Editor’s note: This article is excerpted from a Washington Association of Wheat Growers white paper published in June 2026. The full white paper is available at wawg.org/wp-content/uploads/CRP-WA-Policy-Paper-05.26.26.pdf. The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is one of the most important conservation tools available to Washington state farmers, not just for agriculture, but…
In mid-July, legislators got down in the dirt to hear directly from producers about how bills passed in Olympia are affecting the state’s agricultural industry. Every year, ag stakeholders bring legislators and staff to visit the people and companies that raise and process the products grown in the state. This…
Unexpected neck surgery prevented the 2026 Wheat College keynote presenter from appearing in person, but growers were still able to take advantage of his knowledge as he zoomed in. Following coffee and doughnuts sponsored by the Graybeal Group, Dennis Pennington, the Michigan State University (MSU) Wheat Extension specialist, appeared virtually…
One of the most recognizable landmarks in the Palouse has been given a new lease on life, thanks to the community of Oakesdale, Wash., the Innovia Foundation, and the Port of Whitman County. The Port was awarded a $1 million Community Economic Revitalization Board (CERB) grant in January to fund…
Fertilizer costs are one among many rising input costs for farmers. While fertilizer is a key budget item for all farmers, fertilizer costs are especially critical for wheat growers. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) cost-of-production projections for the 2026-27 marketing year, published in December before the current conflict…
Traveling to the state’s capital for Olympia Days was a truly incredible experience, and I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to engage with so many different people and be a voice for Washington wheat growers. Although I enjoyed my entire trip to Olympia, what stood out the…
For more than 40 years, the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has been helping Eastern Washington growers address natural resource concerns. But lately, some growers in low rainfall zones have been feeling like their participation in CRP is more likely to break the bank than help keep the farm afloat. The…
Getting to experience Olympia Days and everything that it brought forth was an experience that was not only personally eye-opening, but also one that made me all the more proud to come from a community that champions agriculture. It was really rewarding to see how a group of farmers and…
The devil’s often found in the details, and one Lincoln County grower is shifting through a wheat field of data to find answers. Jesse Brunner, a fifth-generation farmer north of Almira, Wash., is going into his third year participating in the Great Lakes Yield Enhancement Network (YEN). The program, which…
Returning to her family’s Whitman County farm may not have been in the cards for Carrie Bellecourt, but she’s found a way to honor her background by sharing her wheat-growing knowledge with her first-grade classes. Bellecourt grew up in Steptoe, Wash., the daughter of Jim and Cathy White. Jim was…
