National agriculture policy expert Ray Starling sees a growing battle between those involved in the agricultural industry and those who say the food system is broken and want to reform it. “You’ve got the folks actually involved in the industry on one side,” he explained. “On the other side, mostly…
Every year, as June rolls into July, excitement starts to build across Eastern Washington for thousands of wheat farmers and their families who are stewards of more than 2 million acres of land. Nearly all of Washington’s wheat farms are family owned and operated, and they are often passed down…
The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is in the final stages of mapping their Eastern Washington properties for potential solar farm development. Lessees who might be impacted have been notified by postcard. According to Dever Haffner-Ratliffe, DNR’s Clean Energy Program manager, the goal of the mapping project is…
Teachers generally do the educating, but last month, a group of University of Washington (UW) faculty members found themselves on the other side of the desk when they visited Sen. Mark Schoesler’s Ritzville farm to learn about the Washington wheat industry. The visit was part of UW’s Faculty Field Tour…
With wheat prices hovering north of $10 per bushel, wheat growers may look like they are doing pretty well, but appearances can be deceiving as rising production costs keep eating away at producers’ profits. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates, total U.S. production expenses increased 5.5 percent from…
According to Peter Johnson, better agronomy is the key to unlocking a crop’s yield potential. Johnson, an agronomist from Ontario, Canada, was the featured speaker at the Agricultural Marketing and Management Organization’s (AMMO) 2022 Wheat College, held last month in Ritzville, Wash. More than 75 producers spent the morning learning…
As consumer awareness of where and how food is grown continues to increase, some farmers are finding success selling into their local and regional food systems. For more than 25 years, Colette DePhelps has worked with multiple partners in the Inland Northwest to develop community food systems and small farms…
In recent months, the Class 1 railroads have come under scrutiny for inconsistent and unreliable rail service particularly from agricultural shippers in the Midwest. In letters and federal hearings, rail customers have detailed labor and locomotive shortages, off-the-rail prices for cars, and one-sided financial penalties for loading and unloading delays….
To be Ukrainian today is a huge challenge. It is a pain, but it is also a pride. The war in Ukraine has affected each Ukrainian family and even everybody around the world. I am pleased to share with you my survival story and tell about Ukraine first hand. I…
