdles in Canadian marketing channels, primarily ... Read More »
A national coalition of agriculture groups led by the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) is seeking to immediately halt the California state’s misguided labeling requirement for glyphosate, citing irreparable harm to American farmers, consumers and the nation’s agriculture economy. The agriculture coalition has filed a motion for a preliminary injunction with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of ... Read More »
By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist On Jan. 8, 2018, the Washington State Legislature will be back in session in Olympia for a “short” session that is scheduled to last only 60 days. The 60-day short sessions are typically used for tweaking the biennial budgets approved in odd-number years, not for major overhauls. However, a recent order from the Washington State ... Read More »
While the thunder may have been rolling and friends were being found in low places at the nearby Spokane, Wash., arena*, at the Davenport Grand Hotel, the 2017 Tri-State Grain Growers Convention was bringing together more than 450 Pacific Northwest grain producers, industry stakeholders and exhibitors to network and hear the latest in politics, weather and technology. “We had an ... Read More »
From the Capital Press Some wheat farmers can now talk to about the role their crop plays in making consumers’ favorite cookies and crackers. The Washington Grain Commission hosted its annual Pacific Northwest Wheat Export Tour and Wheat Quality Workshop Nov. 28-30. Roughly 24 growers and industry representatives traveled from Spokane to Portland. Read the rest of the story here. Read More »
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) has announced changes to its crop insurance policies. Major changes for 2018 focus on conservation compliance certification and choice of unit structure based on the risk management needs of producers. “Every producer’s situation is unique. At RMA we want to ensure the policies we provide are flexible enough so that producers are ... Read More »
By Ben Conner Director of Policy, U.S. Wheat Associates Many European farmers breathed a sigh of relief this week as the European Commission chose to extend registration of the broad-spectrum herbicide glyphosate for five years. But farmers in Europe and elsewhere around the world are justifiably worried about the challenges represented by the European Union’s pesticide policy. The extension of glyphosate ... Read More »
From the Capital Press When it comes to farming, Idaho is famous for potatoes, Washington for apples and Oregon for its greenhouse and nursery crops. But when you combine the three states, the Pacific Northwest is, or at least should be, more famous for wheat, said Idaho Wheat Commission Executive Director Blaine Jacobson. Read the rest of the story here. Read More »
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