Current Issues

Concerned stakeholders left out of dam breaching discussions with Administration. Pacific Northwest (PNW) agriculture groups and stakeholders, including the Washington Association of Wheat Growers, Pacific Northwest Waterways Association, The McGregor Company, Washington State Potato Commission, and Washington Farm Bureau, strongly oppose the proposed “U.S. Government Commitments in Support of the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative and in Partnership with the Six ... Read More »

On November 29, the document entitled “U.S. Government Commitments in Support of the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative and in Partnership with the Six Sovereigns” was made public in a letter from Pacific Northwest members of Congress to President Biden. The draft agreement is based on the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative, a proposal to the Biden Administration from the six sovereigns ... Read More »

How does expired legislation potential shutdown impact farmer programs? By Trista Crossley Editor, Wheat Life Producers are facing two financial uncertainties going into the end of 2023 that could have huge impacts on the agricultural industry.  On Sept. 30, the 2018 Farm Bill expired with no sign of new legislation to replace it. Congress is also facing a funding deadline ... Read More »

Two high school seniors have been selected to represent Washington wheat farmers and will serve as the Washington Wheat Ambassadors for the upcoming year. Samantha Holling of Fairfield and Izabella Myers of Latah were selected after an initial written application process that included submitting a short introductory video. Holling and Myers will each be giving a speech at the upcoming ... Read More »

Last month, Michelle Hennings, executive director of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers, was invited to attend the Council of State Governments West (CSG West) Legislative Council on River Governance in Whitefish, Mont., where she heard an update on the Columbia River Treaty from U.S. negotiator Jill Smail and Stephen Glock, a negotiator from the Canadian team. Hennings said Smail ... Read More »

Fieldwork for the year may slowly be winding down, but preparations for the 2023 Tri-State Grain Growers Convention are reaching a fever pitch. Staff from the Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG), the Oregon Wheat Growers League, and the Idaho Grain Producers Association are putting the finishing touches on this year’s convention, which will be held Nov. 14-16, 2023, at ... Read More »

The Washington Grain Commission (WGC) and the Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG) applaud the support of members from the Washington State Federal Congressional Delegation, and their commitment to the state’s agricultural industry, in response to the announcement that the Federal Railroad Administration selected the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to receive a substantial $72.8 million Fiscal Year 2022 ... Read More »

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced this week that the Washington State Department of Transportation has been selected to receive a $72.8 million Fiscal Year 2022 Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement (CRISI) grant for capital improvements on the PCC short-line railroad. State funding from the Move Ahead Washington transportation package, as well as local and private contributions, will bring ... Read More »

Last month in Washington, D.C., leaders and staff of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG) met with members of the state’s federal delegation during a National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) farm bill fly-in. “D.C. is currently bustling with farm bill talks. We were able to meet with most of our state’s federal delegation and have meaningful conversations about ... Read More »

In Spokesman Review Op-Ed, WAWG Executive Director Michelle Hennings shared, “In the hottest year ever recorded, another wheat harvest is wrapping up. Extreme weather means it’s more important than ever to preserve the critical infrastructure we depend on to deliver goods to market. The lower Snake River dams provide affordable, clean, and reliable energy for our farms and communities, but ... Read More »