Spotlight on the 2024 Tri-State Grain Growers Convention Annual event rolls around again in November
2024October 2024
By Trista Crossley
Editor

The 2024 Tri-State Grain Growers Convention is quickly approaching, but there’s still time to take advantage of early bird registration and enjoy three days focused on the Pacific Northwest’s small grains industry.
Staff from the Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG), the Oregon Wheat Growers League, and the Idaho Grain Producers Association are working hard to finalize details for this year’s convention, which will be held Nov. 19-21, 2024, at the Coeur d’Alene Resort in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. The event offers growers from all three states the opportunity to hear state and national policy updates, listen to nationally known keynote speakers, participate in educational breakout sessions, socialize, and maybe do a little Christmas shopping. The convention will wrap up with dinner and the silent auction, which raises money to support the industry through various activities, including funding research equipment and scholarships.
“The annual convention is a time for growers to celebrate the past year and get a preview of what the upcoming year might hold from policy and market experts,” said Michelle Hennings, WAWG executive director. “With all the activity this past year around the lower Snake River dams, we’ve decided to do something a little different. Instead of an afternoon of multiple breakout sessions, we are going to have one, super-sized session focused solely on the Columbia-Snake River System. Growers will hear from a panel of river stakeholders about advocacy efforts, the ongoing collaboration between U.S. inland river systems, and public outreach. All growers are encouraged to attend.”
Participants on the All River Matters: Columbia-Snake River Special Breakout Session panel will discuss the status of the Columbia River Treaty; national advocacy strategies and collaboration efforts with other inland river systems; the Washington state studies that are looking at transportation and irrigation; challenges and opportunities on the river system; and map out the next four years with Congress and the new administration.
The annual convention is also an opportunity to take care of association business. Washington growers are invited to attend the all-committee meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 20, at 9:30 a.m. Members will hear from U.S. Department of Agriculture leaders and review and update WAWG’s resolutions. The resolutions help direct WAWG’s advocacy efforts for the coming year. Members that can’t attend the meeting are welcome to call the WAWG office at (509) 659-0610, and a staff member can submit comments on their behalf.
A copy of the current resolutions can be downloaded at wawg.org/about-us/.
“We are a grower-led organization, so we need our members to weigh in on the issues that they want us to focus on for the coming year,” explained Hennings.
The convention will be emceed by Greg Schwem. Schwem is more than just a business humor keynote speaker and sought-after corporate emcee. He is also an author, nationally syndicated humor columnist for the Chicago Tribune, award-winning greeting card writer, and creator of funnydadinc, voted one of the top Dad humor sites on the web in 2020. Keynote speakers include:
- Bart Fisher is a research assistant professor and co-director of the Ag and Food Policy Center at Texas A&M AgriLife. His applied research focuses on solving real-world policy problems for ag producers and on anticipating potential policy changes for Congress to consider. Read more about Bart Fisher.
- John O’Leary, in 1987, was a curious 9-year-old boy. Playing with fire and gasoline, John created a massive explosion in his home and was burned on 100% of his body. He was given less than a 1% chance to live. John is the host of the Live Inspired Podcast and a speaker.
- Derrick Josi is a 4th generation Oregon dairy farmer. Whether Derrick is on hour 27 of a long harvest day or breaking down the intricacies of the agricultural industry to an urban audience, he is building on a strong foundation of honest farming using raw, unfiltered transparency. Read more about Derrick Josi.
- Eric Snodgrass is a science fellow and the principal atmospheric scientist for Nutrien Ag Solutions. He develops predictive, analytical software to help ag producers manage weather risk. His frequent weather updates focus on how high-impact weather events influence global ag productivity.
Registration and a complete convention schedule is available on WAWG’s website at wawg.org/convention/. Early bird registration ends Oct. 25. Here’s a closer look at the breakout sessions scheduled for the 2024 convention:
Global Wheat Trade and Market. U.S. Wheat Associates staff will help the audience digest and better understand the news headlines of global wheat market outlooks and challenges.
D.C. Talk. Staff from the National Association of Wheat Growers will deliver an “inside the beltway” perspective about what farmers can expect from lawmakers moving into 2025. They will provide an update on the farm bill status as well as other federal issues.
All About Barley. Think critically about the future of barley with Ashley McFarland, vice president and technical director of the American Malting Barley Association, along with exploring how your checkoff dollars are developing markets around the globe with Sadie Marks, manager of global strategies and trade for the U.S. Grains Council.
Wheat Market Outlook. Dr. Randy Fortenbery’s research program focuses on agricultural price performance in local and national markets, as well as the impact of future actions on the stability of cash prices. This session will focus on current market situations for wheat and issues/opportunities for the remainder of the crop year and into 2025.
Bulletins Live! Two/PULAs. Dani Lightle will be discussing Bulletins Live! Two, which is a web-based system developed by the Environmental Protection Agency to implement geographically specific pesticide use limitations for the protection of threatened and endangered species and their designated critical habitat.
Natural Resources Conservation Service Update. Learn about program updates from representatives from each of our three NRCS state offices, including how Inflation Reduction Act funding can benefit your farm.
Securing Your Retirement and Your Legacy. Not putting all of your proverbial eggs in one basket is something everyone is familiar with when it comes to planning your retirement, but what are the various “basket” options available to a self-employed farmer? Join Jordan Thayer of Morgan Stanley and Joe Cerrillo of CLA as they discuss financial planning while keeping tax implications in mind.
Energy Grants from the USDA. David Funk, president of Zero Emissions Northwest, is officially contracted with the USDA to help farmers and rural small businesses access Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) grants. These grants cover renewable and energy efficiency projects. He has won nearly $750,000 in grants for grain farmers in Washington and Idaho in 2023-24, ranging from drones, to heat pumps, to solar systems. He will explain who is eligible, the application process, which projects score well, and what your farm’s next steps would be.
Columbia-Snake River System Update. Marine Highway 84 is critical transportation for farmers to get their product to market. Did you know that over 55% of U.S. wheat, 14% of U.S. soybeans, and 13% of U.S. corn is exported on Marine Highway 84? This will be a special, two-hour breakout session of “All River Matters,” talking about the status of the Columbia River Treaty; the Washington studies update on irrigation, transportation, recreation/tourism; providing a pilot’s perspective of challenges and opportunities of our river system; national strategy and collaboration efforts with Midwest river systems; and mapping out the next four years with Congress and the new administration.
How to lobby effectively. When farmers arrive at our states’ capitols, they need to be effective in sharing our organizations’ positions on various policy topics. Seasoned legislators will share advice and tips to make the most of time in front of elected officials and how to be successful in advocating your position.
Benchmark Your Merchandising and Future Risk Management Skills. Mike Rohlfsen and Jeff Kazin from AgrisAcademy will provide an opportunity for growers to assess their skill set and identify areas of focus for the future. AgrisAcademy is a unique business as its goal is education and not brokering or advising. The founders are global experts in merchandising and futures risk management.