WAWG
Columbia County growers have appointed Charlie Mead as their new Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG) state board representative.
Mead is the fourth generation on his family’s dryland wheat farm near Starbuck, Wash., where they also grow some hay. He is co-managing partner of the farm alongside his father, and his wife, Whitney, is learning the farm’s bookkeeping. They have two children, ages 11 and 9. At the urging of a fellow grower, Mead took part in WAWG’s 15×40 program, which pays for 15 growers under 40 years old to attend the annual convention, and said that experience spurred him to get involved in WAWG.
“It really lit a fire under me. I’m a huge advocate for the 15×40 program,” he said. “The whole experience solidified the desire and need to be involved in advocating for the wheat industry. I saw (becoming a board representative) as a perfect method of not only involvement but spreading a positive message of agriculture.”
According to Mead, some of the issues growers in Columbia County are facing include finding qualified help, wildly increasing input costs and the low wheat price, and dealing with the state’s ag overtime law. Like many Columbia County farmers, the Meads take advantage of their close proximity to the lower Snake River, trucking a large portion of their crop to elevators along the waterway, so preserving the lower Snake River dams is another major priority. Mead said he hopes to use his involvement with WAWG to positively influence the public’s view of agriculture.
“Farmers need to continue to inform the public, get rid of misinformation, and paint a positive, influential picture of agriculture,” he said. “We’ve been sitting back and thinking people are all right with what we are doing.”