November - Wheat Life

Transcription

WHEAT LIFE
The official publication of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers
NOVEMBER 2013
Carrot vs. stick
Ecology tours no-till field
as incentive-based programs
in the crosshairs
WSCIA and the variety survey
Feeding a harvest crew
Address Service Requested
Washington Association of Wheat Growers
109 East First Avenue, Ritzville, WA 99169
WHEAT LIFE
Volume 56 • Number 10
www.wheatlife.org
The official publication of
WASHINGTON
ASSOCIATION OF
WHEAT GROWERS
109 East First Avenue
Ritzville, WA 99169-2394
(509) 659-0610 • (800) 598-6890
In association with:
www.washingtongrainalliance.com
WAWG MEMBERSHIP
(509) 659-0610 • (800) 598-6890
$125 per year
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Kara Rowe • kararowe@wawg.org
(509) 456-2481
EDITOR
Trista Crossley • editor@wawg.org
(435) 260-8888
AD SALES MANAGER
Kevin Gaffney • KevinGaffney@mac.com
(509) 235-2715
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Devin Taylor • Trista Crossley
AD BILLING
Michelle Hennings • michelle@wawg.org
(509) 659-0610 • (800) 598-6890
CIRCULATION
Address changes, extra copies, subscriptions
Chauna Carlson • chauna@wawg.org
(509) 659-0610 • (800) 598-6890
Subscriptions are $50 per year
WAWG EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
PRESIDENT
Ryan Kregger • Touchet
VICE PRESIDENT
Nicole Berg • Paterson
SECRETARY/TREASURER
Larry Cochran • Colfax
PRESIDENT EMERITUS
Eric Maier • Ritzville
APPOINTED MEMBERS
Ben Barstow • Palouse
Chris Herron • Connell
Remie DeRuwe • Connell
Wheat Life (ISSN 0043-4701) is published by the
Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG):
109 E. First Avenue • Ritzville, WA 99169-2394
Eleven issues per year with a combined August/
September issue. Standard (A) postage paid at
Ritzville, Wash., and additional entry offices.
Contents of this publication may not be reprinted
without permission.
Advertising in Wheat Life does not indicate
endorsement of an organization, product or political
candidate by WAWG.
2 WHEAT LIFE NOVEMBER 2013
President’s Perspective
In closing
By Ryan Kregger
With the arrival of fall and the transition to another active “WAWG season,” my term as your president comes to
a close. Since this is the November issue, I think it is right
to reflect and give thanks to the ones who have helped
throughout the year.
First, I’d like to thank you for allowing me to be your
spokesman this year. When asked to go through the chairs
of this organization, I had a feeling that it would be an experience like no other,
and I was right. With any organization, there is an ebb and flow, but I can honestly
say that your state wheat growers’ organization is one of the best organizations
I have ever worked with. The presidents that went before me did an excellent
job, and hopefully, I lived up to the standards they have set. Thank you, Brett
Blankenship, Ben Barstow and Eric Maier for your passion, dedication and, most
importantly, your humor, which made the past four years memorable. Next, the
general board, the “EC” and my fellow line officers who miss days on their farm
for the betterment of this industry and for their neighbors and fellow farmers.
Thank you for all your service. And finally who could ever forget the staff? Just let
me say that we are lucky to have both Kara Rowe and Michelle Hennings as our
directors. The entire staff has gone above and beyond for this organization and
has done their work in a professional way with a smile. Thank you.
There have been a few changes over the last four years that I’d like to speak to.
First, our internal structure has been addressed. We have worked to clarify roles
and responsibilities concerning WAWG officers and staff. After this was done, all
of us know who has the “buck,” and where it stops. WAWG is working very well
thanks to this change. Second, we have increased the communication between the
general board and line officers. As a line officer, we enforce the will and wishes
of the board. State meetings that took a couple of hours, now stretch into the
afternoon with lively discussions. Third, we increased communications between
the wheat groups in this state. WAWG officers and staff now routinely meet with
and go to the Commission and Foundation meetings. We are also hosting the first
Washington Grain Alliance meeting with representatives from all three groups
during the upcoming Tri-State Convention. Speaking of other states, WAWG has
been meeting with other states at a PNW and national level and increasing our
visibility. Next, WAWG continues to support local farmer continuing education by
producing the AMMO program and Wheat University. These programs have been
met with great success. These are some additional items that have been occurring
on top of the already busy lobbying efforts that we are well-known for.
I am glad to continue the tradition of WAWG being a grower-driven organization. To be a strong group, we need growers and supporters to step up and fill
positions. If you are asked, please consider this offer of service, because it is for the
betterment of our industry, our community and, ultimately, your bottom line.
With that I’d like to say thank you to my wife, Wendi, and children, Erich and
Ethan, for their support and understanding the past four years.
Cover photo: With help from local conservation districts and incentive-based programs, Eric Maier
is returning a 1,000-acre field that has been in CRP for more than a decade back to production. Using
the Spokane Conservation District’s Cross Slot drill, Maier was able to seed the field in only one pass,
conserving moisture and minimizing soil disturbance. Photo by Ty Meyer of the Spokane Conservation
District. All photos are Shutterstock images or taken by Wheat Life staff unless otherwise noted.
Inside This Issue
WAWG President’s Perspective
Membership Form
WAWG at Work
Policy Matters
To keep it from blowing away
Incentive-based programs on display
Something smells fishy
Lawsuit filed over state water quality standards
Breaking it down
U.S. wheat production costs by region
There’s a graph for that
USDA’s ERS charts the ups, downs of ag
Profiles
Hatley/Cobb Farmland Management Inc.
WGC Chairman’s Column
WGC Review
Changes ahead for farmers
Sitting down with WSCIA’s Jerry Robinson
2013 variety survey
Privates, out-of-states gaining
Giving soft white a hand
Outside of PNW, Michigan is top producer
Wheat Week
Using grain as an educational tool
Wheat Watch
Rustling up some grub
Feeding the crew from a kitchen on wheels
The Bottom Line
Your Wheat Life
Happenings
Advertiser Index
2
4
6
12
18
24
28
34
36
41
42
46
48
51
54
56
58
64
66
68
70
Latah County Historical Society, Photo Collection, 25-02-054.jpg
Contributors
Ryan Kregger, president, Washington Association of Wheat Growers
Tom Zwainz, chairman, Washington Grain Commission
Scott Yates, communications director, Washington Grain Commission
Kevin Gaffney, ad sales manager, Wheat Life
Gary Vocke, USDA Economic Research Service
Mir Ali, USDA Economic Research Service
Kara Kaelber, education director, Franklin County Conservation District
T. Randall Fortenbery, Ph.D., Tom Mick Endowed Chair in Grain
Economics, Washington State University
Dale Cloninger, CRPC, Wheatland Bank
WHEAT LIFE NOVEMBER 2013 3
WAWG MEMBERSHIP FORM
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(up to 5 partners)
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Thank you to our
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We fight every day to ensure that life on the
family farm continues to prosper and grow.
WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT.
If you are not a member, please consider joining today.
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WAWG’s current top priorities are:
✔ Ensure that a strong safety net for
wheat farmers is formed through the
• Sales tax exemption on fertilizer and pesticides
federal farm bill
• Ag wholesale B&O exemption
✔ Monitor the GM wheat situation and
• Off-road fuel tax exemption
support continued biotechnology research
• Repair parts exemption
and product and market development
✔ Preserve the ag tax preferences:
Washington state continues to look for more revenue,
and farmers’ tax exemptions are on the list. If these are important
to your operation, join today and help us fight.
More member benefits:
Weekly Email correspondence
• Greensheet ALERTS • WAWG updates
• Voice to WAWG through opinion surveys
• National Wheat Grower updates
Washington Association
of Wheat Growers
109EastFirstAve.•Ritzville,WA99169
509-659-0610•800-598-6890•509-659-4302(fax)
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WAWG stays connected with
delegates during farm bill conference
Now that the government is once again open, WAWG has been focused
on the long-going talks to finalize the next farm bill. WAWG leadership
was extremely pleased to see Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Bothell) named to
the conference committee.
“It’s great to have Washington represented on this conference committee. Suzan has been an extremely involved and competent representative of Washington’s agricultural sector,” said WAWG President
Ryan Kregger of Touchet. “Her staff has worked well with ours, always
eager to better understand farm bill priorities for the wheat industry.
Coming from northwest Washington, Suzan sees firsthand the diversity
of Washington agriculture, and we believe she will be a great asset in
negotiations.”
WAWG has also remained in contact with all Congressional offices
from Washington, and the bipartisan work has gained a strong and positive reputation for the organization. WAWG encouraged each office to
support their peers working on the conference committee and support
the final bill’s passage before Dec. 31. Another extension of the 2008 Farm
Bill leaves much uncertainty for research and foreign market programs
and is unacceptable.
Farm Bill
Conference Committee
The House farm bill committee
includes Frank Lucas (R-Okla.), as chair
of the House Agriculture Committee
along with five subcommittee
chairs: Michael Conaway (R-Texas);
Rick Crawford (R-Ark.); Steve King
(R-Iowa); Austin Scott (R-Ga.); and
Glenn Thompson
(R-Penn.). Other
Republicans on the
roster include Mike
Rogers (R-Ala.);
Randy Neugebauer
(R-Texas); Martha
Roby (R-Ala.);
Rep. Suzan
Kristi Noem
DelBene
(D-Wash.)
(R-S.D.); Rodney
Davis (R-Ill.); Jeff
Denham (R-Calif.);
Steve Southerland
(R-Fla.); Dave
Camp (R-Mich.);
Sam Johnson
(R-Texas); Ed Royce
(R-Calif.); and Tom
Sen. Max Baucus
Marino (R-Penn.).
(D-Mont.)
Democrats on
the committee are Collin
Peterson (D-Minn.);
Mike McIntyre
(D-N.C.); Jim Costa
(D-Calif.); Tim Walz
(D-Minn.); Kurt
Rep. Kurt
Schrader (D-Ore.);
Schrader (D-Ore.)
Jim McGovern
(D-Mass.); Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.);
Gloria Negrete McLeod (D-Calif.);
Filemon Vela (D-Texas); Eliot Engel
(D-N.Y.); Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio);
and Ranking Member Sandy Levin
(D-Mich.)
The Senate side includes Debbie
Stabenow (D-Mich.); Patrick Leahy
(D-Vt.); Tom Harkin (D-Iowa); Max
Baucus (D-Mont.); Sherrod Brown
(D-Ohio); Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.);
Michael Bennet (D-Colo.); Ranking Ag
Committee Member Thad Cochran
(R-Miss.); Pat Roberts (R-Kan.); Saxby
Chambliss (R-Ga.); John Boozman
(R-Ark.); and John Hoeven (R-N.D.).
