In mid-August, a group of 15 congressional staffers got a crash course in why the lower Snake River dams are so important to the Pacific Northwest. The staffers spent a day hearing from river system stakeholders while they took a jet boat ride through Lower Granite Dam, toured fish research…
While other parts of the U.S. suffered through drought and a poor wheat harvest, the Pacific Northwest was the nation’s bright spot. Thanks to a cooler summer, many producers saw average to above-average yields with good quality. There were some reports of frost damage in the higher elevations and some…
As Andrew and Jessica Schafer’s kids — Riley (9), Aiden (7), and Sloan (4) — grow, so does the struggle to keep up with their favorite harvest tradition. “We pile all five of us into the combine to go cut the outside round and test the wheat, to make sure…
The Goetz family grows winter wheat and some canola about seven miles north of Marlin in Grant County. Kevin Goetz is the fifth generation to farm in the area; he and his wife, Jennifer, returned to the family’s operation in 1997. “I’ve farmed with my dad, Les, ever since 1997….
For the Powers family outside of Bickleton, Wash., family farming means that, literally. Mitchell and Taylor Powers and Mitchell’s parents, Lance and Susan, run the show with no hired help, although there could be a new supervisor on the scene — Renzie, Mitchell Powers’ 2-year-old son who is named after…
Peanut, a ranch horse that’s afraid of cows, could soon give wheat a run for its money as Eastern Washington’s most favored export — at least for children. SaDonna Heathman and her husband, Lee, own Heathman Farms north of Hartline, Wash. They currently grow wheat and canola, but spent many…
Ring in the holiday season by celebrating with fellow Washington and Oregon small grains producers at the 2026 annual convention in the Tri-Cities on Nov. 30-Dec. 2. “We want to celebrate the efforts of our Washington and Oregon farmers who help feed the world while facing high input costs and…
I am proud and happy to be part of one of the greatest industries with such a vast and welcoming community. One of the things I appreciate most about agriculture is that no matter where you travel in the world, you can find a fellow farmer, and when you do,…
When this topic was proposed to me, I initially thought, “What the heck. Where did it come from, and how should I respond?” But after cogitating on the topic for some time, it finally hit me. This is a topic we deal with literally day in, day out! In virtually…
