Farming can be stressful at the best of times, so when Dale Childers, a semiretired, long-time Grant/Lincoln County farmer died in August, the local community sprang into action to help the family finish harvest. Ben McKay, a good friend of Dakota, Dale’s son, organized the harvest bee. At first, it…
In August, the Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG), in partnership with the Washington State Potato Commission, The McGregor Company, and Northwest RiverPartners, brought more than a dozen U.S. congressional staffers from Washington, D.C., to Lewiston, Idaho, to tour Lower Granite Dam and learn why the Columbia-Snake River System is…
By October, most of the year’s wheat crop has been harvested, and growers have swapped out combines and bank-out wagons for planters and seed drills. This year’s wheat harvest was slightly ahead of average in timing, according to National Agricultural Statistics Service numbers. Most producers reported average to slightly better…
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…
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…
At the 2024 Wheat College, Ray Archuleta had a message for growers that was both hopeful and a warning. “Agriculture can heal the planet by itself without changing anything else. I believe agriculture is the answer for the future,” he said. “Regenerative agriculture is not for everyone. I’m going to…
With harvest right around the corner, local officials are asking growers to be aware of load limits on county bridges when they are moving equipment. Bridges without a load limit sign typically have a weight limit of 80,000 pounds or 40 tons. “Just be careful what you drive your big…
One of the most important highways in the Pacific Northwest isn’t paved, but that doesn’t stop billions of dollars of goods and services from flowing up and down its length. Marine Highway 84, or M-84, is comprised of portions of the Columbia, Snake, and Willamette rivers and stretches from Lewiston,…
The Port of Columbia is looking to build on the success of its Blue Mountain Station by paying tribute to the grains grown in the surrounding countryside. “I grew up on a big wheat and cattle ranch on the breaks of the Snake River, so this is my town. This…
Wheat growers and other farm producers throughout our state are well aware of the great harm that would be done to farming, power generation, and greenhouse gas emissions if the lower Snake River dams are removed. But what they may not realize is if that disaster should happen, it will…