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WL
WAWG AT WORK
Chairman Lucas
talks to state
agriculture groups
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers
(R-Wash.) facilitated a conference
call in mid-October between House
Agriculture Committee Chairman
Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) and agriculture representatives in Washington
state. The call was beneficial for agricultural advocates to hear straight
from the Chairman on farm bill topics important to Washington farmers
and ranchers, such as foreign market
development, research and crop
insurance funding.
WAWG’s Director of Affairs and
Outreach, Kara Rowe, pressed the
Chairman on his push to repeal the
permanent law provision.
“The permanent law provision in
the current bill is the last surviving
poker chip for the farmer and rancher,” Rowe said. Under the permanent
law provision, if a new farm bill is
not negotiated and the current bill is
allowed to expire, then all farm program funding reverts back to farm
policy of 1949, which would mean
much higher program prices for
some sectors, including wheat. “It’s
just about the last card we can use to
demand farm policy in Washington,
D.C., and if they remove that provision, we have no power in future
years,” said Rowe. “We strongly disagree with the Chairman’s opinion
to try and repeal this provision.”
According to Rowe, Lucas has
very little support politically on this
item. “He explained at length on the
call that while he supports permanent law repeal, it will be an uphill
battle to win favor in the overall
conference.”
The Chairman does agree with
WAWG that marketing programs
WAWG
taking officer
nominations
It’s the time of year again
when the leadership of WAWG is
looking for a new officer to help
represent his or her wheat farming neighbors. If you would like
to nominate someone as the next
WAWG secretary/treasurer, please
contact the WAWG office at (509)
659-0610. Nominees must be current WAWG members.
The time commitment of an
officer is roughly one to two
hours per week (phone calls,
emails, etc.), and officers travel
about four weeks out of the year,
mostly in the winter/early spring
months.
Washington Grown brings in strong results after first airing
The first episode of the television series Washington
Grown debuted on Northwest Cable News (NWCN) in
October with impressive marks, according to network
executives.
Friends of Farms and Forests, Washington State Seed
Potato Commission, Washington Wheat Foundation and
WAWG. Funding is also provided by the Washington
Grain Commission.
“We received some basic information from the Seattle
market right away,” said Kara Rowe, director of affairs
and outreach for WAWG. “What we didn’t see was people
leaving the show. We actually gain more and more
viewers throughout both the noon and
prime-time 30-minute airings. Additional
rating information is showing that more
than 37,000 people are watching the show
each week, and that number is trending
upward.” For some perspective, that’s
more people than the newly remodeled
Washington State University Cougar
Stadium holds.
Rowe said that NWCN personnel were very pleased
with the debut numbers showing in the Seattle market.
The number of people visiting the wagrown.com website
has also increased significantly since its launch in April.
Washington Grown is a project of the
Washington Farmers and Ranchers coalition, which is made up of the Washington
State Potato Commission, Washington
“We have seen more than twice the
amount of people visit our website in the
last few weeks leading up to the show’s
premiere,” said Rowe. “And most of
those people are west of the Cascades.”
Washington Grown’s Facebook page
also has more than 6,500 followers, again
mostly females under 50 years old from the
west side of the state.
“This information is telling us that we
are connecting with the food-conscious,
urban audience,” said Rowe. “What we are
doing is working.”
2013
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Reserv
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Held at the Davenport Hotel in Spokane, Wash.
Want to be on the air?
The Hefty Brothers will be broadcasting
their session on live radio
In addition to their small seed company and
agricultural chemical business interests, Darren
and Brian Hefty host AgPhD each week on RFDTV. Hefty Seed Company has grown to 33 stores
in 8 states.
Mark Mayfield, MC
Mark Mayfield was raised on a hog and cattle farm in
southeast Kansas. He served as National President of the
Future Farmers of America as well as Kansas FFA President
and graduated with two degrees from Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kan. He spent ten years as an agricultural lobbyist for a Fortune 500 company, and for the last
25 years, he has been a full-time professional speaker and
trainer who makes nearly 100 presentations annually. Mark’s philosophy is simple...
say it with humor and people will take the message home.
Join us for a panel discussion on biotechnology
in the Pacific Northwest after the “event.”
Entertainment by The Passing Zone
MICHAEL NEFF
PhD, WSU Molecular
Plant Sciences
STEVE JOEHL
Monsanto Director of
Industry Affairs for Wheat
Other featured speakers will be:
John Phipps
Besides hosting
U.S. Farm Report,
John writes humor
and commentary
for Farm Journal
and Top Producer magazines.
Mark Gold
As managing partner of Top Third
Ag Marketing,
Mark can be heard
daily on Nebraska,
Kansas and Missouri radio.
Art Douglas
A climate expert
who has been giving mostly accurate
predictions on regional temperatures
and precipitation for 30 years.
SHANNON SCHLECT
US Wheat Associates
Policy Director
KURT HAARMANN
Columbia Grain, Inc.
Senior Vice President
Falling numbers blues?
Join experts to learn why dropping a plunger
through a slurry of flour and water can cost
you thousands of dollars. Find out if there’s
anything you can do to protect yourself.
November 13-16, 2013
WL
WAWG AT WORK
Thank you to our convention sponsors and exhibitors
Without the support of industry sponsors and exhibitors, our
annual convention would not be
successful. We want to sincerely
thank all those who have contributed to our wheat industry
and have given their time and
resources.
PLATINUM
Bayer CropScience
Dow AgroSciences
Idaho Grain Producers
Association
Northwest Farm Credit Services
Oregon Wheat Growers League
The McGregor Company
NuChem
Washington Grain Commission
GOLD
Anheuser-Busch
BNSF Railway
McCoy Grain Terminal
MillerCoors
SILVER
CHS Connell Grain Growers
Crop Production Services
Forster Financial
Les Schwab Tire Centers
Mid Columbia Producers Inc.
Monsanto Company
Ritzville Warehouse Co.
Rural Community Insurance
Services
Whitgro Inc.
Wilbur-Ellis Company
INDUSTRY SUPPORTER
Ag Link Inc.
AgVentures NW LLC
Agrium Conda Phosphate
Operations
BASF
Big Bend Electric Cooperative
Brock Law Firm
Central Life Sciences
Central Washington Grain
Growers
CoBank National Bank
Cooperative Agricultural
Producers Inc.
Dye Seed Ranch Inc.
JECO Supply
LaughlinCartrell Inc.
Leffel, Otis, & Warwick P.S.
Morrow County Grain Growers
North Pine Ag Equipment Inc.
Northwest Grain Growers
Papé Machinery Inc.
Pendleton Grain Growers
Pomeroy Grain Growers
Primeland Cooperatives
Ririe Grain & Feed
SAIF Corporation
Syngenta
U.S. Bank
Walla Walla County Wheat
Growers
Washington State Crop
Improvement Association
Wheatland Bank
Exhibitors
Ag Tech Services
Agrium Advanced Technologies
Baxter Commodities
Bayer CropScience
Byrnes Oil Company
Capital Press
Central Life Sciences
CliftonLarsonAllen LLP
Columbia Pulp
Degesch America Inc
Dow AgroSciences
Evergreen Implement
Farm Equipment Headquarters
Inc.
FarmLink LLC/MachineryLink
Inc.
Forster Financial
Gilliam County Grain Lab
Hudson Crop Insurance
KD Investors LLC
Koch Agronomic Services
Limagrain Cereal Seeds
Merrill Lynch Wealth
Management
Mobility Concepts Inc.
Morrow County Grain Growers
NorthWest Plan Administrators
Inc
Northwest Farm Credit Services
Pacific Ag/Kralman Steel
Pacific Northwest Direct Seed
Association
Pioneer West Inc.
R&H Machine
Rainier Seeds Inc.
Spokane Ag Expo
Spray Center Electronics Inc.
SS Equipment
Sure Fire Ag Systems Inc.
Syngenta
Tina Lee Fisher
Troy Insurance
University of Idaho-College of
Agricultural and Life Sciences
USDA-RMA
USDA-NASS
Washington State Department
of Natural Resources
Washington State
University-CAHNRS
Washington Wheat Foundation
Western Trailer Sales Co.
such as the Market Access Program
and Foreign Market Development
are vital to agriculture’s success. He
explained that these are normally
bipartisan programs that gain support easily as long as they don’t get
hijacked or used as bait. Increasing
the levels of funding for these programs, however, will be difficult in
this economic arena.
The Chairman is also a supporter
of public research, such as programs
at WSU, and he anticipates that the
three areas in negotiations will be
the dairy section, commodity title
and nutrition title.
OUR CLASSROOM
COVERS
FIVE STATES
Still time to register
for convention
It’s only a few days away, but
there’s still time to register for this
year’s Tri-State Grain Growers
Convention. By visiting the
Washington Grains website at
wawg.org/registration, you can register online quickly and efficiently.
This year, the convention will
be held at The Davenport Hotel in
Spokane, Wash. Keynote speakers
include John Phipps of the U.S. Farm
Report, Mark Gold of Top Third Ag
Marketing and the Hefty Brothers of
the AgPhD Program. More details
about the convention can be found
by visiting wawg.org/convention.
For the third year in a row, the
Washington Association of Wheat
Growers, Oregon Wheat Growers
League and Idaho Grain Producers
Association are joining forces to create one of the largest, grain-specific
conventions in the U.S. Each state
will hold their annual membership
meeting at the convention. Northwest FCS Senior Vice President Paul Nelson with customers at a seminar
Northwest Farm Credit Services employees live and
breathe agriculture. We’re immersed in the industries
we serve and work hard to stay on top of changes. Fact
is, though, ag is so dynamic, the education never stops.
We closely monitor the latest industry trends and are
eager to share our insights, through customer seminars,
workshops, and a variety of online tools.
Learn about the advantages of working with us at
northwestfcs.com/resources.
Thanks to the contribution of the
Washington Wheat Foundation,
WAWG will again be offering the
15x40 program to 15 farmers under
the age of 40 who have not attended
the annual convention. Find out
more about this popular program
by visiting wawg.org/washingtons15-x-40-program.
