Current Issues

2018 Farm Bill implementation update

From the U.S. Department of Agriculture U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced an update on the implementation status of the 2018 Farm Bill. President Trump signed this Farm Bill into law on Dec. 20, 2018, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) promptly began implementing key programs. In addition, USDA held several listening sessions with stakeholders and the ... Read More »

Joint statement from wheat industry on new discovery of GE wheat plants

From U.S. Wheat Associates and the National Association of Wheat Growers U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) and the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) are aware that USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the discovery of genetically engineered (GE) wheat plants growing in an unplanted agricultural field in Washington State. APHIS says the GE wheat in question ... Read More »

Tariffs as political weapons cause collateral damage

From the National Association of Wheat Growers and U.S. Wheat Associates U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) and the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) are shocked and dismayed by President Donald Trump’s unilateral step to impose a 5 percent tariff on all Mexican goods imported by the United States. This action threatens to undermine approval of the U.S-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and ... Read More »

Seizing the moment

Wheat ambassador finds an opportunity to advocate in an unexpected place By Lacey Miller I have never been to Olympia before, so Olympia Days was something I will never forget. What made my experience worthwhile was that I was not there just to sightsee, but I was given this extraordinary opportunity to help make a difference in the wheat industry. ... Read More »

Raising awareness

Wheat Ambassador sees a side of ag that doesn’t take place on a farm By Evan Henning Waking up early Tuesday morning, I didn’t know what to expect as I was grabbing my bags and getting into the car to head to the airport. I was very excited, and I couldn’t wait to experience the trip to Olympia representing the ... Read More »

USDA reopens continuous CRP sign-up

USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will accept applications beginning June 3, 2019, for certain practices under the continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) sign-up and will offer extensions for expiring CRP contracts. The 2018 Farm Bill reauthorized CRP, one of the country’s largest conservation programs. “USDA offers a variety of conservation programs to farmers and ranchers, and the Conservation Reserve Program ... Read More »

Forward progress on farm bill implementation

By Trista Crossley Nearly five months after the 2018 Farm Bill was signed into law, implementation continues to move forward. In March, many of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) agencies held listening sessions to gain input from stakeholders and the public on farm bill implementation. The National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) has been monitoring the process closely and ... Read More »

Leading ag commodities oppose additional tariffs on Chinese goods

Today, the U.S. Trade Representative moved forward with increasing the tariff rate from 10 to 25 percent on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods. Farmers across the country are extremely concerned by the actions taken today by President Trump and his administration. The National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG), the American Soybean Association (ASA), and the National Corn Growers Association ... Read More »

In defense of the lower Snake River dams

Editor’s note: This is an Op Ed the Washington Association of Wheat Growers submitted to regional newspapers in May. In agriculture, everything is cyclical. The same seems to be true of the lower Snake River dams. Every few years, advocates of breaching the dams start speaking out on why they should be torn down, and the communities and industries that ... Read More »