Posts by Guest Author
Highlights from my Olympia Days trip
My experience as a Washington wheat growers ambassador during the Olympia Legislative Days was more than I could have ever hoped. I was able to meet so many new people, from the other wheat growers that were with me to the government officials we met with. My favorite part was being able to talk about…
Read MoreForward pricing: A neglected marketing tool
A question that I’ve used in the past as an ice breaker for discussion was, “Would you sell wheat if the market price was $10 a bushel?” Growers have actually had the opportunity to do this, and some of you may have accomplished this goal as prices went higher than $10 a bushel in 2007-08…
Read MoreMy Olympia Days experience
Before the Olympia Days trip, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I knew we would be meeting with legislators, talking about issues that matter to our communities, and learning more about how the state government works. Not only did I learn more about how the government works, but the experience provided an unexpected learning…
Read More‘The Operator’s Manual’
He never farmed very large,Just enough to raise a family.Yet his funeral set recordsAt the church in the country. After purchasing his property,I began to make it mine.The machinery was all spent,But, oh, the land was fine. It wasn’t much of a shop,Too little for equipment.So few were the toolsTo repair an implement. Rather simple…
Read MoreHomegrown scientist returns to PNW wheat industry
It would seem Cat Salois was destined to be involved in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) wheat industry. Her father was raised on a farm near Goldendale, and Salois was born in the fertile Willamette Valley in Oregon. Both of her parents earned degrees from Washington State University (WSU). Before the family moved to North Dakota…
Read More5 ways to (finally) kick-start your financial plan
For many people, the idea of long-term financial planning may seem like that dentist visit or home repair project you keep putting off — you know you’ll have to do it eventually, but actually sitting down and organizing your budget, portfolio, estate, and retirement plans, all while juggling a career, family life, and a never-ending…
Read MoreImproving the odds
“When should I sell my wheat?” This question is something every wheat grower has to work through each crop year, but there is an implied condition that is not stated. “When should I sell my wheat and get a good price!” No one wants to sell their wheat at a low price, but the wheat…
Read MoreNew NRCS conservation practice available
The Natural Resources Conservation Service in Washington (NRCS-WA) has begun to implement Conservation Harvest Management (NRCS Interim Conservation Practice Standard 809) to help increase sustainable agricultural practices in the wheat producer community. The conservation practice focuses on harvest or management techniques that optimize the amount, orientation, and distribution of plant residue left standing or laying…
Read More2025 legislative preview
On Jan. 13, 2025, the Washington State Legislature will be back in session. There will be a lot of new faces, including a new governor (Bob Ferguson), commissioner of public lands (Dave Upthegrove), and a couple dozen new legislators. The Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG) will need to do a lot of education with…
Read MoreBreaking out the breakout sessions
The breakout sessions at the 2024 Tri-State Grain Growers Convention ran the gamut from advice for successful lobbying to a global wheat market outlook to thinking critically about barley’s future. Here’s a recap of some of those sessions. Soft white projected to lead rise in U.S. exports The “Global Wheat Trade and Marketing” session provided…
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