POLICY MATTERS
NAWG writes
conferees to stress
farm bill priorities
From NAWG
NAWG wrote House and Senate
agriculture leaders and farm bill
conferees recently to stress wheat
growers’ priorities going into the
official conference process. The letter
urged conferees to maintain a strong
federal crop insurance system and
explicitly opposed provisions in the
Senate-passed bill to link conservation compliance requirements or
apply means testing to the insurance
program. NAWG supports establishing farm-level protection within
Title I and urged committee members to ensure that any reference
price does not distort the market
or impact planting decisions. The
letter offered strong support for the
Market Access Program, the Foreign
Market Development program,
international food aid programs
and the web of public agricultural research that supports wheat
variety development. NAWG also
voiced support for provisions in the
House-passed farm bill that would
eliminate duplicative regulation
of pesticide applications under the
Clean Water Act and increase the capacity for on-farm storage qualifying
for self-certification and exemption
under the Environmental Protection
Agency’s Spill Prevention, Control
and Countermeasure regulation. The
full letter and other communication
on farm bill priorities are available at
www.wheatworld.org/farmbill.
NAWG, USW reinforce support
for development of biotech wheat
The National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) and U.S. Wheat
Associates (USW) reinforced their support for the continued development
of biotech wheat by joining others in the industry to congratulate the
2013 World Food Prize recipients
whose work has been instrumental to this vital technology.
The World
Food Prize
While biotech wheat is not
currently available to farmers,
NAWG, USW and the wheat
farmers who lead them support innovation, research and the responsible
introduction of new wheat varieties, including biotech wheat. Both organizations are working with industry partners throughout the wheat value
chain to prepare the path for these new varieties of wheat—both biotech
and nonbiotech—that will improve farmers’ ability to increase yields, use
fewer agricultural inputs and continually improve the quality of their
crop.
Wheat is a staple of the world’s diet, but worldwide demand for wheat
is outpacing our ability to produce it. In fact, the number of acres planted
with wheat has fallen relative to other crops with biotech options available
in part because the more advanced crops offer farmers a better return on
their investment. Biotech wheat varieties, which the industry expects to
be introduced within the next decade, will help ensure that wheat continues to be a valuable source of nutrition for people around the world and
a staple of
American agriculture for
generations
to come.
In October,
Dr. Marc Van
Montagu, Dr.
Mary-Dell
Dr. Robert T. Fraley
Dr. Mary-Dell Chilton
Dr. Marc Van Montagu
Chilton and
Dr. Robert T. Fraley were awarded the World Food Prize for their roles in
founding, developing and applying agricultural biotechnology. Thanks
to the discoveries of these laureates, farmers around the world are able
to grow crops with higher yields and a more sustainable environmental
profile than was ever possible before.
More about the wheat industry’s biotech policies is available at
www.wheatworld.org/biotech.
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WL
POLICY MATTERS
exported overseas, and while Sudan and Iran do not represent large markets for U.S. wheat, they have purchased a
combined 2.6 million metric tons of U.S. wheat, valued at
about $736 million, over the past 10 years. The full comments can be read at www.wheatworld.org/trade.
Gensler stepping down as
CFTC chairman by year’s end
Photo courtesy of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Lower Monumental Dam on the Snake River
House passes water resources
act by 417-to-3 vote
The House of Representatives approved the Water
Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA)
recently on a blockbuster 417-to-3 vote, sending the bill to
conference with the Senate. The House version of WRRDA
would spend about $8 billion on waterways development
projects such as deepening waterways and lock and dam
repair and upgrades. The bill also contains provisions
intended to speed up the project review process, which
should improve the efficiency of shipping goods like
wheat. There’s no word yet on when a conference process
could start, though it’s expected to be somewhat bumpy
due to differing provisions and spending priorities. The
Senate passed its version of the bill, worth about $12 billion, on May 15. More information on WRRDA is at
transportation.house.gov/WRRDA.
Comments submitted
on export procedures
NAWG and U.S. Wheat Associates submitted joint comments recently regarding the effectiveness of the Office of
Foreign Assets Control’s (OFAC) licensing procedures for
the exportation of agricultural products to Sudan and Iran.
The comments offered general support for the current
OFAC procedures that allow some customers in sanctioned countries to keep receiving food. They also emphasized that U.S. wheat producers believe food should not
be used as a weapon and that any new sanctions must not
hinder the export of humanitarian goods and agricultural
exports. Roughly half of the wheat produced in the U.S. is
Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)
Chairman Gary Gensler plans to step down and leave the
agency by the end of the year, according to news reports.
Gensler, who has been chairman for the past five years,
has often been criticized for the
CFTC’s handling of high-profile issues during his tenure, including the
collapse of the commodity brokerage
firm MF Global in 2011.
Gensler played an intimate role in
crafting the Dodd-Frank legislation
in 2010 that was designed to prevent
future market collapse by making the
derivative market more transparent. There is no word yet
on Gensler’s likely replacement, but several people, including current Commissioner Mark Wetjen, are rumored to
be considered possible successors.
Senators sign letter opposing
direct payments in farm bill
Twenty senators wrote Majority Leader Harry Reid
(D-Nev.) and Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)
recently demanding that any farm bill extension brought
to the floor eliminate direct payments. In the letter, they
emphasized this standard applied regardless of support
for the farm bill as a whole, saying, “Without regard to
whether we supported the Senate farm bill or opposed it,
we all agree that Congress should not consider another
extension of the 2008 Farm Bill that continues direct
payments.”
Both the House and Senate approved bills earlier this
year that eliminated direct payments, and agriculture
groups across the board have accepted that reality. Both
bills replace the long-standing program with new and
more politically palatable safety net options. However,
with the 2008 Farm Bill now expired for the second time,
the chance of an extension of existing farm programs yet
again is somewhat greater. NAWG strongly supports completion of a new, compromise farm bill as soon as possible
Meridian Manufacturing Inc. is all about solving industry issues with technology and a commitment to the highest quality. We’ve
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WL
POLICY MATTERS
and will continue to work toward that goal as
the situation in Washington develops.
Bladderpod: no, it’s not
According to the commissioners of Franklin
County, genetic testing of the so-called White
Bluffs Bladderpod has proven the plant is not a
separate subspecies requiring protection under
the Endangered Species Act. The DNA test results were announced this
summer by the Franklin County Natural
Resources Advisory Committee.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS),
part of the Department of Interior, claims the
plant is a unique and threatened variety of the
Bladderpod plant family. The agency is pushing
to declare critical habitat status for hundreds
of acres of public and private land in western
Franklin County. Franklin County officials have been working
with county residents to challenge the USFWS
claims. Efforts to list the plant have been
slowed by county pressure to extend the public
comment period. “It is inexcusable that U.S. Fish and Wildlife
would budget more than $600,000 to protect
this allegedly unique plant, without bothering
to spend $5,000 to conduct even basic DNA testing up front. It certainly suggests they are more
interested in appeasing litigious environmental
groups than applying the best available science
as required under federal law,” said Brad Peck,
Franklin County commissioner. Certified Agronomist Stuart Turner of West
Richland, Wash., reported the DNA results,
citing data that show 100 percent certainty
that the alleged White Bluffs Bladderpod is the
same species as other well known Bladderpods
in other geographic areas. “Our samples were collected under a federal
permit, and the tests were conducted by the
Laboratory for Evolutionary, Ecological and
Conservation Genetics at the University of
Idaho,” said Turner. “This represents best available science as required under the law. We will
insist that USFWS consider these test results in
any analysis they undertake. If they do that—
and the law requires them to do so—this issue
is over.”
Ag Expo 2014 photo contest
Shutterbugs of all ages, get those cameras out and snap those
winning photos to enter in the 2014 Spokane Ag Expo photography contest. Spokane Ag Expo, celebrating its 37th year,
will again feature the popular photography contest celebrating
agriculture at their 2014 show.
Photographers are asked to submit photos depicting
“Agriculture in the Inland Northwest” by Nov. 29, 2013, to
the Spokane Ag Expo office at 801 W. Riverside, Ste. 100,
Spokane, Wash., 99201. All of the photographs entered will be
displayed at Spokane Ag Expo 2014, which will be held in the
Spokane Convention Center Complex in the exhibit halls. The
dates of the 2014 show are Feb. 4-6.
The winning entries will receive cash prizes and ribbons
for first, second and third place in both the adult and youth
divisions. Ribbons will also be awarded for honorable mention
and manager’s choice. Everyone that enters will receive two free
tickets to Spokane Ag Expo that are good for all three days of
the show.
Contestants are asked to submit either color or black and
white prints (minimum size of 8 by 10 inches and maximum
size of 11 by 14 inches). Photos need to be mounted on cardboard or matted (not framed) with their entry form attached
to the back. Photos also must be submitted in “high quality”
on a disc clearly marked with the photographer’s name and
contact information. No more than four photos can be entered
by a contestant. Winners in each category will be judged by
area photographers based on theme, composition and creativity.
Contest rules and entry forms can be found at agshow.org.
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WL
FEATURE
To keep it from blowing
By Kara Rowe
WAWG Director of Affairs and Outreach
Eric Maier is conducting the experiment of his life. The
past WAWG president and state legislation committee
chairman is experimenting with a 1,000-acre field between
Lind and Kahlotus. This region isn’t just dry, it’s the driest
of the dryland in Washington’s wheat county with an annual rainfall of about 10 inches.
crop, while neighbors are getting closer to 50 to 55 bushels.
“If I can keep this sandy soil from blowing away and
make a profit for myself and my landlord, then this will
be a win-win,” Maier said. “What I’m trying to do here, on
this piece of ground, may not work for my neighbors. It
isn’t going to work for everyone. If we hadn’t gotten those
late summer rains, this might have been a train wreck, but
right now, the stand looks good.”
In May, Maier sprayed the field with RoundUp to kill
The field had been in the Conservation Reserve Program
the grasses and other plants competing for moisture.
(CRP) for more than a decade, and the land owner wanted
Maier needed to conserve every drop of moisture for the
Maier to return it to production. From a historical and
wheat crop. Maier sprayed again in August. The rains in
ecological perspective, the field was once a lake bottom,
late summer were imporand the soil is sandy. Maier
tant for a successful seeding
reached out to the Palouseand stand. Through use
Rock Lake Conservation
of SCD’s drill, Maier was
District (PRLCD) and the
able to put the seed in the
Spokane Conservation
ground at a depth that was
District (SCD) for help. To
well into the moisture, and
transition this field into
the drill packed the ground
production in a conventight above it so that there
tional manner, Maier would
was very little moisture
have had to make at least
loss.
four tillage passes. This CRP
land is still very fragile even
“I’m a conventional
after 10-plus years sitting
farmer. This may not work
in a natural, undisturbed
on other pieces of my land.
The soil of this 1,000-acre field near Kahlotus farmed by Eric Maier is extremely
state. Any type of tillage
Depending on how this
sandy. The late summer rains were a critical component of making a good
implement would have
stand this fall.
experiment goes, I may look
turned this environmentally
at alternative conservation
sensitive ground to powder almost immediately. Instead,
practices more seriously,” Maier said.
