From Kiera Franz, Environmental Policy Advisor, National Association of Wheat Growers The NAWG Environment and Renewable Resources Committee held a conference call with representatives from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) regarding the modifications to the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). For the fall 2016 (FY2017) enrollment in CSP (new enrollment), the application process will be changed and the enhancements associated with ... Read More »

From the Capital Press USDA researchers continue to investigate 22 genetically engineered wheat plants found two months ago in a fallow Washington state field. No conclusions have been reached, said an Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service spokesman, who asked not to be identified. Laboratories at two USDA agencies continue to analyze the test results of samples taken from the ... Read More »

The falling number (FN) test is one of the measurements of preharvest sprouting. As previously mentioned, the FN test was developed in the 1960s and accepted worldwide since the 1980s. Major buyers have been using the test since mid-1990s, after concerns were raised with inferior quality wheat. This chart, prepared by Meera Kweon, USDA-ARS, shows the relationship between the FN and ... Read More »

Falling numbers continues to be a main topic of discussion for Eastern Washington wheat producers. Wheat industry partners are committed to provide timely information to impacted growers. Continue to watch for updates on our website for additional information. Testing Process The falling number test is conducted on a 250 gram dockage free sample. The 250 grams represents approximately 7,500 kernels. That ... Read More »

Low falling numbers, which have struck distinct regions of Eastern Washington periodically, have shown up once again in the 2016 crop. This season’s outbreak is widespread, but on a random basis. Low falling numbers can be caused by two factors: rain at harvest and Late Maturity Alpha Amylase (LMA) activity. This year, LMA is the primary factor causing low falling ... Read More »

There might be some relief coming for some Washington state farmers whose land was rejected from the last Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) general sign-up. The Washington State Farm Service Agency (FSA) has received a special allocation of 10,000 acres from the national office for the Highly Erodible Land Initiative (HELI).  These acres were previously limited to new land, but the ... Read More »

Gov. Jay Inslee today announced the appointment of Brett Blankenship to the Washington State University (WSU) Board of Regents. Blankenship, who resides in Lake Stevens and Washtucna, is an owner and partner in Blankenship Brothers, a family farm wheat producer. Blankenship has served as president of the National Association of Wheat Growers, a federation of the 22 leading wheat-producing states, ... Read More »

From U.S. Wheat Associates Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) has ended a temporary suspension of U.S. wheat imports after testing detected no genetically modified wheat in U.S. supplies. MFDS quickly deployed the test to assure U.S. wheat remains safe and reliable, adding confidence that nothing has changed the U.S. wheat supply chain’s ability to deliver wheat that ... Read More »

From NAWG President Barack Obama signed the GMO labeling bill on July 29, 2016. This historic bill will require the mandatory labeling of food that contains genetic engineering. The legislation gives food producers the option to either label their products with wording or a symbol, or to provide a smart phone accessible digital QR code that when scanned, discloses information concerning whether ... Read More »

By Lori Williams WAWG Outreach Coordinator One issue currently being discussed by the Washington Association of Wheat Growers’ (WAWG) leadership team is submitting a formal request to the Risk Management Agency (RMA) to recognize hard red wheat (HRW) as a separate class for crop insurance purposes. Crop insurance is a critical risk management tool for wheat producers. According to the ... Read More »