Posts by Trista Crossley
Class is in session
At the 2025 Wheat College, Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson had a wide-ranging discussion with growers that covered growing top wheat by using grower-collected data, factors that impact wheat yields, and how to counter the public perception of agriculture. Johnson is a former wheat specialist for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs. He…
Read MoreHope and hard work
Before Grand Coulee Dam made irrigation viable in the Columbia Basin in the 1950s, farmers struggled to grow food in what was, essentially, a desert. An exhibit at the Quincy Valley Historical Society and Museum (QVHSM), “Hope and Hard Work: The Story of Our Farms and Food,” highlights the story of the region’s agriculture and…
Read MoreA 5-STAR rating
The Washington State Department of Agriculture wants to help farmers evaluate their conservation efforts and provide access to resources and technical implementation assistance through a free, voluntary, web-based program, Saving Tomorrow’s Agriculture Resources (STAR). In the online STAR tool — startool.ag — growers answer simple, production-specific questions about their rotations, tillage, nutrient applications, and conservation…
Read MoreA familiar face is back at FSA
Earlier this year, Jon Wyss was reappointed as state executive director of the Farm Service Agency (FSA) for the third time. A lot has changed since his first term in 2019, and we wanted to know what keeps bringing him back, and what’s happening at the Washington state FSA office in 2025. Welcome back for…
Read MorePrecisely targeted
The Wilbur-Creston and Odessa school districts are putting the finishing touches on a new curriculum that gives students a leg up in today’s agricultural industry. Students got a taste of the training on offer at a precision ag field day in May at Weismil Farms north of Odessa. The idea for the new curriculum came…
Read MoreMoving research forward faster
Technology has moved plant breeding forward by leaps and bounds, but not without some resistance, most notably to genetically modified organisms (GMO)s. Gene editing could provide a viable alternative in breeding programs without all the GMO baggage. In gene editing, researchers modify the current DNA of a plant to either stop a gene from producing…
Read MoreCrop insurance specialist helps farmers manage risk
Looking back, everything in Tomy Gertsch’s employment history seems like it was in preparation for her current job as a senior risk management specialist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Risk Management Agency’s (RMA) Spokane Regional Office. Gertsch grew up in Hermiston, Ore. While her family’s main occupation wasn’t farming, she was active in…
Read MoreSpring Flat Creek controversy
A Whitman County stream, parts of which run dry in the summer, is causing tensions between landowners and the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology). Whitman County landowners who own land along Spring Flat Creek are being told by Ecology that they are polluting the waterway and will have to take steps to remedy that…
Read More2025 Wheat College preview
Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson will be the featured speaker at this year’s Wheat College, which will be held June 4 at the Wheatland Fairgrounds in Ritzville, Wash. Johnson is the resident agronomist with Real Agriculture, where he hosts a weekly podcast, “Wheat Pete’s Word.” He spent 30 years as the Ontario cereal specialist and operates…
Read MoreNetwork keeps the weather forecast local for Washington growers
In a state known for its microclimates, Washington State University’s AgWeatherNet has been providing localized weather information to growers for more than 40 years. According to Lav Khot, director of AgWeatherNet, the system dates back to the 1980s when rudimentary weather stations were deployed, mainly in central Washington, to help tree fruit and grape growers…
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