The White House caught wind of WAWG Executive Director Michelle Henning’s statement yesterday about revoking the prior administration’s agreement on the Columbia River Basin and posted it to their website: Washington Association of Wheat Growers, Michelle Hennings, Executive Director: “The livelihood of Washington wheat growers and rural communities depends on their ability to utilize key benefits from the Columbia River ... Read More »
Current Issues
WAWG Statement on Presidential Memorandum to Protect Columbia River Basin Dams
The Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG) applauds today’s Presidential Memorandum revoking the Dec. 14, 2023, Memorandum of Understanding filed by the Biden administration. “We appreciate the efforts of the Trump administration to ensure that the dams remain intact while protecting the integrity of the river system and salmon populations. Washington’s wheat industry relies on the continued operation of dams ... Read More »
Asotin growers award scholarship
The Asotin County wheat growers have awarded a $1,000 scholarship to Cooper Thomas, a senior at Asotin High School. Thomas is the son of Brian and Angie Thomas. Thomas is the vice president of his senior class. He is active in FFA and plays baseball. In his spare time, he likes to hunt and fish. He is planning a career ... Read More »
Cash crops, and their residues, are the best cover crops
By Andrew McGuire Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources Think about this. If a cash crop provides all the benefits of a cover crop and generates a profit, should we consider it a cover crop? The National Association of Wheat Growers thinks so. They are petitioning the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to issue a technical note recognizing winter wheat ... Read More »
Stripe rust update 05/21: Disease has been developing in Washington
From Dr. Xianming Chen Since the last stripe rust update on May 7, stripe rust has been developing in the Pacific Northwest (PNW), especially in Washington. After the update, we received a report of stripe rust in commercial fields of winter wheat in Franklin County. On May 9, we checked the fields planted with Piranha CL+ and Nova AX, and stripe ... Read More »
Week 15, Washington State Legislative Report
By Diana Carlen Lobbyist, Washington Association of Wheat Growers The Legislature adjourned on the 105th day of the 2025 Legislative Session on April 27 at 6:30 p.m. In the final week of the legislative session, the Legislature adopted the 2025-2027 operating, capital, and transportation budgets. However, it is unknown if Gov. Ferguson will sign the operating budget, veto it, or ... Read More »
Week 14, Washington State Legislative Report
By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyst With less than a week remaining in the regularly scheduled session, the Legislature is in a frenzy to finish on time. April 16 marked the Opposite House Floor Cutoff, meaning that it was the last day for the House and Senate to vote on bills from the other chamber. Bills that are considered necessary to ... Read More »
Week 13, Washington State Legislative Report
By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist With just two weeks remaining in the 2025 Legislative Session, the countdown to the end of the session is in sight. Tuesday, April 8, marked the final fiscal cutoff deadline where bills from the opposite chamber with fiscal impact had to pass out of fiscal committees. This means there are no more committee hearings from ... Read More »
Week 12, Washington State Legislative Report
By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist Week 12 brought another key deadline as the opposite house policy committee cutoff arrived Wednesday, April 2. House bills that weren’t voted out of policy committees by adjournment that day can no longer be considered during the 2025 session. The next deadline is April 8 when bills must be voted out of the opposite chamber’s ... Read More »
WAWG leader testifies against eliminating tax preferences
On March 31, Michelle Hennings, executive director of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers, testified in front of the Washington State Senate Ways and Means Committee opposing SB 5794, which would eliminate tax preferences for transporting agricultural commodities. Hennings told the committee that the elimination of these provisions threatens the viability of the state’s wheat industry by imposing a new ... Read More »