From fox13seattle.com For years, Washington State has been losing two farms per day, and the impact of the Climate Commitment Act is making it even harder for some to survive. The Washington Farm Bureau says the Climate Commitment Act, which passed in 2021, is now disproportionately impacting small farms. If the system worked as intended, farmers wouldn’t have been negatively ... Read More »

From the Capital Press Legislation proposed by Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, and Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., is designed to preserve and protect the four lower Snake River dams. The Northwest Energy Security Act directs the federal Columbia River power system to operate in alignment with the “2020 Columbia River System Operations Environmental Impact Statement Record of Decision,” which found that ... Read More »

WAWG Past President Andy Juris, a farmer from Klickitat County, and Michele Kiesz, a farmer from Adams County, testified before the Washington State House Environment & Energy Committee this week in support of House Bill 1188, which requires local government and tribal approval of wind and solar siting recommendations by the energy facility site evaluation council. Juris told the committee ... Read More »

In mid-January, the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) elected Pat Clements as president during their 2025 Annual Conference in Washington, DC. Clements is a 6th generation wheat grower and livestock farmer from Springfield, Ken., and has spent 47 years in the farm supply business. Clements has previously served as chairman of the Kentucky Seed Improvement Association board, chairman of ... Read More »

From farmdocdaily.illinois.edu In December, the U.S. Congress passed legislation that 1) continued the current farm bill into 2025, 2) appropriated $20.78 billion for disaster aid to farmers, and 3) appropriated $10 billion in economic assistance payments to farmers. This article discusses these impacts, with a focus on the $10 billion in economic assistance which is estimated to provide $42.51 per ... Read More »

From Successful Farming Foreign ownership of agricultural land in the United States increased by 1.58 million acres from 2022 to 2023, driven primarily by the expansion of renewable energy projects across the country. According to a new analysis from the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Daniel Munch, 45.58 million acres of U.S. agricultural land (or 3.61% of total privately held agricultural ... Read More »

From the Capital Press Planted winter wheat is up 2% in both the Pacific Northwest and the United States, the USDA says in its annual winter wheat seedings report. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

From Farm Progess As we contemplate the farm bill in 2025, it’s important to consider the evolving U.S. agricultural landscape shaping agricultural policy discussions and policies’ potential impact on U.S. farmers and ranchers. Producers are facing a number of challenges such as commodity price volatility, increased input costs, the potential for rising farm debt, unpredictable weather and recent disaster events, ... Read More »

From the National Agricultural Statistics Service The statewide temperatures for December were above normal to slightly below normal throughout the state. Producers reported weather being unseasonably warm in the northwest part of the state. Vegetable growers hoped for colder temperatures to support optimal growing conditions. In the central part of the state, there was not much field activity in the ... Read More »

By Michelle Hennings Executive Director, Washington Association of Wheat Growers Happy New Year! There’s been a lot of changes in the last couple months. Not only do we have a large number of new state lawmakers and a new governor, we are also dealing with a change in administration in Washington, D.C. The Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG) has ... Read More »