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The last leg of the Armchair Engineer’s trip down the Columbia-Snake River System. On the final day of the trip, he enters the lower river near Portland/Vancouver and begins delivering cargo at a port on the Willamette River, the Port of Kalama, the Port of Rainier, and finally the Port…

The Washington Association of Wheat Growers led a letter earlier this week to the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate Transportation and Operating committees regarding proposed funding on a study on “breach-readiness” on the lower Snake River dams. Dear Chairs and Ranking Members:  On behalf of the…

From smallgrains.wsu.edu In recent years, a growing number of dryland producers have been exploring ways of producing their own nitrogen fertilizer, on-farm. For some, this means making their own biological products by brewing compost teas (opens in new tab) and making compost extracts that can be applied in a liquid…

From farmpolicynews.illinois.edu AgWeek’s Noah Fish reported that “the U.S. Department of Agriculture already has obligated more than $6 billion in payments under its new Farmer Bridge Assistance program just days after enrollment opened.” “The program, intended to help farmers facing tight margins and weak commodity prices for the 2025 crop…

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist With less than a week remaining in the 60-day session as of March 7, the 2026 legislative session enters the home stretch. The Legislature reached two major milestones this past week. The first was March 2, the last day to pass opposite chamber bills from…

By Dr. Xianming ChenUSDA-ARS Research Plant Pathologist Wheat stripe rust is forecasted to be in the upper range of severe epidemic (40-60% yield losses on susceptible varieties) in the 2026 growing season for the eastern Pacific Northwest, based on the predication models using the weather data from November 2025 to February 2026….

Part 3 of 4 – Arlington, OR to Cascade Locks, OR On day three, we travel through the tallest navigation lock in the western hemisphere, sail over the historic site of Celilo Falls, learn about the Long Narrows of the Columbia, and pick up a fourth grain barge while parallel…

On March 5, the House Committee on Agriculture passed the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (H.R. 7567) with a vote of 34-17. In response, National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) President and Idaho farmer Jamie Kress made the following statement: “NAWG thanks Chairman Thompson for his leadership…

Part 2 of 4 – Lyons Ferry, WA to Arlington, OR On day two, we see Lower Monumental Dam, Ice Harbor Dam, and the legendary Wallula Gap on the Columbia River. As the sun goes down, we pass through McNary Dam and enter the Columbia River Gorge to see the…

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist Washington State legislators have completed their seventh week of work in Olympia as of Feb. 28. There are less than two weeks remaining in the legislative session. The Legislature passed a major cutoff Feb. 25, the last day to pass policy bills from the opposite…