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,…
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…
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…
My experience as a Washington wheat growers ambassador during the Olympia Legislative Days was more than I could have ever hoped. I was able to meet so many new people, from the other wheat growers that were with me to the government officials we met with. My favorite part was…
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…
Before the Olympia Days trip, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I knew we would be meeting with legislators, talking about issues that matter to our communities, and learning more about how the state government works. Not only did I learn more about how the government works, but the…
Planting a successful Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) stand depends heavily on adequately preparing the ground, but some growers in the driest parts of Eastern Washington are concerned their preparation window is being closed too early. According to the Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) policy, conservation plans must be seeded within 12…
Last month, a group of Washington wheat growers took steps to overcome the stigma of mental health by addressing suicide myths, learning to recognize the signs of suffering, and finding help for somebody in crisis. The session concluded the Agricultural Marketing and Management Organization’s winter schedule. The session was led…
With the last administration’s push on climate-smart practices, a lot of attention has been focused on cover crops. But how do you implement a cover crop if your cash crop is winter wheat, and you don’t have many other rotation options? The answer, according to Jake Westlin, vice president of…
In the first Agricultural Marketing and Management session of 2025, some of the top researchers in the region explored the weeds and weed management practices Eastern Washington wheat growers are working with. Drew Lyon, a professor and holder of the Endowed Chair Small Grains Extension and Research, Weed Science at…
