Fertilizer costs are one among many rising input costs for farmers. While fertilizer is a key budget item for all farmers, fertilizer costs are especially critical for wheat growers. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) cost-of-production projections for the 2026-27 marketing year, published in December before the current conflict…
Traveling to the state’s capital for Olympia Days was a truly incredible experience, and I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to engage with so many different people and be a voice for Washington wheat growers. Although I enjoyed my entire trip to Olympia, what stood out the…
According to the National Association of Wheat Growers, countervailing duties on phosphate fertilizer cost Washington wheat farmers about $14 million from 2021-25, but Andy Juris predicts nitrogen and sulfur are shaping up to be bigger headaches for the state’s wheat growers. Juris, a farmer from Bickleton, Wash., and chair of…
Do you know what’s buried beneath that field of wheat on the back 40? It could be nothing, or it could be a large pipe full of pressurized natural gas, and the only way to be sure is to call 811 before you do any digging. “There’s a lot of…
Patrick Bell, the recently appointed Farm Service Agency (FSA) state executive director, is no stranger to the state’s agricultural industry, but the scale of it took him a little bit by surprise. “I always knew the importance of commodities and the row crops, especially being based in Spokane, growing up…
Most folks raised in Washington wheat country live their entire lives without becoming seasoned world travelers. Matthew Warren, born and raised in Dayton, Wash., exemplifies the polar opposite of that. Warren graduated from Dayton High School in 2014 and wasted no time in moving across the U.S. to Columbia, S.C….
Regenerative agriculture is a conservation management approach that emphasizes natural resources through improved soil health, water management, and overall farm vitality. The Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Regenerative Pilot Program is investing $700 million to support regenerative agriculture — $400 million through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and $300…
Growing up on a farm, all of us heard our parents yell from a distance, “Be careful!” Being around farm equipment, I’m sure we’ve all had close calls — and sometimes not-so-close calls. When we are younger, farm safety is mostly just a warning to keep us from getting hurt….
In agriculture, cash isn’t always the most practical way to pay employees. Many farm operations are asset-rich but cash-tight at certain points in the year. That is where commodity wages come in — a unique compensation method that can offer tax advantages when done correctly but also brings risks if…
