Posts by Guest Author
Learning the ropes
Sometimes, when you sign up for something, you’re not sure what you are getting into. I thought I might be a good fit for the role of a wheat ambassador for the Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG) due to my FFA experiences in public speaking, but I had no idea the opportunities that the…
Read MoreFinancial assistance available to growers
Wheat growers across Washington interested in enhancing their natural resources have a second opportunity this year to apply for financial assistance. A new application window opened Feb. 24 for producers to apply for Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) assistance through the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (IRA-EQIP) and Conservation Stewardship Program (IRA-CSP).…
Read MoreIn stitches
Oct. 1, 2022, dawned cool and crisp over the grounds of the Menno Mennonite Church. Located 20 miles west of Ritzville, Wash., the church property is a shady, green oasis surrounded by wheat fields and is home to the Mennonite Country Auction. This year marked the 45th year of the Mennonite Country Auction, and it…
Read MoreHarvest season brings harvest stress
As the dog days of summer roll on, rural towns all around Washington are buzzing with tractors, trucks and other farm machinery. To those in the throes of harvest, it’s the accumulation of all their hard-earned efforts, and with that comes an intense and stressful season. Nearly all of the stressors that affect agricultural production…
Read MoreAg, family inspire nonfarm career choice
Farming has always played an important role in my life, considering I am the fifth generation being raised and working on my family’s farm near Davenport. Growing up on a farm has taught me many valuable life lessons, such as having a strong work ethic, time management and responsibility. Also, growing up in a rural…
Read MoreFirst-person account
To be Ukrainian today is a huge challenge. It is a pain, but it is also a pride. The war in Ukraine has affected each Ukrainian family and even everybody around the world. I am pleased to share with you my survival story and tell about Ukraine first hand. I would never have thought that…
Read MoreAmbassador plots path to local ag career
I am the sixth generation to raise wheat here on Nonnemacher Farms in Davenport. At about 6 years old, I started breeding, raising and selling pigs. During harvest, I got paid for washing combine windows. My father paid me in wheat, and I had to learn to observe the market to know when to sell…
Read MoreTo the farmers
Taking life day by day is how we roll up here on the Emtman Ranch. As I sit and read so much about everything going on in our country—all the politics, anger, protesting, finger pointing—I think of the man pictured here (and many others in his boots). My husband doesn’t have time to complain. He…
Read MoreCultivating leaders of tomorrow
Violence broke out. People were arrested; some were beaten. Shots were fired. Vehicles were damaged. A bridge was burned. This could be the news from last week, but I want to take you back to Washington’s “Fish Wars” of the 1960s and 70s. Sport and commercial fishing industries were competing with Native American tribes. The…
Read MoreGrowers hear latest on incentive programs
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Farm Service Agency (FSA), along with the Washington State Conservation Commission (WSCC), teamed up Feb. 10 and 11 to bring Eastern Washington wheat growers the latest incentive programs and Climate-Smart information available for, and supporting, their operations. More than 50 producers attended the two…
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