Maier used the Cross Slot drill owned by the SCD to
And it’s not just Maier who is waiting to see how this
plant the land through a direct-seed method. The ground
experiment turns out. This fall, WAWG leadership and
endured only one pass with an implement.
staff had the opportunity to give the Washington State
Maier used incentives, including CRP takeout and
Department of Ecology’s (Ecology) new director, Maia
direct-seeding cost share funding through the PRLCD, to
Bellon, and Eastern Regional Director Grant Pfeifer a
help balance some of the initial costs and risk. Maier also
quick tour which included a stop at Maier’s field.
enrolled the field into the Natural Resource Conservation
With incentive-based programs constantly under attack
Service’s EQIP program.
from nonfarm groups, WAWG leaders featured the risks
In this area, Maier is hoping for a 40-bushel per acre
some farmers are taking with progressive conservation
FEATURE
(Right) Members of the Washington
Department of Ecology (Ecology) saw
incentive-based programs in action
when they visited the CRP field Eric
Maier is bringing back into production.
From left are Dan Harwood, PalouseRock Lake Conservation District; Jim
Jesernig, WAWG lobbyist; Grant Pfeifer,
Ecology’s eastern regional director;
Maia Bellon, director of Ecology; Nicole
Berg, WAWG vice president; Eric Maier,
WAWG past president; and Ty Meyer,
Spokane Conservation District. (Below)
Wheat stand on Maier’s former CRP
land. Photo by Ty Meyer
WL
WL
FEATURE
sive technologies and methods.
We simply have to do a better job
explaining this to our regulators so
there are no surprises or mandates
in the future.”
WAWG leaders and staff helped
Bellon connect the dots between
the key factors necessary for many
farmers to consider minimal or notill practices in the driest dryland
region of Eastern Washington: a
cooperative landlord-tenant relationship, incentive-based programs and
moisture.
photo by 8 Iron images
Maier seeding his 1,000-acre field with the Spokane Conservation District’s Cross Slot drill.
tillage practices. Without incentive-based programs, such as federal 319 monies that Ecology distributes through local conservation districts, most farmers
would not bother with certain conservation practices in these low rainfall zones.
The purpose of featuring this field to Director Bellon was to prove that farmers are willing to use incentive-based programs and reduced-tillage practices as
long as the profits are viable.
“There are people and groups in this state who don’t believe incentive-based
programs are helping keep our water and air clean,” said Maier. “That just
isn’t true. These programs help farmers take the initial steps into conservation
practices, and they are keeping our water and air clean. We, meaning WAWG,
simply have to do a better job explaining this to our regulators.”
This tour did not happen by accident. Recently, through the LeMire vs.
Ecology Supreme Court case, precedent was set regarding Ecology’s jurisdiction
over nonpoint source pollution (agriculture). Ecology does not have to prove
that farmers and ranchers are polluting. Instead, Ecology has the power to give
citations based on farmers and ranchers only having a substantial potential to
pollute. Through WAWG’s natural resource committee and board, leadership
and staff have been directed to immediately and proactively work with Ecology
to help them fully understand the different tillage practices used throughout
wheat country and why. WAWG would also like to help regulators define the
term “substantial potential to pollute.”
WAWG’s vice president, Nicole Berg, was also on the tour, and she would like
to see a farmer-based agriculture advisory group formed to work with Ecology
and the Department of Agriculture on water and air quality issues.
“There are two options our farmers have when it comes to water and air quality,” said Berg. “A carrot or a stick. We would prefer carrots through incentivebased programs rather than sticks through citations and fines. We are doing the
best we can to keep our soil out of the water and air. Many are using progres20 WHEAT LIFE NOVEMBER 2013
“WAWG is not promoting this
project as the silver bullet to solving water and air quality issues,”
said Berg. “But we wanted to show
the director that incentive-based
programs do work...even in the low
rainfall zones. She and Grant were
extremely interested and genuinely
willing to work with wheat on many
different matters.”
Like Maier’s experiment, WAWG’s
effort to build a stronger relationship
with Ecology is an honest attempt at
improvement.
“We need to start telling Ecology
about the progress we are trying
to make in wheat country,” said
Berg. “There are still a lot of issues
and areas that need other solutions
than what we featured in these
three hours. Our job as leaders is to
passionately protect each and every
farmer we can from over-regulation.
The first step to doing that is educating Ecology and understanding
their perspective and pressures as
well. The director was genuinely
engaged with us, and I think we’re
again building on our traditionally
good relationship with the agency.
A decade ago, we worked on saving
the ag burning tool. Now it’s water
quality. Ecology is going to be a
part of our lives for a long time, and
today we showed that we are willing
to work together as we have in the
past. Today was a good day.”
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WL
FEATURE
Leading by example
Conservation districts advocate for voluntary, incentive-based programs
By Trista Crossley
For more than a year, Dan Harwood, district coordinator from the PalouseRock Lake Conservation District (PRLCD), and Ty Meyer, production ag manager from the Spokane Conservation District (SCD), worked with Eric Maier to
transition CRP land back into production, and they couldn’t be more pleased
with the result. Both men were on hand as members of Washington State
Department of Ecology (Ecology) visited the field.
“I think we presented a very good argument that showed that voluntary conservation programs do work,” Harwood said. “We couldn’t have asked Mother
Nature to act any better, because we had a wind storm a few days earlier, and
Eric’s field showed no signs of erosion.”
“It was a good opportunity to expose Ecology to some of the new practices
being done in the area right now,” Meyer agreed. “I think any time we can take
people into the field and show them, it is important.”
Dan Harwood, district coordinator, PalouseRock Lake Conservation District
As pressure mounts on both producers and regulatory agencies, such as
Ecology, to protect the state’s air and water, voluntary, incentive-based programs have come under scrutiny. Both Harwood and Meyer agreed that proactive, incentive-based programs are more effective than a regulatory approach.
“Incentive-based programs give people the opportunity to make changes as
they can and as it works for their operation,” Meyer said. “It is hard to make
changes when they are being forced to do it.”
Because Ecology is often viewed with skepticism by producers, Meyer credited Maier for having the willingness to bring members of that department out
to his field.
“It doesn’t have to be an adversarial relationship,” Meyer explained. “Ecology
is charged with taking care (of the water and air), but they have a proactive approach to changing things if people are willing to work with them.”
Even though the word is spreading through Eastern Washington about conservation programs and aid that is available to farmers, there is always room for
more education. Both conservation districts have low-interest loan programs,
mentoring programs, direct-seeding programs, cost-share programs and can
help with CRP takeout. In addition, the SCD has a cross slot, no-till drill that
they use to help demonstrate no-till methods. Harwood said that with changes
in technology and experience, direct-seed practices are becoming more common
across a wider variety of growing conditions.
Ty Meyer, production ag manager, Spokane
Conservation District
“It’s been fairly well proven that rainfall is not a determining factor on whether you can direct seed or not,” he said. “Some people will say you can’t do it, but
there are growers in 8- to 9-inch rainfall areas that are making it work.”
Looking back at how Maier was successful in seeding the former CRP land,
Harwood said that he (Maier) knew that if he had tilled the land four to six
times to get it ready for sowing a crop, the ground would have been extremely
susceptible to wind and water erosion.
“By direct seeding it,” Harwood explained, “he had a ready seed bed that he
didn’t have to disturb in order to grow a crop.”
Maier took advantage of the SCD’s cross slot, no-till drill and was able to seed
the field in a single pass. Meyer
pointed out that there is a large
amount of grass still standing in
the field that would protect it from
erosion. “It’s going to take a lot to do
any damage out there,” he said.
Meyer and Harwood both agreed
that with more CRP land coming
back into production, many producers in Eastern Washington are facing
similar situations—what is the best
way to get a crop in the ground with
the least amount of water or soil
disturbance?
“We are still learning out there,”
Meyer said, referring to the dryer
areas of the region. “The most valuable resource in that kind of country
is moisture, and with the equipment
that we have, it is a single pass, lowdisturbance system that closes the
ground up right behind the drill. It
gives people one of the best opportunities they have to get a crop in
the ground and keep all the moisture they’ve gathered.”
“We are all going for the same
thing,” Harwood said. “A profitable,
sustainable future.”
For more information on the
SCD, visit sccd.org/index.html. The
PRLCD’s website is at
prlcd.org/index.html. For a list of
conservation districts in Washington
state, go to scc.wa.gov/contacts/
conservation-districts/.
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WL
FEATURE
Going to court
Lawsuit filed over state’s fish consumption rate and water quality standards
From the Columbia Basin Bulletin
A coalition of clean water advocates and commercial
fishing industry groups filed a legal challenge on Oct.
11 to what they say are U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) water pollution rules in Washington that
are inadequate to protect public health.
The lawsuit seeks an end to what the coalition says are
years of agency delay in the face of robust evidence of
health risk. The complaint was filed with the U.S. District
Court for the Western District of Washington at Seattle.
Earthjustice attorneys Janette Brimmer and Matt
Baca are representing the members of Waterkeepers
Washington in the lawsuit. Waterkeepers Washington
is a coalition of licensed Waterkeeper organizations in
the state of Washington including Spokane Riverkeeper,
Columbia Riverkeeper, Puget Soundkeeper Alliance and
North Sound Baykeeper. Also involved in the coalition are
the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations
and the Institute for Fisheries Resources.
According to coalition members, the EPA is violating federal law by continuing to allow Washington’s
Department of Ecology (Ecology) to grossly underestimate
the state’s fish consumption
rate used to set water quality standards necessary
to protect human health.
Consequently, water pollution limits fail to protect
people who eat fish, the
lawsuit says.
People who consume
the most fish—for
example members of
native Washington
tribes, sport and
commercial
fishermen and members of some immigrant communities
such as Asian and Pacific-Islander—face greater risk due
to Washington’s inadequate standards, according to the
coalition.
“EPA’s inaction continues to allow polluters to discharge mercury, PCBs, lead and other toxins at levels that
contaminate fish, pollute our waters and threaten public
health,” said Brimmer. “We have a water pollution problem that needs to be fixed now, and it is EPA’s responsibility under the law to act when states fail to do so.”
Everyone, including the EPA and the state, agrees
Washington’s fish consumption rate and human health
standards need amendment.
In September 2012, Ecology began formal rulemaking
to adopt new human health criteria in the Water Quality
Standards for Surface Waters of the State of Washington.
The state’s water quality standards guide how the state
regulates water pollution. Human health criteria are standards set on toxic substances to protect people who consume water, fish and shellfish from Washington’s water
bodies. They include substances such as metals, pesticides
and other organic compounds.
