Knowledge is key to effective herbicide use

wheat field

Identification and knowing when a plant is most vulnerable are critical when it comes to chemical weed control in pasture and rangeland according to Jerry Ellis, area sales manager for Envu. Ellis was presenting at the first Agricultural Marketing and Management Organization’s seminar last month. More than two dozen growers gathered in Ritzville to benefit…

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Family business finds drive to keep moving forward

Like multigenerational family farms, the “family” part of Younker Bros is important, and it’s something Shane Younker hopes will continue. “We’d definitely like to keep the business in the family if we can. So far so good,” he said.  Younker Bros, in Spokane, was started in 1991 when Pat Younker; his wife, Renae; his brothers,…

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Tips to help farmers capitalize on tax rates

wheat field

Last month, a small group of growers gathered in Walla Walla to get the latest information on taxes as part of the Agricultural Marketing and Management Organization’s 2023 schedule. The information was presented by Ryan Janke, a CPA with Leffel, Otis & Warwick, P.S. “From a tax standpoint, not a lot has changed in the…

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On the Hill

Staff and leaders from the Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG) closed out January by traveling to Washington, D.C., to take part in National Association of Wheat Growers’ (NAWG) winter board meetings and to meet with members of Washington’s federal delegation and leaders of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) agencies. “With Congress starting 2023 Farm…

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Pressed into Palouse history

It’s not a typo. Palouse, Wash., with a population of a little over 1,000, is home to one of the wonders of the world.  A few of them, actually. Thomas Edison called the Linotype machine the eighth wonder of the world for the way it revolutionized the printing process. Until 1886, when Ottmar Mergenthaler, a…

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On life support

For 130 years, the St. Ignatius Hospital has perched on a hillside overlooking Colfax, Wash. Once-bustling hallways and operating rooms are now empty and deteriorating, but a local couple is hoping to breathe life back into its neglected spaces. Austin Storm and his wife, Laura, purchased the building in 2021, nearly seven years after being…

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AMMO is coming to town

wheat field

The Agricultural Marketing and Management Organization (AMMO) is back, with a 2023 calendar that includes seminars on herbicides, taxes and the markets.  “We are excited to be fully back to in-person seminars this year. I think many people are tired of webinars and are looking for opportunities to get away from the computer,” said KayDee…

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Riparian buffer taskforce report released

wheat field

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee’s riparian taskforce’s final report was released in December and contains a number of recommendations developed through discussions by a wide variety of stakeholders, including wheat industry representatives. Michelle Hennings, executive director of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG); Ben Adams, past president of WAWG and a Douglas County grower; Diana…

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OLYMPIA DAYS 2023

More than 30 wheat growers, landlords and industry leaders made the trip to Olympia last month to take part in the Washington Association of Wheat Growers’ (WAWG) annual lobbying visit, the first time since 2020 they’ve been able to meet with state legislators in person on Capitol grounds. Over the course of a day and…

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Delving into the dams

Growers at the 2022 Tri-State Grain Growers Convention had the opportunity to hear a panel of ag industry stakeholders share their perspectives on the fight to preserve the lower Snake River dams. Sitting on the panel were Alex McGregor (AM), chair of the board of directors for The McGregor Company; Heather Stebbings (HS), executive director…

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