Last month, growers and staff of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG) spent three days in Olympia, discussing WAWG priorities with legislators, handing out cookies, and meeting with the governor and his staff to advocate for the state’s wheat industry. “We met with more than 40 legislators from both…
“Slow down, son. We want to get there in one piece,” John said to his grandson. “But Gramps, I’m barely going the speed limit,” replied Tommy, the driver of the old Buick. “We are getting close, and I don’t want to miss any of the sights,” John replied. “Johnny, nothing…
Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, almost everyone in Washington state holding a pesticide applicators license will be required to take at least one extra step before recertifying their license in order to meet updated Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards. A notice from the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) was sent…
The articles that I’ve been writing this past year have all been leading up to this one — making a marketing plan (broken into two parts). I’ve covered the basic principles and some of the marketing tools that you need to understand and know how to use. The first thing…
For nearly a century, farmers in the Palouse have been able to rely on Western Insurance to help them through crop failures, revenue losses, and everything else a crop insurance policy protects. Western Insurance was original formed as Fairfield Waverly Insurance in 1916 when Waverly Exchange Bank merged with the…
I’m sure almost everyone has scrolled through social media and come across a post, video, or article that made them stop and think, “can this really be true?” I experience this reaction with nearly every topic I see online. While some of the general information may be accurate, most of…
Glad tidings and Happy New Year! We’re going to review a subject matter I last covered in July 2021, the Enhanced Coverage Option (ECO), due to recent, increased premium subsidies for the coming year for both ECO and the Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO). SCO and ECO are coverage options that…
As the 2026 Washington State Legislative Session gets underway on Jan. 12, the Washington Association of Wheat Growers is preparing for a short, intense session that is likely to bring some challenges. While wheat growers will be formalizing state and national priorities for the year at the Jan. 13 state…
Editor’s note: This transcript of an interview with Rep. Dent has been edited for clarity and length. What are your priorities for the 2026 Legislative Session? We did a bill here two, three years ago about the use of aircraft and wildfire, the Aviation Assurance Funding bill. That bill allowed…
What are your priorities for the 2026 Legislative Session? While I am working on a variety of policy proposals, including textile recycling to take on the impacts of fast fashion on our waste streams, tobacco/vape regulation to protect our kids, natural resource policy that provides balance between the state’s economic…