Washington’s water quality standards now lack human health criteria and have instead relied on criteria
established in the federal 1992 National Toxics Rule that is
mandated by the EPA.
“These federal criteria are out of date, and EPA is requesting that states use new science and information to
adopt updated human health criteria into their own state
water quality standards,” according to Ecology.
The state is now in the midst of a “very extensive public
process” to amend its water quality rules, said Ecology’s
Sandy Howard. A draft update of the water quality rules,
including fish consumption standards, is scheduled for
release early in 2014, she said. The goal is a new set of rules
that both protect human health and allow for necessary
economic activity.
“There’s a lot of public process ahead,” Howard said.
“We think we’re moving ahead in a smart way.”
In the Oct. 11 complaint, the coalition of fishing and
conservation groups say there is an urgency.
“The problem is that the process has been going on for
years,” said Baca. “Levels of toxins in, as an example, the
Columbia River, are worrisome. The state of Oregon early
this month issued a warning against eating resident fish
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WL
FEATURE
such as bass that are caught in the proximity of the Columbia’s Bonneville Dam. Fish
tested there have shown high levels of PCBs.”
Exaggerating the problem is the fact that Washingtonians, on average, eat more fish
than the residents of most other states, and the federal consumption rate that has long
prevailed at the health standard is now “tied for the lowest in the country,” Baca said.
Oregon, on the other hand, boosted its consumption standard to make it “the nation’s
most protective rate,” Baca said.
“The current
underprotective
standard allows too
much toxic water
pollution. This hurts
the livelihoods of fishdependent families,
communities and
industries. A fish
consumption standard
that reflects reality
not only makes good
sense but would better
protect fishing jobs
and public health.”
—Glen Spain, Northwest
regional director of the
Pacific Coast Federation of
Fishermen’s Associations
“The current underprotective standard allows too much toxic water pollution,” said
Glen Spain, Northwest regional director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s
Associations. “This hurts the livelihoods of fish-dependent families, communities
and industries. A fish consumption standard that reflects reality not only makes good
sense, but would better protect fishing jobs and public health.”
During the summer, Waterkeepers Washington, along with the Pacific Coast
Federation of Fishermen’s Associations and the Institute for Fisheries Resources, put
the EPA on notice it could be sued under the federal Clean Water Act for failing to protect Washingtonians from toxic pollution entering Puget Sound, the Columbia River,
the Spokane River and other waterways.
“Parents should be able to feed their families fish without fear of toxic exposure,”
said Brett VandenHeuvel, executive director of Columbia Riverkeeper. “Health experts
are clear that the people most susceptible to health effects from toxics in fish are
babies, children and pregnant women. Despite the compelling evidence on the harm
from toxics in fish, Washington state and the EPA have sat on their hands for far too
long. We’ve had enough.”
For years, the state agency has used a fish consumption of 6.5 grams (less than a
quarter ounce) of fish or shellfish a day—a morsel that would fit on a snack cracker—a
rate the fishing and conservation groups say is universally recognized as inadequate.
Such a standard says that eating that much locally caught fish, or less, does not present
a health risk.
The monthly estimate is slightly less than eight ounces, which amounts to a modest
serving of fillet.
“The one-fillet-a-month estimate is ludicrous,” said Chris Wilke, executive director of Puget Soundkeeper Alliance. “A large number of local sport fishers, Native
Americans, Asian Americans and others eat fish each week, if not each day. Fish and
seafood play a significant dietary role for many Washingtonians, not to mention the
cultural importance of local seafood for many of us. The current fish consumption rate
set by the state does not reflect this and fails to protect fishing as a designated use of
our waters.”
The EPA has long advised states that they should not rely on that old, inaccurate
estimate. Instead, states must set fish consumption standards using the best available
data including surveys of actual consumption in local populations.
“It is long past time for EPA and Washington Ecology to actually do what federal
law has long required—step up to the plate and adopt a fish consumption rate that is
based upon what people in Washington actually eat and that will improve water quality and protect public health,” said Wendy Steffensen of North Sound Baykeeper.
“Each year EPA fails to fix Washington’s inadequate water pollution rules, it guarantees that dangerous levels of toxic contaminants will continue to flow into our waterways,” said Bart Mihailovich of Spokane Riverkeeper. “This inaction endangers our
citizens. It endangers wildlife. It threatens our economy. It’s hard to believe there is
delay in the face of this kind of evidence.”
Reprinted with permission. This story originally appeared on the Columbia Basin Bulletin
website, cbbulletin.com, on Oct. 18.
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FEATURE
What’s the bottom line?
A look at U.S. wheat production costs, yield variations
Editor’s Note: This is a summary of a U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service (ERS) study
released in August of this year. For the full report go to
ers.usda.gov/publications/eib-economic-information-bulletin/
eib116.aspx#
By Gary Vocke and Mir Ali
ERS Agricultural Economists
Wheat, produced in nearly every part of the U.S., is the
third largest U.S. crop in terms of both value and acreage, behind corn and soybeans. Unlike most other crops,
however, wheat has distinct varieties that are produced
in different regions or over different seasons. The result is
a wide variation in the costs of wheat production across
growing areas, inherent in the diversity of inputs and
production practices. These costs can affect the competitiveness of wheat with other crops in each region and the
profitability of planting wheat. This study explores the
variation in wheat production costs across U.S. regions,
based on data from the 2009 Agricultural Resource
Management Survey (ARMS).
What did the study find?
The wide variation of wheat production costs across the
country reflected differences in yields, cropping practices
and costs of
land, labor and capital assets. Regional climatic differences
across the U.S. accounted for much of the variation in the
class of wheat grown, each with its own production practices and associated costs. Northern wheat producers, for
example, chose spring wheat varieties that were harvested
in the fall because winter wheat—planted in the fall for
summer harvest—would be killed by the cold during its
winter dormancy. Growers in areas with abundant rainfall
were able to boost their yield potential by applying high
rates of fertilizer. At the other extreme, some regions had
areas so dry that costly irrigation was needed to produce a
wheat crop.
National overview
In 2009, the expected national average of combined operating and ownership costs was $4 per bushel of wheat versus an actual average of $4.75. The expected average U.S.
yield was 47.7 bushels per acre, while the actual average
yield was 40.2 bushels. The 2009 season average price (SAP,
estimated annually by the USDA National Agricultural
Statistics Service) was $4.87 per bushel.
An analysis using expected yields (based on survey
responses) and the 2009 SAP finds that 97 percent of U.S.
farms would have covered their operating costs if they
had met their expected yields and received the SAP of
$4.87 per bushel, 77 percent would have covered both operating and ownership costs, and 34 percent would have
covered their total costs.
Fewer U.S. farmers covered their operating costs
when the analysis considers actual or realized
yields. If farmers, on average, had received the
$4.87 SAP for the bushels they harvested in
2009, 79 percent of them would have covered their operating costs, 53 percent
would have covered their operating and ownership costs,
and 18 percent would have
covered their total costs.
Actual yields and
costs are typically
lower than ex-
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WL
FEATURE
pected ones, but this may have been
especially evident in 2009 because
of adverse weather. In particular, an
April freeze and severe drought in
the Southern Plains region led to the
abandonment of many wheat fields
and sharply reduced output, resulting in high production costs per
bushel for the region. Local statistics
such as these are reflected, in turn,
in national average yields and costs.
Regional comparisons
In all five regions analyzed, the
average yield of bushels per acre was
fewer than expected, and average
production costs were higher. The
discrepancies and the factors underlying them varied by region.
• North Central. Although the
region’s actual yield of 59.8 bushels
per acre was well above the national
average and the highest among the
regions, it fell short of the expected
69.2 bushels. North Central had
the lowest overall production costs
among regions but the highest
operating costs, driven by large
input expenditures. Farmers in the
region applied the most fertilizer,
which acted in combination with the
region’s generous rainfall to promote
high yields. Overall production costs
were low because the high yields
spread ownership costs over many
harvested bushels of wheat.
• Southern Plains. This region
had the largest discrepancies between expected and actual production costs ($3.80 versus $8.76) and
yields per acre (37.5 bushels expected
versus 16.3 realized). As noted, the
Southern Plains were hit by a double
weather disaster in 2009, an April
freeze and severe drought, which
sharply reduced the wheat harvest.
• Central Plains. The actual yield
of the Central Plains—43.2 bushels
per acre—was close to the expected
yield of 47.6 bushels and to the
national average, although actual
production costs of $4.39 per bushel
Wheat production costs by region, 20091
Northern
Central Southern
North All ARMS
ItemNorthwest2Plains2Plains2Plains2Central2farms
Dollars per planted acre
Operating costs
Seed
17.98 14.39 10.07 11.6830.1713.99
Fertilizer
50.32 41.73 40.03 29.19104.8943.36
Chemicals
21.15 20.72 8.91 8.02 7.4014.16
Custom operations
10.76
7.75
10.78
10.00
9.78
9.41
Fuel, lube and electricity
21.79
8.87
13.40
13.84
8.63
12.22
Repairs
28.50 18.16 21.46 15.53 13.3619.09
Other variable costs
4.26
0.22
0.13
0.03
0.58
0.53
Interest on operating capital
0.22
0.16
0.15
0.13
0.25
0.16
Hired labor
6.97
1.37
1.21
1.96
1.83
1.97
Ownership costs
Capital recovery (machinery)
92.69
74.93
77.80
47.60
55.76
70.33
Taxes and insurance
8.14
5.94
5.53
4.45
7.34
5.80
Other costs
Opportunity costs of unpaid labor
19.13
13.54
17.01
17.22
16.09
15.87
Opportunity cost of land
83.74
40.49
40.76
33.90
92.22
46.20
General farm overhead
14.47
9.42
10.53
7.84
14.60
10.15
Total operating costs
161.96
113.37
106.15
90.38
176.89
114.89
Total ownership costs
100.83
80.87
83.33
52.06
63.10
76.13
Total operating and ownership costs
262.79
194.24
189.48
142.44
239.99
191.02
Total other costs
117.34
63.46
68.31
58.95
122.91
72.22
Total costs
380.13
257.70
257.79
201.39
362.90 263.24
Bushels per planted acre
Actual yield
59.5
43.7
43.2
16.3
59.8
40.2
Expected yield
67.0
45.5
47.6
37.5
69.2
47.7
Dollars per bushel
Costs per bushel of actual yield
Operating costs
2.72
2.59
2.46
5.56
2.96
2.86
Ownership costs
1.70
1.86
1.93
3.20
1.05
1.89
Operating and ownership costs
4.42
4.45
4.39
8.76
4.01
4.75
Other costs
1.97
1.45
1.58
3.63
2.06
1.80
Total costs
6.39
5.90
5.97
12.39
6.07
6.55
Costs per bushel of expected yield
Operating costs
2.42
2.49
2.23
2.41
2.56
2.41
Ownership costs
1.50
1.78
1.75
1.39
0.91
1.59
Operating and ownership costs
3.92
4.27
3.98
3.80
3.47
4.00
Other costs
1.76
1.40
1.43
1.57
1.77
1.51
Total costs
5.68
5.67
5.41
5.37
5.24
5.51
Percent of acres
Enterprise production practices
Winter wheat
71.3
25.5
99.8
100.0
100.0
69.3
Spring wheat
28.7
74.5
0.2
0.0
0.0
30.7
Harvested
99.4 97.6 97.9 64.0 98.390.8
Irrigated
21.1 1.2 4.5 7.0 0.04.9
Source: USDA, Economic Research Service using data from USDA’s Agricultural Resource Management Survey, 2009 wheat
1
The data are an aggregation of irrigated and nonirrigated fields.
