Federal

From the High Plains Journal When my daughters were growing up, they were very active in 4-H and would show livestock we raised on our property in Benton County. To help develop their handling skills, the girls would put harnesses on the lambs and walk them on the sidewalks around town. This drew many curious looks, and with surprising frequency, ... Read More »

From CNN America faces a growing risk of a crippling national freight rail strike in two weeks. The rank-and-file members of the nation’s largest rail union, which represents the industry’s conductors, rejected a tentative labor deal with freight railroads, the union announced Monday. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

Last month, Michelle Hennings, executive director of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG), joined several other commodity representatives in a roundtable discussion in Wenatchee with U.S. secretary of transportation, Pete Buttigieg, during his swing through the Pacific Northwest. Also participating were Rep. Kim Schrier (D-Wash.) and Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.).  The group discussed transportation, trade and the high cost ... Read More »

The National Wheat Foundation is now accepting applications for the Jerry Minore Scholarship, honoring students pursuing a career in agriculture. The scholarship is available to college students for the 2023 academic year, with an application deadline of Dec. 31, 2022. Interested students can apply under the Education and Scholarships tab on the National Wheat Foundation website. “The scholarship is meant ... Read More »

From bloomberg.com Russia agreed to resume a deal allowing safe passage of Ukrainian crop exports, abruptly reversing course after Turkey and the United Nations pushed ahead with the shipments over Moscow’s objections. Wheat prices dropped on the news. Read the entire article here. Read More »

From the Capital Press Adequate funding for the next farm bill will be the biggest hurdle as lawmakers continue work on the legislation, a wheat industry leader says. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

Agricultural producers can now change election and enroll in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage programs for the 2023 crop year, two key safety net programs offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Producers have until March 15, 2023, to enroll in these two programs. Additionally, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) has started issuing payments totaling ... Read More »

From the Capital Press Not quite a month after a national rail strike was averted, the possibility of a walkout has been resurrected. Railroads and 12 labor unions had reached tentative contracts, but now one union has voted against ratifying its agreement. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

From agweb.com The future of voluntary carbon markets for agriculture is still coming into focus. As such, farmers continue to assess the landscape and weigh their opportunities. Are farmers signing up for carbon programs? Will my existing practices qualify? How much can farmers be paid? Read the answers here. Read More »

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) plans to invest $8 million to support and expand monitoring of carbon in soil on working agricultural lands as well as assess how climate-smart practices are affecting carbon sequestration. This is part of USDA’s efforts to build out a national soil carbon monitoring network, which was kicked off with soil carbon monitoring on Conservation ... Read More »