Posts by Trista Crossley
Getting an in-person perspective
In mid-August, a group of 15 congressional staffers got a crash course in why the lower Snake River dams are so important to the Pacific Northwest. The staffers spent a day hearing from river system stakeholders while they took a jet boat ride through Lower Granite Dam, toured fish research facilities, and visited the Port…
Read MoreHarvest 2026
While other parts of the U.S. suffered through drought and a poor wheat harvest, the Pacific Northwest was the nation’s bright spot. Thanks to a cooler summer, many producers saw average to above-average yields with good quality. There were some reports of frost damage in the higher elevations and some scattered reports of low falling…
Read MoreThe Schafer family
As Andrew and Jessica Schafer’s kids — Riley (9), Aiden (7), and Sloan (4) — grow, so does the struggle to keep up with their favorite harvest tradition. “We pile all five of us into the combine to go cut the outside round and test the wheat, to make sure it’s ready,” Schafer explained. “We…
Read MoreThe Goetz family
The Goetz family grows winter wheat and some canola about seven miles north of Marlin in Grant County. Kevin Goetz is the fifth generation to farm in the area; he and his wife, Jennifer, returned to the family’s operation in 1997. “I’ve farmed with my dad, Les, ever since 1997. We were in partnership from…
Read MoreThe Powers family
For the Powers family outside of Bickleton, Wash., family farming means that, literally. Mitchell and Taylor Powers and Mitchell’s parents, Lance and Susan, run the show with no hired help, although there could be a new supervisor on the scene — Renzie, Mitchell Powers’ 2-year-old son who is named after Powers’ great-great-grandfather. “Grandpa still checks…
Read MoreMeet Peanut
Peanut, a ranch horse that’s afraid of cows, could soon give wheat a run for its money as Eastern Washington’s most favored export — at least for children. SaDonna Heathman and her husband, Lee, own Heathman Farms north of Hartline, Wash. They currently grow wheat and canola, but spent many years also raising cattle. In…
Read More2026 grain convention preview
Ring in the holiday season by celebrating with fellow Washington and Oregon small grains producers at the 2026 annual convention in the Tri-Cities on Nov. 30-Dec. 2. “We want to celebrate the efforts of our Washington and Oregon farmers who help feed the world while facing high input costs and low commodity prices,” said Michelle…
Read MoreCRP white paper published
Editor’s note: This article is excerpted from a Washington Association of Wheat Growers white paper published in June 2026. The full white paper is available at wawg.org/wp-content/uploads/CRP-WA-Policy-Paper-05.26.26.pdf. The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is one of the most important conservation tools available to Washington state farmers, not just for agriculture, but for public health, air quality,…
Read MoreMeet Casey Sixkiller
Casey Sixkiller was appointed as the 14th director of the Washington State Department of Ecology in early December 2024 by then Governor-elect Bob Ferguson. As director, Sixkiller oversees a biennial budget of $2.8 billion and a workforce of 2,200 employees dedicated to protecting Washington’s air, land, and water. Prior to joining the department, he served…
Read MoreHomes for wildlife
Eastern Washington producers looking to bump up wildlife habitat on their farm might be able to find financial help from a little-known U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service program. The Partners for Fish and Wildlife (PFW) program was established by Congress in 1987 and is accessible in all 50 states. With nearly 70% of all land…
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