Trade, farm bill implementation top list of grower concerns in discussions with federal delegation Washington Association of Wheat Growers leaders and staff barely had time to unpack their suitcases from the 2019 Olympia Days trip before flying off to Washington, D.C., to meet with Washington state’s federal delegation and participate in the National Association of Wheat Growers’ winter meetings. “Winter ... Read More »

Growers criss cross state capital to meet with legislators on both sides of the aisle What do you get when you mix more than two dozen wheat growers, nearly 50 meetings with legislators and sit downs with top state agency officials? A successful 2019 Olympia Days trip, of course. Growers and Washington Association of Wheat Growers’ (WAWG) staff flooded the ... Read More »

By Vince Peterson U.S. Wheat Associates President Recently, I was searching online for some wheat market information to share at an upcoming meeting. I saw a headline that asked, “What country exports the most wheat?” Great, I thought, here we go again with more propaganda about Russia beating the United States in the global wheat export market contest. Instead, I ... Read More »

From U.S. Wheat Associates Every year, U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) invites farmers (selected by state wheat commissions) to participate in a “Board Team” trip overseas to follow their wheat and learn from customers about the quality characteristics needed in those markets. In February, the first USW Board Team of 2019 traveled to Southeast Asia—one of the largest and fastest growing ... Read More »

From Farm Week Now Farmers likely will plant more spring wheat this year, if better weather arrives anywhere near the official start of the season (March 20), according to a farmer-leader. Jimmie Musick, president of the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG), discussed his outlook for wheat and key association priorities at Commodity Classic in Orlando, Florida. Read the rest ... Read More »

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist Yesterday was day 51 of the 2019 Legislative Session. This past Friday, March 1, was the fiscal committee cutoff, the deadline by which nonbudget bills had to be passed out of fiscal committees in order to remain alive. Now that the deadline has passed, most committees will not meet for the next week and a ... Read More »

Over the past few months, the Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG) has welcomed several new board members. Here’s an introduction to some of them: Michele Kiesz, Adams County Most of the current WAWG board members are primarily dryland wheat growers. Michele Kiesz’s family farm in the Columbia Basin, however, is irrigated, but her husband, Randy, is a dryland wheat ... Read More »

From the Capital Press A World Trade Organization panel has found that China distorts the global wheat trade by increasing subsidies for its farmers through price supports. “China now holds about half the world’s stocks because they have such high support prices,” said Ben Conner, vice president of policy for U.S. Wheat Associates, the overseas marketing arm of the industry. ... Read More »

The National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) and the National Wheat Foundation (NWF) wrapped up the 2019 Commodity Classic with a new slate of officers. NAWG’s board is pictured above. NAWG President and Southwest Oklahoma farmer Jimmie Musick has passed the gavel down to Vice President Ben Scholz, a farmer from Texas. Michigan wheat farmer Dave Milligan moved up the ... Read More »

The National Corn Growers Association (NGGA), American Soybean Association (ASA), National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) and National Sorghum Producers (NSP) have announced their support for the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Mexico and Canada account for 25 percent of all U.S. agriculture exports, and USMCA preserves and builds upon the existing trading relationship between the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Members representing ... Read More »