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 the Seattle Times Mike Carstensen has seen prices for the wheat he grows on his Lincoln County farm rise from $8.16 in January to $9.26 per bushel, although the price fluctuates. It’s a nice bump, he said, but it’s not enough to make up for the one-third increase in costs from rising gasoline prices over the same period. Read ... 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 »
By Dr. Xianming Chen Based on the predication models using the weather data from November to February, wheat stripe rust is forecast to be in the moderate epidemic level range (20-40 percent yield loss) in the 2022 growing season. The models predict highly susceptible varieties to have 33 percent yield loss with a standard deviation of 7 percent. This value is ... 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 »
A group of Washington state agricultural organizations sent a letter to Gov. Jay Inslee and state House and Senate leaders offering suggestions on actions that would significantly increase riparian enhancement and protections for salmon. “Our farmers have implemented conservation on their lands for decades and generations with help and in partnership with local conservation districts, local watershed and salmon enhancement ... Read More »
From the Capital Press A House bill to require publicly funded projects to benefit salmon did not have enough support Monday to pass the Senate Ways and Means Committee, blocking the legislation, which was opposed by farm groups. House Bill 1117 was scheduled for a vote by the Senate committee, but was skipped over. Committee Chairwoman Christine Rolfes, D-Bainbridge Island, ... Read More »
By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist With less than two weeks to go until session adjourns on March 10, we are on the home stretch of this year’s 60-day session. Feb. 28 marked another cutoff deadline where all bills needed to be voted out of the opposite chamber’s fiscal committee to remain under consideration. House Releases Proposed Supplemental Capital Budget Last ... Read More »
From the Capital Press A Senate Democrat warned Thursday that a salmon recovery bill moving through the Legislature would repeat Gov. Jay Inslee’s mistake of not consulting with farmers before proposing riparian buffers. House Bill 1117 calls for Inslee and tribes to develop riparian buffer standards for Western Washington cities and counties. Sen. Jesse Salomon, D-Shoreline, said the same process ... Read More »
From NASS Statewide temperatures in Washington for the month of February were above normal. In Western Washington, early February was wet and cold. Late February transitioned to warmer temperatures throughout the district. In San Juan County, early blooming perennials and some fruit trees were budding out. Livestock was on stockpiled feed, while most pastures suffered from excess moisture. Most fall-planted ... Read More »
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