From the Capital Press Lawmakers are considering legislation to double the maximum payout for crops lost to deer and elk and also compensate farmers for damage by the ungulates to fences and irrigation systems. Instead of $10,000, a Washington farmer could receive up to $20,000 a year under a program administered by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. House ... Read More »

This week, the leadership and staff of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers is in Washington, D.C., to meet with the state’s federal delegation as well as agency heads. The 2017 federal priorities the association will be discussing include: • WAWG supports maintaining and an increase of funding for the Market Access Program (MAP) and the Foreign Market Development (FMD) program. ... Read More »

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist Senate republicans have temporarily lost the majority due to one of their members, Sen. Brian Dansel (R-Republic), resigning last week to take a job in the Trump Administration as a special assistant to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. With Dansel’s resignation, the Senate is currently tied at 24-24 until a replacement is appointed to fill the ... Read More »

Protect Existing Tax Policy • Retaining all food and farm-related tax incentives are critical to the agricultural industry.  Agriculture tax preferences are a valuable benefit to our economy and offer farmers a more level playing field with other major ag production states.  Preferences are intended to be a long-term state investment into the agricultural industry. Preserving Washington’s Economic Competitiveness • ... Read More »

Fresh off their successful lobbying trip to Olympia, leadership and staff of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers are headed to Washington, D.C., next week to take their message to a national stage. “Many of our issues, such as maintaining and expanding overseas markets with sound trade policies, improving on farm bill programs that are critical for risk management and ... Read More »

Last week during our annual lobbying trip to Olympia, several members of our party testified at a Senate ag committee hearing on a bill that would require the Washington State Department of Natural Resources to provide at least 180 days written notice for early termination of leases. Sen. Sharon Brown sponsored the bill, and in this legislative update, she gives ... Read More »

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist Week two of the legislative session was filled with a flurry of new bills being introduced and committees holding work sessions and public hearings on proposed legislation. Most committees have not started the process of passing bills out of committee since they have more time in a long session to act on bills. The first legislative ... Read More »

Editor’s note: WAWG Executive Director Michelle Hennings is quoted in this story. From the Tri-City Herald The Trans-Pacific Partnership would have opened new markets and reduced tariffs for a variety of Washington-produced crops. But as President Donald Trump removes the U.S. from the controversial and complex TPP agreement, Washington’s trade-dependent agricultural industry reacted with a mix of disappointment and relief. Read the rest of ... Read More »

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) reminds farmers in Idaho, Oregon and Washington that the final date to purchase or modify federal crop insurance coverage on most 2017 spring-planted crops is approaching. Farmers can also purchase the Whole-Farm Revenue Protection policy for 2017 crops. For 2017 spring-planted onions in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, and cabbage in Oregon ... Read More »

On Thursday, members and staff of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers testified in front of the Washington State Senate’s Agriculture, Water, Trade and Economic Development Committee during a public hearing on SB 5051, a bill relating to non-default termination provisions in state land leases for agricultural or grazing purposes. Chad Smith and Nicole Berg, both wheat farmers from Benton ... Read More »