An offhand comment about a crop insurance sales closing date during the January board meeting of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG) sent Ben Thiel on a quest to see if he could streamline a crop insurance deadline to help growers for the 2026 crop year. Thanks to a…
Earlier this year, Jon Wyss was reappointed as state executive director of the Farm Service Agency (FSA) for the third time. A lot has changed since his first term in 2019, and we wanted to know what keeps bringing him back, and what’s happening at the Washington state FSA office…
A Whitman County stream, parts of which run dry in the summer, is causing tensions between landowners and the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology). Whitman County landowners who own land along Spring Flat Creek are being told by Ecology that they are polluting the waterway and will have to…
In a recently released report, the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) is tackling ag viability in the face of a changing climate and figuring out ways to help farmers come out ahead. Published in March 2025, the “WSDA Climate Resilience Plan for Washington Agriculture” is designed to support the…
The start of a new administration usually brings a flurry of activity, and the second Trump administration is no exception. Fortunately, Jake Westlin, vice president of policy and communications for the National Association of Wheat Growers, was on hand to walk growers through what’s happening on the Hill as part…
After six years and 15 rounds of negotiation, the U.S. and Canada announced in July that they had reached an agreement in principle on modernizing the Columbia River Treaty. In August, the U.S. Department of State provided details on key elements of the modernized treaty during a public information session….
In late September, the Palouse River and Coulee City (PCC) short-line rail system got a major shot in the funding arm when the Federal Railroad Administration announced it would receive $72.8 million through the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program. “It will be transformative in terms of the…
In September, you may have seen some press regarding the Snake River Dam litigation process and a memorandum released by the Biden Administration. I understand the way this was being reported in the press may have caused some concern and confusion, and I’d like to provide more information. In regards…
In September, the Washington State Department of Ecology’s (Ecology) Fuel Exemptions Workgroup wrapped up four months of work. Whether it was successful or not might depend on who you are talking to. Washington State’s Climate Commitment Act, which includes a cap-and-invest program, went into effect in January 2023 and requires…
Elevators across Eastern Washington are suddenly finding it hard to insure parts of their structures regardless of condition, and if they do find insurance, the price is sky high. Palouse Grain Growers Manager Mike Bagott said they were unable to renew the insurance on their wooden crib elevator through their…
