Weekly Update for
August 22

On August 13, NAWG President Keeff Felty attended High Plains Journal’s annual Sorghum U/ Wheat U Event. During this event, Keeff joined a panel of grower leaders to discuss his farming operation, the work NAWG is doing to protect and strengthen the farm safety net, and the need to ensure federal policy works for wheat growers throughout the country.

This week, NAWG staff attended the Washington Association of Wheat Growers’ (WAWG) annual Lower Snake River Dams tour for congressional staff and ag industry leaders. The event started with a Lower Granite Lock and Dam tour with the Army Corps of Engineers. Attendees also got a tour of the Port of Lewiston. The event concluded with a panel with folks from the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association, Port of Lewiston, Tidewater, Shaver Transportation, Columbia River Pilots, and American Cruise Lines on the importance of Marine Highway 84 for the agriculture supply chain and providing hydroelectricity to multiple states. The WAWG team did a great job showing congressional staff the importance of the Snake River Dam system and why wheat growers need these dams to remain operational.

On August 13, NAWG staff visited UPL’s Open Ag Center in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. During the visit, NWAG staff were able to see firsthand the work UPL is doing to advance genetic modeling practices for different wheat varieties.

The House of Representatives and the Senate are out for the August recess. We encourage our growers to continue advocating for NAWG farm bill priorities and urge their representatives to pass a farm bill this calendar year. Below are some additional resources.

On August 20, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its final Herbicide Strategy, a step intended to protect over 900 federally endangered and threatened (listed) species from the potential impacts of herbicide. EPA will use the strategy to identify measures to reduce the amount of herbicides exposure to these species when it registers new herbicides and when it reevaluates registered herbicides under a process called registration review. “Finalizing our first major strategy for endangered species is a historic step in EPA meeting its Endangered Species Act obligations,” said Deputy Assistant Administrator for Pesticide Programs for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Jake Li. “By identifying protections earlier in the pesticide review process, we are far more efficiently protecting listed species from the millions of pounds of herbicides applied each year and reducing burdensome uncertainty for the farmers that use them”. In a letter to EPA on July 22, NAWG and over 300 other groups highlighted how the agencies process is duly conservative, greatly overestimates risks, and demands farmers adopt far more restrictions than are truly necessary to protect species.

On August 19, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it is accepting offers for more than 2.2 million acres from agricultural producers and private landowners through this year’s Grassland, General, and Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) signups administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA). With these accepted acres, enrollment is very near the 27 million CRP acreage cap. “The popularity of our suite of Conservation Reserve Programs, including the significant success of Grassland Conservation Reserve Program and the fact that we are nearing the Conservation Reserve Program acreage cap, is a testament to the commitments made by the farmers, ranchers and landowners we serve to mitigate the impacts of climate change by conserving, protecting and enhancing our natural resources,” said Zach Ducheneaux, FSA Administrator. “It’s through all FSA’s conservation programs that we are able to work directly with agricultural producers to implement climate smart conservation practices that ultimately benefit everyone.” 

On August 15, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it is asking for public input on how best to implement the SUSTAINS Act, which authorizes USDA to accept private contributions to channel through several existing USDA conservation programs. The public should submit comments to the Request for Information via the Federal Register by September 16, 2024.“Agriculture is at the forefront of the nation’s effort to conserve our natural resources, and we want to hear from people on the ground how to implement this legislation to maximize its benefits, promote equity and assist all producers,” said USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Terry Cosby.

On August 14, The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the appointment of 20 new members to the Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers. This committee is part of USDA’s support for equitable access to USDA’s services and programs and creating more market opportunities for local and regional production. “The next generation of farmers, whether continuing a multi-generational operation or starting anew, deserve the very best opportunities,” said Agriculture Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small. “The Biden-Harris administration is convening this committee so young farmers have a voice in policies to level the playing field for small and mid-sized producers, strengthen rural economies, and enhance food security and safety.”

Congratulations to Doug and Janelle Fitterer for entering the National Wheat Yield Contest with your spring wheat and being selected to win a Business Plan subscription to Bushel! Doug and Janelle are past National Winners in the 2022 winter wheat dryland category. Thank you for your partnership, Bushel.

Purchase your tickets now to win one of these great prizes. Proceeds go to support the National Wheat Foundation’s charitable and educational efforts. Contact your state grower association for tickets or for more details go to mgga.org. Prizes are a 2024 Ford F-350 Lariat Pickup valued at $90,000 sponsored by Lithia Ford, Klamath Falls, OR 2024 Polaris Adventure Side by Side valued at $40,000 sponsored by Lewistown Honda, Lewistown, MT 2024 John Deere Zero Turn Mower valued at $10,000 sponsored by Frontline Ag (2) $5,000 cash prizes. The winner is responsible for all applicable taxes on any prize. Credit Card purchases are prohibited. Cash or check only will be accepted as payment. All raffles are prohibited in Alabama and Utah. Drawing held on January 15, 2025. Ticket sales to close day of drawing. Only 4000 tickets sold. Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity! Kindly being hosted by Montana Grain Growers Association.