Posts by Trista Crossley
June 27-28: New Orleans, La.
New Orleans might be the Big Easy, but there was nothing relaxed about this stretch of the Mississippi River. Where transportation and recreation shared the river in La Crosse, the lower river (below St. Louis, Mo.) was almost entirely dedicated to industry, with little to no recreation, especially around New Orleans. The group’s first stop…
Read MoreJune 26: Vicksburg, Miss.
Driving south from Memphis, the group arrived at Ergon Marine & Industrial Supply in Vicksburg, Miss., located on a big bend of the river, where Port Captain Lee Hogue talked about some of the issues users on the lower Mississippi River face, such as channel maintenance and strong currents and shifting sandbars that make navigation…
Read MoreJune 25: Memphis, Tenn.
The group, now joined by Upper Mississippi Waterway Association leaders, Gary Williams, executive director, and Jeremy Putnam, president, arrived in Memphis. While this was mostly a travel day, the group was able to fit in a last minute tour of one of American Cruise Line’s (ACL) vessels that was docked in Memphis. Because of the…
Read MoreJune 24: La Crosse, WI
After arriving in Minneapolis the night before, the Columbia-Snake River System group traveled to La Crosse, Wis., to attend a meeting of the Upper Mississippi Waterway Association (UMWA). At the UMWA meeting, the Pacific Northwest group spoke about the issues on the Columbia and Snake rivers, specifically the efforts to breach the lower Snake River…
Read MorePesticide label language update
Growers and pesticide applicators should be aware of new language on pesticide labels that could restrict or limit pesticide use in certain areas where endangered or threatened species are found. The language will normally be found in the directions for use section of the label, indicating endangered species concerns and containing verbage similar to the…
Read MoreSeasons of farming: Summer/Fall
Nine, maybe 10 months ago, Eastern Washington farmers planted their winter wheat crop. Now they’ll find out if they’ll be able to recoup their investment. Winter wheat, which was planted the previous fall, ripens first, followed by spring wheat. Combines started hitting the fields in Benton and Franklin counties in July, moving north and east…
Read MoreExport Q&A
More than 85% of Washington’s wheat is destined for overseas markets, such as Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines, where it will be made into noodles, cakes, and cookies. But how does the grain get from farmers’ fields to consumers’ plates half a world away? Companies, such as United Grain Corporation, operate export terminals in areas…
Read MoreWorking the waterways
At the end of June, a group of Columbia-Snake River System stakeholders returned from a tour down the Mississippi River impressed with the need for collaboration among all U.S. river systems and a reminder of how much of the nation’s commerce relies on these river highways. “While there are many differences between our two river…
Read MoreSpeeding along the rails
In June, Wheat Life had the opportunity to take a 144-mile speeder car ride along the Snake River, from Lewiston, Idaho, to Riparia, Wash., with local members of NARCOA, the North American Railcar Operators Association. NARCOA is a nonprofit group dedicated to the preservation and the safe, legal operation of railroad equipment historically used for…
Read MoreAg under pressure
Last month, Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG) Past President Andy Juris joined a roomful of agricultural stakeholders to examine how the regulatory burden affects Washington state farms. Juris participated on a panel at the 2024 Washington State Agricultural Viability Conference in Kennewick, Wash. The Washington State Department of Agriculture and Washington State University’s College…
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