Current Issues

Farm input costs expected to rise 4% in 2023

Reprinted with permission from the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry Minority Blog Alongside historic inflation across the broader U.S. economy, the highest in over 40 years, farmers and ranchers across the country experienced their own version of inflation: soaring land values, cash rents, fertilizer, fuel, chemical, animal feed, machinery, and interest expenses, among many others. The U.S. ... Read More »

Countdown to Wheat College

Canadian agronomist will dial into the details of growing a successful wheat  crop By Trista Crossley Editor, Wheat Life The details matter when it comes to growing a successful crop, and it’s the details that Ted Labun will be focusing on at next month’s Wheat College. Labun is the owner of TLC Agronomics Inc., a consulting company based in Calgary, ... Read More »

Lawmakers pass budgets, end 2023 Legislative Session

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist The Legislature adjourned Sine Die as scheduled on the 105th day of the 2023 Legislative Session on Sunday, April 23. In the final week of the session, the Legislature focused on two items: bill concurrence and finishing negotiations on the state’s biennial budgets: operating, capital and transportation. Additionally, the governor has begun signing bills into ... Read More »

Washington legislative report, week 14

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist April 16 marked the 98th day of the legislative session. Just seven days remain in the 2023 Legislative Session. April 12 was the deadline to pass bills from the opposite chamber, except for budgets and bills necessary to implement the budget. Over the next week, the Legislature will continue to focus on reconciling differences between ... Read More »

Washington 2023 legislative report, week 13

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist We have completed the 13th week of the legislative session. Last Tuesday was the fiscal committee cutoff, the last day for bills to have been approved by their respective fiscal committee in the opposite chamber unless “necessary to implement the budget.” Only 14 days remain in the 2023 Legislative Session. There will be little committee ... Read More »

Washington 2023 legislative report, week 12

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist The Washington State Legislature has completed the 12th week of the legislative session. Friday marked the 84th day of the 2023 Legislative Session. There are 22 days left of the scheduled legislative session. The fourth legislative deadline has come and gone — bills needed to have been approved by their respective policy committees by Wednesday, ... Read More »

PNW stakeholders send letter supporting dams to ag secretary

The Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG) joined with other Pacific Northwest agricultural stakeholders in sending a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, outlining concerns over increasing rhetoric at the federal level on breaching the lower Snake River dams and highlighting the importance of the entire Columbia-Snake River System to the U.S. “… We are increasingly concerned that the USG ... Read More »

Washington 2023 legislative report, week 11

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist March 25 marked the 76th day of the 2023 Legislative Session. Policy committees are busy voting on bills passed by the opposite chamber. The regular session is scheduled to end on April 23. Before then, legislators have several key deadlines to meet: they must pass policy bills out of the opposite chamber by March 29 ... Read More »

WAWG leaders take part in national meetings

Leaders and staff of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG) spent a week in Orlando last month, attending the National Association of Wheat Growers’ (NAWG) annual meeting where they discussed national wheat priorities, participated in committee meetings and helped set policy for the national organization for the coming year.  The annual wheat meeting takes place concurrently with Commodity Classic, ... Read More »

Washington 2023 legislative report, week 10

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist Friday, March 17, marked the 68th day of the 2023 Legislative Session. There are 36 days left of the scheduled legislative session. The Legislature is busy meeting in policy committees hearing bills that passed the opposite chamber. Bills need to pass out of their respective policy committees by March 29 to continue to advance through ... Read More »