From the Capital Press Mark Sheffels doesn’t plant as much wheat as he once did. Sheffels, who farms west of Spokane near Davenport and Wilbur, Wash., started reducing his wheat acreage several years ago in favor of winter peas. He made the move because of low wheat prices and the high costs of raising it. “Even when markets suggest we ... Read More »

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist Today marks the 64th day of the legislative session. Last Wednesday, the legislature reached a milestone which was the deadline to pass bills out of the house of origin. Bills that did not pass out of the house of origin by that deadline are not eligible to move forward this year unless they are considered ... Read More »

From Agri-Pulse It’s a time-honored tradition for any legislative advocate to look for partners who can align politically. Over the history of U.S. farm bills – dating back to the 1930s – the “traditional” farm organizations have aligned with a wide variety of other special interest organizations, ranging from labor unions to nutrition advocates and conservation groups. But as attacks ... Read More »

By Xianming Chen Stripe rust will be likely severe in the eastern Pacific Northwest Based on the forecast models using the temperature data from November 2016 to February 2017, stripe rust will potentially cause yield loss of 32 percent on highly susceptible varieties. This number is much higher than the 6 percent forecasted in January based only on the November-December ... Read More »

By Ben Conner Director of Policy for U.S. Wheat Associates  March 1, the U.S. Trade Representative’s office released the President’s Trade Policy Agenda for 2017. This document lays out the key trade policy principles and objectives of the Trump Administration. Probably the best word to describe this agenda is aggressive. Some might have expected a word like transformative or even cataclysmic, ... Read More »

From the Capital Press Farmers worried about snow mold damage in their wheat fields need to wait three to four weeks to determine whether their crop will recover, a plant expert says. Snow mold can look worse on the surface than it actually is, said Tim Murray, plant pathologist at Washington State University. The fungi that cause the disease occur ... Read More »

From Agri-Pulse This is #4 in Agri-Pulse’s series on farm bill lessons. The Republican speaker of the House is committed to reforming welfare programs – including food assistance – to fulfill a campaign promise. But farm-state lawmakers are worried about holding together a fragile urban-rural coalition long seen critical to passing a new farm bill. That could be 2017, but ... Read More »

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist Monday marked the 57th day of the legislative session. Over the next two days, all bills must pass out of their house of origin to remain eligible to move forward this year unless they are necessary to implement the budget. The deadline to pass bills out of the house of origin is Wednesday, March 8 at 5 ... Read More »

From the Capital Press President Donald Trump tapped former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue to be his agriculture secretary six weeks ago, but the administration still hasn’t formally provided the Senate with the paperwork for the nomination. The delay is frustrating farm-state senators, who represent many of the core voters who helped elect Trump. Read the rest of the story here. Read More »

From Agri-Pulse President Donald Trump has issued an executive order directing the Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers to reconsider their controversial Waters of the U.S. rule and narrowly interpret their jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act. Trump signed the order Tuesday in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in front of about 25 people, including Vice President Mike Pence, First Lady Melania ... Read More »