2
Northwest—Washington, Oregon, and Idaho; Northern Plains—Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, and South
Dakota; Central Plains—Kansas, Colorado, and Nebraska; Southern Plains—Oklahoma and Texas; and
North Central—Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, and Missouri.
exceeded the $3.98 expectation. In 2009, the region’s yield was almost three
times higher than in the neighboring Southern Plains because of the freeze
and drought in the south. Central Plains wheat yields are higher than Southern
Plains yields even in a year of more normal weather because temperatures are
not as high on the Central Plains, and the risk of drought is less.
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WL
FEATURE
• Northern Plains. The Northern
Plains had the highest expected production cost per bushel among the
regions. Three-fourths of producers
grew lower-yielding spring wheat
varieties. The region had relatively
high expenses for fertilizer, as well
as for herbicides and fungicides. The
harvested yield (43.7 bushels) came
close to the projected yield (45.5
bushels).
• Northwest. Although the
Northwest region’s actual yield of
59.5 bushels per acre fell short of its
expectations of 67.0 bushels per acre,
it was nearly tied with North Central
for the highest yield, despite having lower rainfall. The Northwest’s
expected yields are high, in part,
because it has the most irrigation,
covering more than 20 percent of
wheat acreage. With its relatively
high yields, its actual production
costs of $4.42 per bushel were below
the national average despite the irrigation expense. About half the crop
is soft wheat, which is given only
low applications of nitrogen fertilizer to ensure the low protein levels
for which it is grown.
How was the study
conducted?
The farm-level data for this report
was derived from the USDA’s annual
Agricultural Resource Management
Survey (ARMS) for 2009. The ARMS,
based on a representative sampling
of all U.S. farms, provides information on a broad range of issues
about agricultural resource use,
production practices, farm costs
and financial conditions and economic well-being of America’s farm
households. The ARMS collects data
every four to eight years for each
commodity. The authors based their
annual production cost estimates
on data from the 2009 survey of the
U.S. wheat sector. They arranged
these estimates from the lowest
production costs to the highest to
form cumulative distributions. Two
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sets of cumulative farm distributions were calculated, one
using expected yields and the other using actual yields. To
provide some explanation for the discrepancies between
expected and realized output and prices, the authors
supplemented their regional data analyses with expert
knowledge of regional conditions and wheat production
practices.
NOT Your Average Real Estate Team
Find the full report at ers.usda.gov/publications/eib-economic-information-bulletin/eib116.aspx#. ERS is a primary
source of economic research and analysis from the U.S.
Department of Agriculture, providing timely information
on economic and policy issues related to agriculture, food,
the environment and rural America.
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FEATURE
Putting it in perspective
How much do you know about food and agriculture?
What about rural America or conservation? The USDA’s
Economic Research Service has more than 75 charts
and maps covering key information about the farm
and food sectors, including agricultural markets and
trade, farm income, food prices and consumption, food
security, rural economies and the interaction of agriculture and natural resources. Here’s a sample; to see more
charts and maps go to ers.usda.gov/data-products/agand-food-statistics-charting-the-essentials.aspx.
What is agriculture’s share
of the overall U.S. Economy?
Export share of U.S. farm production
2008 to 2010
Food services and
drinking places
Apparel and leather
manufacturing
800
700
Billions of dollars
600
Cotton
Rice
Wheat
Textile mills and
textile-product
manufacturing
Food, beverage
and tobacco
manufacturing
500
400
300
200
100
0
Tree nuts
‘04 ‘05 ‘06 ‘07 ‘08 ‘09 ‘10 ‘11
Soybeans
Fresh fruits
Processed vegetables
Pork
Pountry meat
Forestry, fishing and
related activities
Farms
Corn
0
25
Percent
50
75
Exports account for a large share of the total volume of U.S.
production for select product categories. For example, more
than 70 percent of the volume of U.S. production of tree
nuts, largely almonds, is exported, as is around 64 percent
of cotton production (2008-10 average). Overall, the export
share of U.S. agricultural production was 22 percent based on
volume and has averaged 20 percent since 2000.
Agriculture and agriculture-related industries contributed
$742.6 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) in 2011,
a 4.8-percent share. The output of America’s farms contributed $138.7 billion of this sum—just under 1 percent of GDP.
The overall contribution of the agriculture sector to GDP is
larger than this because sectors related to agriculture rely on
agricultural inputs in order to contribute additional value to
the economy.
Source: USDA, Economic Research Service calculations based on data from U.S.
Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade Database and
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service, various reports
Source: USDA, Economic Research Service using data from U.S.
Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
Exports shares rising for many ag commodities, but declining for corn and wheat
(Exports as a share of total disappearance)
Corn
Export markets have generally become more
important for U.S. agricultural commodities
over the past 20 years, spurred by growing
demand particularly in developing countries.
However, U.S. corn exports have fallen as more
corn has been used to produce ethanol. U.S.
wheat exports also have fallen as competition
has increased from countries in the Black Sea
region, particularly Russia, Kazakhstan and
Ukraine.
1989-91
2009-11
Wheat
Soybeans
Upland Cotton
Beef
Pork
Broilers
0
20
40
Percent
60
80
Source: USDA, Economic Research Service, Baseline related historical data
FEATURE
WL
Farms, land in farms and average acres per farm, 1850 to 2012
8
After peaking at 6.8 million farms in 1935, the
number of U.S. farms fell sharply until leveling
off in the early 1970s. Falling farm numbers
during this period reflected growing productivity in agriculture and increased nonfarm employment opportunities. Because the amount
of farmland did not decrease as much as the
number of farms, the remaining farms have
more acreage—on average, about 400 acres in
2012 versus 155 acres in 1935. Roughly 2.2 million farms are currently in operation.
Farms (in millions)
6
Average farm size
(hundreds of acres)
4
2
Land in farms (billions of acres)
0
1850 ‘70
‘90
1910
‘25
‘35
‘45
‘54
‘64
‘74
‘82
‘92 2002 ‘12
Percent of planted acres under no-till
system for selected crops, 2000 to 2010*
U.S. agricultural exports tripled
from 2000 to 2012
180
140
Soybeans
40
Wheat
30
Sorghum
Barley
Corn
20
Oats
10
Cotton
Rice
2000
2001
Sugar and tropical
products
Horticultural
products
Livestock
products
Cotton, tobacco
and seeds
Oilseeds and
oilseed products
120
Billions of dollars
Percent of planted acres
50
0
Source: USDA, Economic Research Service using data from USDA, National
Agricultural Statistics Service, Census of Agriculture and “Farms, Land in
Farms, and Livestock Operations: 2012 Summary” for 2012 data
100
80
60
40
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Survey year
2007 2008 2009 2010
No-till is generally the least intensive form of tillage.
Approximately 35 percent of U.S. cropland (88 million acres)
planted to eight major crops had no-till operations in 2009,
according to estimated tillage trends based on 2000-07 data
from USDA’s Agricultural Resource Management Survey
(ARMS). Furthermore, the use of no-till increased over time for
corn, cotton, soybeans, rice and wheat—the crops for which
the ARMS data were sufficient to calculate a trend.
*Crop surveyed varies by year
Source: USDA, Economic Research Service and USDA, National Agricultural Statistics
Service, Agricultural Resources Management Survey, Phase 2, 2000-10
20
0
Grains and feeds
2000
2003
2006
2009
2012
Demand from developing countries, along with higher prices, explains recent U.S. export growth. Foreign demand for
wheat, soybeans, cotton, corn and their processed products
accounts for about half of U.S. export value. U.S. farm exports
to developing countries are now more than double what are
exported to developed countries. Purchases by developing
countries consistently have been greater than developed
countries since 1994.
Source: USDA, Economic Research Service using data from U.S. Department
of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade Database
Employment* in agriculture and related industries, 2008 to 2011 average
Farms
17%
Eating and
drinking places
64%
Forestry,
fishing and
related activities
5%
Food, beverage
and tobacco
manufacturing
11%
Textile, apparel
and leather
manufacturing
3%
In 2011, more than 16 million full- and part-time jobs were related to agriculture—
about 9.1 percent of total U.S. employment. Direct on-farm employment provided
more than 2.6 million of these jobs. Employment in the related industries supported another 13.5 million jobs. Of this number, eating and drinking places accounted
for the largest share—10.4 million jobs—and food manufacturing supported 1.5
million jobs. The remaining agriculture-related industries together supported 1.6
million jobs.
*Full- and part-time jobs
Source: USDA, Economic Research Service using data from U.S.
Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
WL PROFILES
Hatley/Cobb Farmland Management Inc.
Partners help farmland owners manage property for the future
By Kevin Gaffney
The first indication you have entered
“Cougar Country” at the offices of
Hatley/Cobb Farmland Management in
Spokane is a large, framed, cougar print
in the entryway.
Known from its founding in 1993 until
recently as Sharp & Hatley, the name
was changed as of Sept. 1 to indicate
Tim Cobb becoming the new co-partner
with Allen Hatley. The second original
founder, John Sharp, has begun his transition toward retirement.
Both original partners were raised on
farms. Sharp grew up on a Walla Walla
County wheat farm and Hatley on a
wheat and pea farm near Pullman.
Allen Hatley and John Sharp brought
Cobb, who grew up on an irrigated
Columbia Basin farm, into the company
in the spring of 2011 to begin his training for transition to principal partner.
Allen Hatley (left) and Tim Cobb are the principal partners in Hatley/Cobb Farmland Management. The
firm specializes in farm-lease agreements, custom farming operations, grain and crop marketing, farm
property appraisals, long-term farm planning and other related services.
