American farmers and rural businesses need continued investment in the Market Access Program (MAP) and the Foreign Market Development (FMD) Program to make up for lost export opportunities in the pandemic and to fight foreign competition. That is the message the Coalition to Promote U.S. Agricultural Exports sent March 9, 2021, in letters to House and Senate Agricultural Appropriations Subcommittee ... Read More »

Ryan Poe, president of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers, testified today in support of HB 1199, compensation for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources terminating agricultural leases early, in a hearing in the Senate Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources and Park Committee. Here is his testimony: Good morning Chair Van De Wege, Ranking Member Warnick and members of the Committee: For ... Read More »

Michele Kiesz, a grower from Adams County and a Washington Association of Wheat Growers board member, testified this morning in front of the Senate Environment, Energy and Technology Committee against E3SHB 1091, a bill that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the carbon intensity of transportation field (a low carbon fuel standard, or LCFS, bill). Here is her testimony: ... Read More »

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is extending the deadline from March 5 to April 9 for agricultural producers to apply for the Quality Loss Adjustment (QLA) Program because of recent winter storms and some clarifications to program rules. This program assists producers who suffered crop quality losses due to qualifying 2018 and 2019 natural disasters. “Because of recent winter ... Read More »

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist Thursday marked the halfway point of this year’s 105-day regular legislative session, which is scheduled to end on April 25. Lawmakers in both chambers have been debating and taking votes on dozens of bills in lengthy day and late evening sessions for the past two weeks. Unless considered Necessary to Implement the Budget, all bills ... Read More »

Ryan Poe, president of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers testified today in a hearing in the Senate Environment, Energy and Technology Committee on SB 5373, a carbon tax bill. You can watch the hearing here. Below is Poe’s testimony. Good morning Chair Carlyle and members of the committee: My name is Ryan Poe and I am a fifth generation ... Read More »

Last week, the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) concluded its annual conference, which entailed organizational action and adoption of 2021 policy priorities. Given the impacts of COVID-19 over the past year, the board re-elected the same slate of officers to continue in their roles for 2021. With that action, the board has re-elected Dave Milligan (Michigan) as president; Nicole ... Read More »

Agricultural producers wanting to enhance current conservation efforts are encouraged to renew their existing Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) Classic contract. Through CSP, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service helps private landowners improve their business while implementing conservation practices that help ensure the sustainability of their entire operation. Application for CSP Classic are due by March 31, ... Read More »

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist Monday, Feb. 22, was the second legislative deadline, when all bills must have been voted out of their respective fiscal committees to remain “alive.” Since then, the Legislature has mostly ceased committee action and is focused on floor action for the time being, which entails the entire chamber (either the House of Representatives or the ... Read More »

By Trista Crossley Chandler Goule, CEO of the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG), and Josh Tonsager, vice president of policy and communications for NAWG, joined growers on a webinar last month to discuss the issues NAWG is working on for the wheat industry in the other Washington. The session was part of the 2021 Agricultural Marketing and Management Organization’s ... Read More »