Author Archives: Trista Crossley

NAWG president defends NAFTA trade deal at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

From NAWG Today, the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) president, Gordon Stoner, along with several U.S. agricultural stakeholders and business community representatives, participated in a NAFTA panel titled “The Future of NAFTA: The Stakes for American Agriculture and Business.” The panel took place at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C., and was moderated by Neil Herrington, the ... Read More »

Crop progress report 10/29: Temperatures began to cool with fall in full swing

From NASS There were 6.3 days suitable for field work last week. Pasture and range conditions were reported at 20 percent very poor, 27 percent poor, 34 percent fair, 18 percent good and 1 percent excellent. A low temperature of 26 degrees F was reported in the north eastern region, while a high temperature of 74 degrees was reported in the western region. Statewide temperature differentials ranged ... Read More »

NAWG president resigns to pursue opportunity in home state

From the NAWG The National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) has announced the resignation of former NAWG president and Sharon Springs, Kans. farmer, David Schemm. Schemm has resigned his position to pursue other professional opportunities in his home state of Kansas. “During his time as president of NAWG, David helped move the wheat industry forward, grew its presence on Capitol Hill and improved ... Read More »

Senate FY18 budget resolution passes house; next steps tax reform

From the National Association of Wheat Growers On Oct. 26, the House took final action on the FY2018 Budget Resolution. With this action, National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) CEO Chandler Goule made the following statements about the importance of a strong farm bill and effective tax reform: “While NAWG appreciates that no reconciliation instructions were included for agriculture, the ... Read More »

NAWG among farm groups supporting changes to ARC-County program

From the American Farm Bureau Federation The American Farm Bureau Federation and seven other major farm groups today hailed introduction of bipartisan legislation to improve the Agriculture Risk Coverage program, an important component of the federal agricultural safety net for farmers. Senators Heidi Heitkamp and Joni Ernst are sponsors. Among other things, the bill would prioritize use of data collected ... Read More »

Crop progress report 10/22: Rain returned throughout Washington

From NASS There were 4.3 days suitable for field work last week. Pasture and range conditions were reported at 25 percent very poor, 31 percent  poor, 30 percent  average, 13 percent good and 1 percent excellent. A low temperature of 23 degrees F was reported in the northeast region, while a high temperature of 77 degrees was reported in the southeast region. Statewide temperature differentials ranged from ... Read More »

Value of Washington’s 2016 ag production totaled $10.6 billion

From the National Agricultural Statistics Service The value of Washington’s 2016 agricultural production totaled $10.6 billion, down 1 percent from the previous year record high of $10.7 billion. Apples remain the leading agricultural commodity in the state with a 2016 value of $2.39 billion. This is up 3 percent from the previous year, but down 4 percent from the record high ... Read More »

Wheat Grower Organizations Dispute Corker’s Food Aid Position

In remarks to the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) on Oct. 19, 2017, Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) stated that he has talked to farmers and that farmers “do not care” about U.S. in-kind food aid. “I don’t know what farmers Sen. Corker is talking to because I can assure you wheat farmers care a lot about in-kind food aid,” said Dighton, ... Read More »

Farm Bill, Trade hot topics at 2017 fall wheat industry conference

Editor’s note: The leadership and staff of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers has been participating in the National Association of Wheat Growers’ fall conference this week, sharing Washington wheat farmer priorities and helping craft the wheat industry’s farm bill message to lawmakers. The National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) and U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) held its annual fall conference this week ... Read More »

Washington Ecology proposes response to Hirst

From the Capital Press The Washington Department of Ecology proposes to assess water supplies in targeted watersheds, a first step in judging whether a state Supreme Court decision has truly closed rural areas to new household wells. The proposal applies to 15 basins, about one-third of the state, most obviously affected by last year’s Hirst decision, a ruling criticized by ... Read More »