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…
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,…
Nitrogen is all around us. It is a colorless and odorless gas converted into a fertilizer for food production. Are nitrogen fertilizers helpful or harmful? How and when can it be applied to make the most impact in an ever-changing farming landscape? I turned to the insights of two seasoned…
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…
Workday is starting,Dark morning hues.In my truck mumblingThe flour power blues. Farm’s name is D.E.T.Initials? Would be nice.But here’s another thought:I “Do Everything Twice!” Wheat is very tough,But coffee talk will flow.Nine or ten crop failuresBefore we’ll really know. If a tree falls in the forest,Does it make a sound?If…
In January, I traveled to Olympia with the Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG). I had the opportunity to meet with legislators to discuss the current agricultural issues of 2024. During this trip, I had the opportunity to engage with legislators, see some of the process, and gain a deeper…
After a winter spent mostly indoors attending meetings, doing paperwork, or servicing equipment, farmers are usually eager to resume fieldwork. But what are those machines out in the field actually doing? In Eastern Washington, spring comes first in the south. Wheat farmers in Benton and Franklin counties will be out…
Wheat fields in Washington can be home to many insects, weeds, and diseases. Producing quality food crops requires intervention. Many factors are at play in the realm of safety for humans and the environment, including using insecticides, herbicides, or fungicides. In this article, we refer to all these types of…
Sam Kimmell has been a crop advisor with The McGregor Company for nine years. He typically works with about 30 farms every year, helping them make planting and crop input decisions. He grew up on a farm in North Idaho, but after high school, joined the Navy. He and his…
In August 1902, Washington’s Lincoln County briefly became famous for more than just its grain when the manhunt for escaped convict Harry Tracy ended in a wheat field southeast of Creston. Tracy was born Harry Severns in 1875 in Wisconsin to Sarah Catherine Atkinson and Orlando Nye Severns. Details about…
