Uncertainty has always been part of farming, but lately, it feels like we are being tested at every turn. The latest round of tariffs on wheat, along with those on corn and soybeans, has sent prices tumbling down 10% in just a short time. China has imposed significant barriers, and…
There’s just a lot going on these days in agriculture. Between all the new advances in technology, chemistry, biologicals, spending money, and worrying, I find that my mental dance card is a bit full! This month I’d like to highlight one particular aspect of our industry that will either fill…
There’s an old saying around here that “it takes two to tango.” I’m sure most of you have heard it tossed around the coffee shop or used one way or another. In the Washington state wheat industry, it’s more accurate to say that it takes three to tango. Three organizations,…
As we turn the calendar to 2025, we embrace not just a new year, but the promise of new beginnings. This year, with significant changes in Congress, we have reason to hope for the substantial progress our agricultural community needs. Chief among our priorities is the passage of a comprehensive…
Hello Wheat Life readers! I’m Jeff Malone, and it’s an honor to introduce myself as your new president of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG). As a fifth-generation dryland wheat farmer in Douglas County, I’ve been blessed to work the same land my family has cultivated for over a…
Sitting down to write my last President’s Perspective, I suddenly realized how fast this year has gone by. When I took the role as president last November, I was a little overwhelmed to be in such an important leadership position for the wheat industry. There were many challenges we faced…
Well, here we are in October, and we still don’t have a new farm bill, but that’s not for lack of effort from the U.S. agricultural industry. Last month, myself and WAWG past presidents, Andy Juris and Nicole Berg, flew into Washington, D.C., to take part in a National Association…
I love wheat farming, but when I’m having a bad day, there’s a lot not to love, too. I don’t think of myself as a successful wheat farmer, but I guess I am if I’m still running the farm operation. I know it takes a lot of hard work, discussions,…
Benton County, where I farm, has changed dramatically in the past few decades, with no-till and minimal-till farming techniques replacing conventional tillage on many dryland wheat farms. The days of big dust storms caused by soil blowing off fields, thankfully, are past. But how did we get here? It’s mostly…
Think back to the early days growing up on the farm and helping out. Do you remember all the great times you had? It seemed like stress levels were much lower. I remember my first solo combine job in 1982-83. I ran a cabless Gleaner-G Harvester. It was itchy and…
