Thanks to the impact of the 2021 drought on wheat’s value of production, the crop slipped from No. 3 to No. 4 in the list of Washington state’s top 10 agricultural commodities last year. Apples remained at the top of the list, followed by milk, then cattle and calves, which…
It wasn’t the fieldwork happening along Highway 95 in early October that was unexpected, it was the equipment doing the work — no towering, high-tech machines in sight, only old tractors, most pulling small moldboard plows. In all, about 30 tractors took part in a plowing bee organized by Palouse…
Tom Kammerzell is a man of action who wears many hats. He approaches issues and projects by conducting thorough research and then instituting a plan to achieve specific goals. “If you aren’t playing offense, you are always going to be on defense, in a reactive mode,” he explained. Kammerzell was…
This year, water quality work in the Hangman Creek Watershed was marked by two reports released by the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology): the “Nutrients and Sediment Pollutant Source Assessment, 2018,” that was released in May, and the “Hangman Settlement Agreement 2021 Annual Report,” released in August. Both documents…
For the past four years, Mader Enterprises has been practicing harvest weed seed control on their farm near Pullman, Wash. In late October, area growers gathered at Greg Mader’s farm shop to hear some of the things they’ve learned and to meet one of the experts on harvest weed seed…
We’ve all been there. Sitting at the local café/coffee pot/rural community news center when a strange vehicle pulls into town. “That’s the new kid” one of the local farmers says. “He’s taken over the old Smith place.” Folks smile and shake their heads, bless his heart but he doesn’t know…
It is hard to remember the last time we had a “normal” year in farming. In fact, you talk with most folks out there, and no one can remember what a normal year even looks like anymore. This year proved that point with 10-year record high wheat prices, scarcity in…
In September, agricultural stakeholders joined state legislators on a tour of Ice Harbor Dam to talk about why the lower Snake River dams are a critical part of the state’s transportation and utility infrastructure. The Washington Association of Wheat Growers was one of the sponsors of the tour. During the…
Oct. 1, 2022, dawned cool and crisp over the grounds of the Menno Mennonite Church. Located 20 miles west of Ritzville, Wash., the church property is a shady, green oasis surrounded by wheat fields and is home to the Mennonite Country Auction. This year marked the 45th year of the…
“I have the second-best job in the world,” said Aaron Esser, Washington State University (WSU) Cooperative Extension agent and the Adams County Extension director. “Farming is the best job of all, but I have the opportunity to be heavily involved in the ag industry, conducting research that improves how growers…
