From the Capital Press Legislation to require farmers to alert neighbors at least two hours before spraying pesticides has died for this year, though it’s likely to resurface in the future. Farmworkers gathered in a conference room Monday on the Capitol Campus to talk about their issues, including the risk of being exposed to drifting pesticides. read the rest of ... Read More »

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist Friday marked the 49th day and the second cut-off deadline of the 2017 Legislative Session. Last week was focused on the fiscal committees hearing and passing out bills with a fiscal impact. Last Friday was the deadline for bills to pass out of fiscal committees unless they are bills needed to pass the budget. Over the ... Read More »

From Agri-Pulse When Sen. Debbie Stabenow sat at the helm of the Senate Committee on Agriculture for the first time in 2011, there was a row of seats filled by ranking member Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and other Republican senators on her left. Democrats lined up in chairs on the right. Staff filled in all along the back walls of the ... Read More »

From Agri-Pulse The Senate Agriculture Committee launched its hearings on the new farm bill, hearing from farmers in Kansas who appealed for changes to some commodity programs, new support for cotton growers and continued funding for conservation. The farmers also expressed opposition to means testing or other restrictions on crop insurance and said that EPA restrictions on pesticides threatened to ... Read More »

From NAWG Today the Senate Agriculture Committee held its first farm bill hearing in Manhattan, Kan. Chairman Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) heard from 18 witnesses representing Kansas producer organizations, lenders, electric cooperatives, natural resource interests and other rural community representatives.  This hearing marks the start of the Senate’s official work toward the next farm bill. Kansas ... Read More »

From Agri-Pulse Farmers are expected to produce nearly as many acres of soybeans as corn this year as growers respond to a relatively stronger increase in soybean prices, according to the Agriculture Department. Speaking today at USDA’s annual Agricultural Outlook Forum, the department’s chief economist, Robert Johansson, said farmers will likely plant 88 million acres of soybeans this spring, up from 83.4 million ... Read More »

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyst Last Friday, we reached the first deadline of the legislative session.  Any policy bills that did not move out of their original committee by last Friday at 5 p.m. are dead for this session (unless otherwise revived). This drastically reduces the list of bills that are likely to move this session. The only legislation not ... Read More »

From NAWG Yesterday, the House Agriculture Committee approved two measures regarding the regulation of pesticides. The Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act (H.R. 953) would eliminate the duplicative permit requirement for use of pesticides that have already been approved by the EPA in the Federal Insecticide Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Senator Crapo (R-Idaho) has also introduced similar legislation in the Senate. The National ... Read More »

The Washington Association of Wheat Growers applauds the appointment last week of Rep. Dave Reichert (R-WA) to the President’s Export Council. The Washington state wheat industry exports approximately 90 percent of its product to overseas markets, and effective trade agreements are essential in maintaining and expanding wheat markets. “Rep. Reichert has been a stalwart supporter of trade in Washington state,” ... Read More »

Randy Uhrich, 62, passed away on Jan. 16, 2017, at his home after a courageous battle with cancer. He leaves behind his wife, Mary, and daughter, Katie. Randy was born in Wenatchee, Wash., to Clarence and Anne Uhrich. He was raised on the family’s wheat ranch in Waterville, Wash. He worked side by side with his father learning the family ... Read More »