Over the next three years or so, Cobb will ramp up as
Sharp winds down.
With a portfolio of about 130 farms and more than
100,000 acres of farmland under their management, there
is plenty of work to spread around.
Hatley equated the process of Cobb becoming a partner
to the way a family farm might make a generational transition: over time with proper planning and training.
“When I came in for my initial interview, there were two
major tests,” explained Cobb. “Did I grow up on a farm,
and was I a Washington State University (WSU) grad?
Luckily, I passed on both counts, and things went smoothly from then on.”
They ascribe the success of their company to their
intrinsic perspective of farming as a way of life, not simply
as another way to earn a living.
“Our people are the key to our company. To effectively
do our work, you really need to have been raised in
agriculture,” explained Hatley. “When we sit down with
a farmer, we only have a few minutes to make the proper
impression.
“We always begin by asking them about their operation,
explaining that we can be most useful if they provide the
specifics about their farm operation and their future goals
for the property.
“Generally, once they realize that we understand farming, that we grew up in it and we are there to help them
run their farm more efficiently, they relax a bit.”
Their clientele are landlords, not farm operators. It is
usually farm landowners that are one or two generations
removed from the actual operation of the family farm that
employ their services.
For those not familiar with farmland management,
Hatley/Cobb provides specialized services regarding farm
lease agreements, absentee owner representation, custom
farming operations, farm crop insurance, grain and crop
marketing, farm operations accounting, farm property
appraisals, farm technology, long-term farm planning, risk
management and other related services.
“Often, we are hired when there is a problem either
between the landlord and the tenant or troubles between
the ownership family members,” said Cobb. “Or an owner
group may have differing opinions on how to run the
farm or whether to sell the property, and they bring us in
to help them work things out.”
Their relationships with the farm operators are generally positive, and occasionally, a farmer will recommend
EASTERN OREGON FARMS
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2835.21 acres, rare find winter cattle ranch with 577 acres of wheat
ground planted to grass. Winter feed source of 120 irrigated acres, 40
acres of sub-land, 2 older homes. Great fishing for steelhead, salmon
and trout. Good hunting for deer, turkey, pheasant, chukar, huns.
Good water fowl hunting for ducks and geese.
$1,650,000 #WL02210
Morrow County, Ione, OR
145 total acres, of which 46 ac irrigated. Includes ranch-style home,
barn and additional outbuildings. Willow Creek runs through the
property. Includes CREP contract. LOP tags. $375,000 #WL02212
Umatilla County, Pilot Rock, OR
1998 (+/-) acres of mountain, pasture and timberland. Has cabin with
pond and trees for a relaxed setting. Used as summer grazing unit.
Great views and recreation. Live stream with springs and ponds.
Good hunting for big game deer and elk, with upland birds.
$985,000 #WL01511
FRANKLIN COUNTY, CONNELL,WA
1,174.48 acres, of which 1,036.3 acres are in CRP through 2014 and
134 acres are range. 1,658 sq. ft., 4 bedroom, 1 bath home.
$1,200,000 #WL01913
Morrow County,Heppner,OR
909.09 acres located in the Butter Creek Junction area, 18 miles SW
of Hermiston, OR. A diversified farming unit providing 156 ac of
irrigation, 649 ac of dryland crop and 100 ac of range. Water rights
from Butter Creek dating back to yr 1873. Main home is 1,640 SF.
Multiple outbuildings. Upland birds and big game, LOP tags.
$1,290,000 #WL01013
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WL
PROFILES
Hatley/Cobb to a current landlord that they farm for.
simply looking to own and not to operate.
“An example would be a farmer with multiple landlords,” said Cobb. “If we are already working with several
of his owners but one landlord is struggling with management or familial issues, we have had farm operators
recommend consulting with us.”
Hatley and Cobb identified important decisions that
landlords can make to successfully keep farmland in their
family. Two very critical factors are effective communication (both among the ownership members and between
ownership and the farm operator) and running the farm
as a business.
The company began more by opportunity than by
Proper planning for the farm entity structure and
grand design. Hatley had wanted to farm back in the early
establishing goals for the farm’s future are also crucial. It
1970s, but the family farm was not big enough. So after he
is essential to take strong emotions
earned his B.A. and master’s degrees
out of the equation to run a farm as
from WSU in ag economics, his dad
a business, which is often not easy
suggested he look for a career off
for farm families to do. Hatley/Cobb
the farm. Never having faced a job
“We love dealing with
help their clients accomplish this.
interview in his life, Hatley was a bit
farmers every day, they
nervous.
“Since we were all raised on
“I didn’t have a suit,” remembered
Hatley. “I’m not even sure I had a
tie.”
His interview went well enough
that he was hired as a farm property manager with the Seattle First
National Bank trust department.
are the best people in
the world. And I would
say that even if I had not
been raised on a wheat
farm.”
After seven years with Seattle
First, Hatley struck out on his own
in the farm management and ag appraisal business. One of his associates at Seattle First had
been John Sharp, who later left the bank to join up with
Hatley to form Sharp & Hatley.
When they began the company, most of their business
was trust property. Over the years, due to changes in tax
law, there are fewer farm trusts. A majority of their business now is private farm property.
As a result of requests from clients, Hatley/Cobb also
handles farm sales and acquisitions. It developed as a
logical extension of their management work when a client
would decide to sell their family farm. They began handling farm real estate sales in the late 1990s.
All three of the principals are licensed in real estate.
Cobb had been working in commercial real estate before
joining the firm.
One recent change in the real estate portion of their
business is being approached more often by nonfarm
investors looking to diversify their portfolios with agricultural properties. This type of nonfarm purchase can lead
to some hard feelings in farm country, depending upon
whom is farming the land and if farming neighbors are interested in purchasing nearby farm properties. However,
in most instances, the farm will need to be farmed in a
tenant relationship with a local farmer, as the investor is
—Allen Hatley
farms, we feel the same incredible
bond that our farm family clients
have to their land,” said Hatley.
“They are part of the land, and the
land is part of them. That is something people outside of farming can
never really understand.”
Their job is not always enjoyable.
Having to notify a tenant farmer
that someone else will be taking
over the operation of a farm is by far the most difficult
part of their work.
“It is a terrible, gut-wrenching feeling,” Hatley said.
“Thankfully, it is something that rarely happens, but every
time I’ve had to do it, I was sick for about a week afterward. That is only something done as a last resort, when
there has been a serious problem on the farm for several
years.”
Hatley/Cobb may charge an hourly fee for a detailed
initial consultation with a potential client, but once the
landowner signs on, they simply charge a percentage of
the crop income for their services.
“Most farmland owners really appreciate that setup,
as we are sharing the risk right along with them,” noted
Cobb. “If they have a bad year due to low yields or grain
prices, so do we. We share the risk of farming under the
rules of mother nature.”
“We only get paid once a year, just like the farmers,”
added Hatley, “and it’s after harvest when the farmer
knows pretty well where he stands financially going into
the next season.
“We love dealing with farmers every day, they are the
best people in the world. And I would say that even if I
had not been raised on a wheat farm.”
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MORE INTERACTIVE AG NEWS
Harvest 2013 on Mondovi Farms in Lincoln County.
By Tom Zwainz
Traveling to Seattle to watch the No. 56 Washington
State University (WSU) Cougars get creamed by the No.
5 Stanford Cardinals is not something I would ordinarily
do. It’s not just that the game was a few hundred miles
further west than I’m used to traveling. You see, I’m a
Vandal. Yes, that’s right. I’m an outlier in the Washington
wheat farming community, having graduated
from the University of
Idaho.
For a farmer from Reardan, it was exciting being
among the state’s movers and shakers. Of course, for
those movers and shakers, I’m sure it was just as thrilling
to rub shoulders with me and the five other WGC commissioners and staff who attended the events.
Actually, there’s something to that. Anyone involved in
agriculture knows developing and sustaining relationships are crucial to the survival of our farms. Since there
was no way I could personally talk with the 375 people
who attended the gala, WSU did the next best thing.
A six-minute video the university produced reminded
everyone of the beauty of Eastern Washington, its solid
infrastructure and the research WSU conducts to make
our present possible and assure our future. Go to
vimeo.com/75079690 to see what I’m talking about.
I don’t consider myself much of a public speaker, but
as chairman of the WGC (two more months!), it fell to
me to say a few words about the importance of WSU to
our industry. I didn’t have to reach very far into the past
to find an appropriate example to prove the value of our
relationship.
I told WSU’s gathered friends and benefactors about
The next night was the big game, and WSU had reserved three VIP suites at CenturyLink Field. The game
on the field might have been a bummer, but those of
us in the skybox couldn’t have been more impressed,
watching the university’s other quarterback, Elson Floyd.
President since 2007, Floyd is a communicator of the
highest order. The man doesn’t just talk, he connects.
And it is that connection that brings people together,
including a liberal governor and a conservative farmer.
The accompanying photo speaks a thousand words.
WASHINGTON GRAIN COMMISSION
I was invited to
the game and WSU’s
Foundation Recognition
Gala the night before
because the Washington
Grain Commission was
being recognized as
one of the university’s
$10 million platinum
donors. Actually, we’ve
given much more than
$10 million to WSU
since what was then
the Washington Wheat
Commission was established in 1958, but the foundation
doesn’t have a category that’s any higher.
the havoc generated by the discovery of biotech wheat on
an isolated Oregon farm late last May, and how quickly
the university worked on behalf of a threatened partner.
Within a few days of the official announcement from
the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (followed
quickly by the suspension of sales to Japan and Korea),
the university came
up with a protocol to
test all of its varieties
and numbered lines
for an occurrence of
the GE trait. Nothing
was found, and while
the industry breathed
a sigh of relief, it was
nothing compared to
the reassurance felt
by our overseas customers whose trust in
America’s land-grant
university system may
be even greater than
that in our government’s regulators.
I don’t want to slight other WSU administrators, but
for my money, Floyd is the man who has brought the
university back to its land-grant mission roots. Missteps
before his arrival means there’s still some catching up to
do in that regard, but if Floyd has anything to say about
it, catch up they will.
It’s hard to say whether a more competitive game
would have made for less talking and more cheering. I’m
of the opinion had the score been closer and the interest
on the field greater, Floyd would have simply changed
his game plan. And we would have still left Seattle for
our trip back across the Cascades with the impression of
a man we can all be grateful to for serving at the helm of
our important partner.
