Posts by Trista Crossley
ARC or PLC?
Randy Fortenbery, a Washington State University agricultural economics professor, is well known for his presentations on the markets. He appeared last month in a 2022 Agricultural Marketing and Management Organization (AMMO) seminar, but he also writes a regular column in Wheat Life, which in this issue, is very similar to his AMMO presentation. So rather…
Read MoreCaution: Market opportunities ahead
In the past decade, South and Southeast Asia have become one of the U.S. wheat industry’s most important markets, accounting for nearly a quarter of all U.S. wheat shipments. Despite some significant challenges over the past year, Joe Bippert, assistant regional director for U.S. Wheat Associates (USW), believes there is still plenty of room for…
Read MoreInsight into rising costs of inputs
Since last fall, the cost of inputs has been steadily rising with no relief in sight, leaving some Eastern Washington wheat farmers wondering if they’ll be able to get what they need when spring rolls around. According to Dave Barta, division manager for Nutrien Ag Solutions, costs on the crop protection side are up at…
Read MoreThe narrator of agriculture’s history in Eastern Washington
If you’re involved in agriculture in Eastern Washington, there’s a good chance you’re familiar with Alex McGregor. Not only is he chairman of The McGregor Company, which provides seeds, inputs and research to Inland Northwest farmers, he’s also managing general partner of his family’s generational ranch in Hooper, Wash., author of several Pacific Northwest agricultural…
Read MoreUSDA analyzes impacts of absentee landlords
Given the low turnover in farmland ownership, access to farmland through rental markets is an important option for entry into farming or expanding existing farming operations. In 2014, 39 percent of farmland, or 355 million acres, in the 48 contiguous states was rented. Of this share, 80 percent was owned by landlords who did not…
Read MoreLeaving a legacy
Janet Walthew may live on the west side of the state, but her family’s legacy in Adams County runs deep as they continue to own and lease out the family’s fourth-generation dryland wheat farm. Recently, she came across photos of her grandfather, Henry Bauer, along with an article published after his death in the Ritzville…
Read MoreAMMO on tap
Once again, the Agricultural Marketing and Management Organization (AMMO) has brought together a winter schedule packed with educational, informative content. Sessions begin Feb. 10 and continue through the month of February with a mix of in-person seminars and webinars. See ad on page 34 for more information. “This year, we kept what worked from 2021…
Read MoreCommunication key when family is on both sides
Walt Neff has the key to a successful, long-term relationship, whether it’s a marriage or a generational family farm. “Communication. That’s the biggest secret right there,” he said. Neff is part of a landlord group that includes his two brothers and a cousin. Neff’s son, David, is the group’s primary tenant, but they also lease…
Read MoreWheat and Greet
After having to cancel last year due to COVID-19, this year’s Tri-State Grain Growers Convention had a lot of ground to cover. Producers gathered at the Davenport Grand Hotel in Spokane, Wash., Nov. 30 to Dec. 3, to listen to noted national speakers discuss the way consumers view food production; the importance of mental, not…
Read MorePlotting a route
Leaders at the Washington Soil Health Initiative (WaSHI) now have a better understanding of the route ahead thanks to a recently released road map that outlines issues and concerns and sets milestones on the journey to improving the state’s soils. The road map, available at soilhealth.wsu.edu/washington-state-soil-health-roadmap/, divides the state into eight focus areas, representing more…
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