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 »

From the Capital Press The Environmental Protection Agency’s Farm, Ranch and Rural Communities Advisory Committee on Friday submitted a list of recommendations to administrator Michael Regan on the intended revision of the definition of Waters of the United States. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist The Washington Legislature convened on Monday, Jan 10, for a short, 60-day session. Short sessions have been described as drinking from a fire hose since everything happens on a condensed timeframe, and this year is no exception. Prior to the session even starting, the legislature had prefiled more than 500 new pieces of legislation for ... Read More »

From the Capital Press Pacific Northwest wheat stocks are down about 43% compared to the same time last year, according to the USDA. Regional wheat industry representatives say that’s to be expected. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

From NASS All wheat stored in all positions on Dec. 1, 2021, in Washington totaled 82.6 million bushels, down from 147 million bushels a year ago. Off-farm stocks were down 44 percent, while on-farm stocks were down 38 percent compared to the previous year. In Idaho, wheat stored in all positions totaled 48.8 million bushels, down from 84.7 million bushels ... Read More »