Posts by Trista Crossley
GIS specialist maps a 37-year career
Mapping Dwaine Schettler’s 37-year career with the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is relatively straightforward; it’s the side trails that are unexpected. Schettler is a program specialist at the Washington state FSA office, focusing on geographic information systems (GIS) and compliance. He was born and raised in Waterville, Wash., and graduated from Spokane Community College with…
Read MoreRising interest rates uncover investment opportunities
While it may be hard to find the bright side of rising interest rates — just ask a Washington wheat farmer who’s already dealing with high input costs — there are investment opportunities to be found. According to Jordan Thayer, a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley, banks may charge more for loans, but they will…
Read MorePain at the pump
Most Washingtonians are feeling some pain at the pump, but many growers are seeing red, as their on-farm fuel bills are costing thousands more than they should. The culprit is legislation, passed in 2021 and put into action in January 2023, that promised to exempt fuel used on the farm and in transporting farm products…
Read MoreUpdate on carbon markets
Pacific Northwest (PNW) dryland wheat growers often feel like square pegs trying to fit round holes when it comes to programs designed with Midwest farmers in mind. That’s still the case with carbon credit programs. Even as the carbon credit landscape continues to develop, opportunities for Eastern Washington farmers remain limited. Shannon Neibergs, director of…
Read MoreCarbon market options
To date, most carbon market programs are based on Midwest data and target Midwest growers and growing conditions, but there are a couple open to Pacific Northwest growers. (Please note, the Washington Association of Wheat Growers (and Wheat Life) does not promote or recommend any program over another and presents this information to help keep…
Read MoreDouglas County CRP issue uncovered
Producers in Douglas County have been notified about an issue with approximately 150 general Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) 2022 sign-ups. Fortunately, Jon Wyss, Farm Service Agency (FSA) Washington state executive director, was ready with a fix, which he told producers about during a phone call last month. “We at the office missed some critical documents…
Read MoreAdvocates’ views lost in listening sessions
In two, three-hour listening sessions organized by the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) on the lower Snake River dams, antidam activists dominated the conversation despite stakeholders’ best efforts. In the first session, held on March 31, only three of the 50 speakers were in favor of the dams. The second session, held on…
Read MoreWorking for Washington wheat
Washington wheat growers are represented by three organizations working together on behalf of the wheat and small grains industry in the Evergreen state. Although it might be confusing, each organization — the Washington Association of Wheat Growers, the Washington Grain Commission and the Washington Wheat Foundation — fulfills a specific role that works in tandem…
Read MoreCRP rates, IRA funds focus of grower seminars
The final Agricultural Marketing and Management Organization’s seminar for the 2023 winter schedule focused on the latest updates from the Washington state offices of the Farm Service Agency (FSA) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The seminar was held in Spokane and then repeated the next day in Pasco. In Spokane, Jon Wyss, the…
Read MoreHeadlines keep market volatility churning
On one of the snowiest days so far this year, 34 growers made the trek to Spokane to hear Allison Thompson, market analyst and owner of The Money Farm, talk about the markets as part of the Agricultural Market and Management Organization’s 2023 winter schedule. Thompson highlighted the market’s volatility, telling growers, “There are definitely…
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