From the Capital Press Washington House Democrats are advancing a bill requiring public works projects to benefit salmon and have a “net ecological gain,” a vague standard the Farm Bureau warns could spread to private land. House Bill 1117 doesn’t define net ecological gain, besides requiring road, sewer and other projects to aid salmon recovery. Fish and Wildlife, other state ... Read More »

From the National Association of Wheat Growers Yesterday, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry held a confirmation hearing for President Joe Biden’s nominee for Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, and followed with a quick committee vote that afternoon. National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) Chief Executive Officer Chandler Goule made the following statement in response: “Secretary Vilsack demonstrated ... Read More »

From agweb.com Tom Vilsack enjoyed bipartisan support in his Senate Agriculture Committee confirmation hearing today as he seeks to return to USDA. The committee voted unanimously to recommend his confirmation as USDA Secretary to the full Senate. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist Friday marked day 19 of the 2021 Legislative Session. While there has been a sharp decline of new bills being introduced, committees are busy hearing, amending and voting out bills. The first deadline is fast approaching which is Feb. 15, when all bills must be voted out of their policy committee or they are dead ... Read More »

This week, Nicole Berg, a farmer from Benton County, a past president of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers and vice president of the National Association of Wheat Growers, testified in support of SB 5172, a bill concerning the retroactivity of overtime claims in exceptional cases. More than 150 people were signed up to testify. Here is Berg’s testimony, which ... Read More »

From NASS The statewide temperatures in Washington for the month of January were above normal to slightly below normal throughout the state. In western Washington, crops were doing fine. In Jefferson County, heavy flooding from rain continued in some lower agricultural valleys. In San Juan County, livestock were on retained feed. Some farms were pruning berries and kiwifruit vines. In ... Read More »

Earlier today, Ryan Poe, president of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers, testified in support of HB 1199, a bill that would provide compensation to Washington State Department of Natural Resources lessees whose leases are terminated for reasons other than default. The bill was being heard in the House Rural Development, Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee. The hearing was recorded on ... Read More »

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist Friday marked day 13 of the 2021 Legislative Session. A total of 784 bills have been introduced so far. During the second week of the legislative session, the House of Representatives and Senate were busy holding public hearings and voting to advance bills. Only three weeks remain until the first legislative deadline, Feb. 15, 2021, when ... Read More »

Randy Suess, a retired wheat grower from Whitman County, has been appointed to serve on the federal Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee for Trade in Grains, Feed, Oilseeds and Planting Seeds. Randy currently serves as president of Whitman County Wheat Growers and is the representative to WAWG’s board of directors. The Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee (APAC) is comprised of senior representatives from ... Read More »

From the Farm Service Agency Douglas County may accept up to 2,364.8 acres under the general Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) sign up 56 which runs through Feb. 12, 2021.  Contracts accepted in this sign up will have an effective start date of Oct. 1, 2021 (Fiscal Year 2022). Previously, the Douglas County office had been informed that due to current ... Read More »