For the second year in a row, the Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG) has had to modify its traditional, two-day visit to Olympia to meet with legislators. Thanks to COVID-19 restrictions that kept legislators’ offices closed to the public or limited the number of people who could be in those offices, in February, wheat growers opted to host a ... Read More »
From DTN When Chandler Goule was asked at Commodity Classic last month in New Orleans about infrastructure investments, the CEO of the National Association of Wheat Growers took the time to highlight the value of river transportation. He repeatedly warned about the risks to wheat growers over a raging debate in the Pacific Northwest about four dams on the lower ... Read More »
The state 2022 Legislative Session wrapped up March 10, with legislators working up until nearly the last minute to pass a supplemental budget that adds $5 billion to the $59 billion budget lawmakers passed last year. Washington Association of Wheat Growers’ lobbyist, Diana Carlen, assembled a list of agriculture-related spending items included in the final budget. Farmworker Study and Performance ... Read More »
From U.S. Wheat Associates The Columbia Snake River System is the network of federal dams and locks on the Columbia River and connected water bodies, including the Snake River. This system enables grain barges to carry wheat 360 miles from Lewiston, Idaho, to export elevators as far west as Longview, Wash. In marketing years 2019/20 and 2020/21, more than 55% ... Read More »
Today, Nicole Berg was elected as the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) president. She is a 4th generation farmer from Paterson, Wash., where she farms alongside her dad and two brothers. They grow dryland and irrigated wheat, blue grass seed, field corn, sweet corn, sweet peas, green beans and alfalfa. Berg also sits on the board of the Federal ... Read More »
National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) Vice President and Paterson, Wash., farmer Nicole Berg testified in front of the House Agriculture Committee today in a hearing to review the 2018 Farm Bill with a focus on Title I programs. Berg highlighted key improvements made during the 2018 Farm Bill and how those programs work for wheat farmers. During the testimony, ... Read More »
By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist Friday marked the 40th day of the 2022 Legislative Session. On Feb. 15, the Legislature reached an important milestone—the deadline to pass bills out of their house of origin. This meant that House bills had to be voted out of the House and Senate bills had to be voted out of the Senate by that ... Read More »
By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist Friday marked the 34th day of this 60-day legislative session, and we have passed two key cut-off dates. The cut-off dates guide the session and help to whittle the thousands of bills that are introduced down to the few hundred pieces of legislation that may actually pass into law. Last week saw the passing of ... Read More »
By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist Last Thursday was the first legislative deadline for the 2022 session. All bills had to be voted out of their policy committee by 5 p.m. to remain under consideration this year. Legislation not covered by the first deadline includes bills that been referred to fiscal committees and bills that are considered Necessary to Implement the ... Read More »
The newest member of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers’ (WAWG) leadership team, Anthony Smith, isn’t actually new to either WAWG or the industry. Smith grew up on his family’s Benton County farm, which was settled by his grandfather in the early 1930s. The family grew dryland wheat and raised tree fruit and grapes. After graduating from Prosser High School, ... Read More »
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