From the Capital Press A lawyer for Washington farm groups disputed Friday that the state’s new capital gains tax will pinch only the very rich, telling a Central Washington judge that the pending tax already is influencing business decisions by farmers. Although the tax exempts income from selling livestock or farmland, it will tax capital gains from selling business partnerships ... Read More »

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist Last Thursday was the first legislative deadline for the 2022 session. All bills had to be voted out of their policy committee by 5 p.m. to remain under consideration this year. Legislation not covered by the first deadline includes bills that been referred to fiscal committees and bills that are considered Necessary to Implement the ... Read More »

The newest member of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers’ (WAWG) leadership team, Anthony Smith, isn’t actually new to either WAWG or the industry. Smith grew up on his family’s Benton County farm, which was settled by his grandfather in the early 1930s. The family grew dryland wheat and raised tree fruit and grapes. After graduating from Prosser High School, ... Read More »

Agricultural producers and landowners can now sign up soon for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), a cornerstone conservation program offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and a key tool in the Biden-Harris Administration effort to address climate change and achieve other natural resource benefits. The General CRP sign-up runs from Jan. 31 to March 11, and the Grassland CRP sign-up will ... Read More »

From NBC News Scott Potmesil, a fourth-generation farmer who raises cattle in Sandhills, Nebraska, recently bought a John Deere tractor that is over 25 years old. He said he purposely went looking for the older device in 2020 because he believed it would be easier to repair than newer models, which can often be fixed only by authorized dealerships. “I ... Read More »

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist Last Friday marked the 19th day of the 2022 Legislative Session. Committees are still holding hearings on new bills as well as scheduling bills for executive action (voting bills out of policy and fiscal committees). Bills are continuously being revised as they move through the legislative process which requires ongoing monitoring and review. As of ... Read More »

From the Capital Press Mandatory riparian buffers sought by Gov. Jay Inslee could take up more than 11,000 acres of farmland in Skagit County and nearly 5,000 acres in Lewis County, according to the Washington State Department of Agriculture. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

From NASS Statewide temperatures in Washington for the month of January were below normal. In Western Washington, early January was cold with snow and freezing temperatures. Late January transitioned back to heavy rainfall throughout the district. In San Juan County, vine and tree fruit pruning had started on days without massive storm events and rain. Most other crops planted for ... Read More »

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist Last week concluded the second week of the 60-day session. Legislative committees have been busy with packed agendas holding hearings on new bills and voting to advance bills out of their policy committee.  As of Jan. 21, more than 500 bills have been introduced in the House and more than 400 in the Senate. Less ... Read More »

Recently, 28 members of the U.S. House of Representatives sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) Tom Vilsack and U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai requesting the administration pursue a World Trade Organization (WTO) case against India’s domestic support for rice and wheat production. The U.S. has previously highlighted India’s noncompliance through counternotifications at the WTO Committee on ... Read More »