Washington farmers who grow the soft white wheat subclass,
club wheat, are earning about a 30 cent premium on the crop, in
part due to a more than 5 million bushel decline in production
from last year. A total of 10.3 million bushels of club was produced compared to 15.4 million bushels in 2012/13. You’d have
to go back to 2009/10 when farmers produced 8 million bushels
to find a year with less club production. Oregon also produced
less club at 593,000 bushels compared to one million bushels
last year. Idaho’s club production fell to 804,650 bushels compared to 1.9 million bushels last year. Add it all up, and the three
states’ club production was off 6.6 million bushels, a decline of
36 percent from last year. Although Japan is the Northwest’s
biggest club customer, 11 other countries have taken club in the
last two years. WGC CEO Glen Squires said his analysis shows that
even with the lower production, overseas importers should have
adequate supplies. In other club news, Squires said he is encouraged by interest from Japan to purchase straight club wheat cargoes. A project supported by the WGC recently saw several mills
experiment with trial samples of club wheat on its own, rather
than blended at export to form the Western White class.
2013 all-wheat harvest
compared to five-year average
150
42 WA
ID
OR
A spring surprise
140.7 144.2
103.7 101.8
59.4 53.9 What with concerns over spring frost, heat at heading
150
and below-average precipitation,
you might expect five-year average
Eastern Washington’s all-wheat crop to have fallen below
90
2012/13
its five-year average 120
of 140.7 million bushels. Certainly,
that’s what the National Agricultural Statistics Service
60
90
(NASS) of the U.S. Department
of Agriculture anticipated,
forecasting
a
132.6
million
bushel
harvest. The actual
30
60
harvest numbers, however, tell a different story and once
again prove the resiliency
of wheat. Despite the array
0
30
Washington
Idaho
Oregon
of obstacles flung at the crop, farmers in Washington
5-year average
2012/13
harvested 144.2 million
bushels, only about two million
0
Washington
Idaho
Oregon
bushels less than 2012/13. Winter wheat came in with a
respectable 69-bushels-an-acre average, while spring wheat had a whopping 60-bushelsan-acre average. That’s only the second time spring wheat has flirted with 60. In 2011,
spring wheat came in at 62 bushels an acre. Idaho and Oregon’s yields did not fare as well.
Oregon’s harvest came in well below their five-year average of 59.4 million bushels, with
drought cutting production there to 53.9 million bushels. Idaho’s all-wheat production of
101.8 million bushels was slightly below its five-year average of 103.7 million bushels. For
the record, that extra 12 million bushels of wheat grown in Washington over NASS’s original
estimate is worth an estimated $84 million dollars at current prices.
120
Millions of bushels
Good year to be in the club
WHEAT LIFE NOVEMBER 2013
Seeing red?
Not so much
After showing significant
gains over the last few years,
Washington’s production of
red wheat fell more than 11
million bushels from 2012/13
to 26.2 million bushels as a
result of 19,000 fewer acres
planted. That reduction
was divided almost evenly
between hard red winter
and hard red spring. The
percentage of red wheat in
Washington declined to 18.2
percent of the state’s overall
production. Oregon and
Idaho mostly maintained
their hard red acreage and
yields.
WGC REVIEW
Time to be counted
Boom, boom
Ten thousand baby boomers (those
born between 1946 and 1964) are
turning 65 every day for the next
20 years.
Rain, rain, go
away—for a
week, anyway
It’s the rare occasion farmers
curse the very thing that
makes dryland wheat farming possible. Rain at harvest
is not wanted nor, in the drier regions of the state, immediately after seeding—at
least not until the coleoptile
of the deep-planted seed
pushes the spindly first leaf
through the soil surface. That’s because even as little as a tenth of an inch
of rain crusts the soil and can prevent the fragile shoot from penetrating
through it. There were reports this year of some farmers having to reseed
four times as a result of rains that fell shortly after planting. Bill Schillinger,
Washington State University (WSU) research agronomist who directs the
Lind Dryland Research Station, said recent research indicates that standardheight plants, like the variety Buchanan, have an overall, four-fold increase
in emergence compared to semidwarf plants, like the variety Eltan, following soil crusting. The amount of surface residue also plays a role because of
its ability to intercept rain drops. Schillinger believes there are tremendous
improvements that can be made in winter wheat seedling emergence if the
Rht1 dwarfing gene that is presently in all soft white winter classes is replaced
by a different dwarfing gene, something Kulvinder Gill, who holds WSU’s
Vogel Chair in wheat breeding and genetics, is trying to accomplish. Not all
dwarfing genes impede emergence, and winter wheat breeder Arron Carter
and Gill both have numbered lines which show great promise. Schillinger
said in a test this past September at Lind, several of these lines had acceptable emergence after a pounding rain that left the soil so hard it “knocked”
when tapped. “I’m very encouraged with some of the material that Arron and
Kulvinder have in the pipeline,” Schillinger said.
Is it a scientist’s duty to stand up to the
anti-GMO fervor around the world? Ten
of the world’s most esteemed scientists
answered yes in an article in Science
magazine. The scientists, which include
Nobel laureates, former U.S. National
Academy of Sciences presidents, National Medal
of Science laureates, university
presidents and
World Food prize
winners, used
the occasion of
vandals destroying a Philippine
“Golden Rice” field trial
to condemn Greenpeace
and other nongovernmental organizations. They see these groups as fanning
opposition to a technology which has
the potential to protect against a vitamin
A deficiency which results in blindness
for a half million children each year. The
Golden Rice, which has vitamin A added
through genetic engineering, has been
ready for farmers to use since the early
2000s. It is not available, however, because of escalating requirements for testing. The 10 scientists said anti-GMO fever
burns brightly because of well-organized
fear mongering that profits some individuals and organizations. “We, and the
thousands of other scientists who have
signed the statement of protest, stand
together in staunch opposition to the
violent destruction of required tests on
valuable advances such as Golden Rice
that have the potential to save millions of
impoverished fellow humans from needless suffering and death.”
WL
Planting the flag(ship)
U.S. Wheat Associates’ milling consultant, Andrea Saturno, is racking up
the frequent flier miles as he spreads the word throughout Latin America
about the benefits of blending soft white wheat into the hard wheat classes.
Saturno’s efforts, which grew out of research initiated by the Washington Grain
Commission, is aimed at showing bread manufactures how adding up to 40
percent of relatively inexpensive soft white wheat to hard red spring or hard
red winter wheat flours allows them to attain similarly sized loaves of bread at a
sizable discount to straight red wheat. Recently, Saturno, accompanied by USW
technical consultant Marcelo Mitre, visited three mills in Guatemala and one in
El Salvador. Tests with local breads using different soft white percentages again
proved the versatility of the Northwest’s flagship crop, and excellent results
were attained.
WL
WGC REVIEW
To hell with the future
European countries that do not embrace genetic engineering (GE) “will face particular problems with the use
of fertilizers, the availability of water and the degradation
of soils.” What sounds like a statement from Monsanto
is actually from a report by the European Academies
Science Advisory Council (EASAC). The report, which
received backing from the national science academies
of all EU member states plus Norway and Switzerland,
as well as the EU’s chief scientific advisor, argues that
producing more food sustainably will require crops
that make better use of limited resources “which can be
achieved through the exploitation of plant genetic resources.” Much to the chagrin of Europe’s environmental
community, the report concludes there is “no compelling
evidence to associate (GE) crops, now cultivated worldwide for more than 15 years, with risks to the environment or safety hazards for food.” Research which shows
otherwise, the report said, “have often been based on
contested science.” European consumers, however,
remain highly distrustful of GE crops, and it was perhaps
this fact that convinced Monsanto to recently withdraw
applications that would have permitted planting of six
varieties of GE corn and single varieties of GE soybeans
and sugar beets within the EU. Monsanto said it no longer intends to pursue GE authorizations in Europe and
will instead focus on conventional breeding.
A drought-lit fuse
Anyone following the news probably thinks the civil war
being waged in Syria is the result of ethnic factions battling
each other. But Nayan Chanda, editor of the Yale Global Online
Magazine, argues the war might have never happened were it
not for a devastating drought between 2006 and 2010 which
turned almost 60 percent of Syria into a desert and killed off 80
percent of its cattle. The water shortage meant that hundreds
of thousands of farmers were forced off their land to find work
in cities. It was this dislocation, not the ethnic divisions, Chanda
said, that created the first spark. Looking toward the future,
he believes internal migrations from countryside to city will
happen more around the world as climate shifts occur. For the
record, a second shipment of 22,000 tons of U.S. wheat was
recently donated to Syria. The donation, enough to help feed
3.5 million Syrians for a month, is part of a World Food Program
(WFP) project. The grain, which is being ground into flour in
Beirut and Turkey, will go to the urban bakeries that are still
functioning and, in rural areas, directly to families. The WFP
needs $30 million every week to meet the needs of people affected by the Syrian conflict.
On the farm, on the road
The American public is getting in on a secret farmers have known for decades: diesels
rock. Several new types of diesel sedans are coming to America, including a Mazda 6
with a 2.2 liter turbo charged diesel. These new cars differ from earlier versions in many
respects, particularly their low compression ratio of 14:1 rather than 16:1 or higher (a new
John Deer 9 liter interim Tier 3 diesel engine has a 16.3:1 ratio). The lower ratio in the new
automotive diesels makes for less mechanical stress on the engine which means lighter
aluminum castings can be used. And lighter parts means less friction. These and other improvements in engine efficiencies make up for any loss of power caused by reducing the
compression ratio. The black soot that is associated with diesels has been taken care of by
adjusting fuel timing injection, but the cars, just like many models of newer generation
tractors, must also inject a solution of urea into the exhaust to mop up nitrogen oxides.
Grandpa, it’s my turn to play!
Grandparents who look askance at their grandchildren playing video games might want to
take a page from the whippersnappers’ book. Turns out playing video games can improve
cognition (thinking) and working memory. In a time when Alzheimer’s and dementia is on
the minds of anyone over 60, the research found oldsters could, in a relatively short time
period, improve their thinking skills fairly dramatically simply by playing a game.
WGC REVIEW
Save money, live better, less fertilizer?
There was a time the Natural Resources Conservation Service mandated sustainable farming practices. Nowadays, it’s Walmart. The company, which currently has a Sustainability Index across 200 product categories linked to more
than 1,000 suppliers, is expected to expand to 300 products from as many
as 5,000 suppliers by the end of the year. And it is going overseas, rolling out
its sustainability index in Chile and Mexico in 2014. Suppliers of wheat are
expected to increase fertilizer optimization as part of the plan. The company
said it and its suppliers have the potential to reduce fertilizer use on 14 million
acres of farmland in the U.S. by 2020.
The Washington Potato Commission, which is engaged
with the Washington Association of Wheat Growers
in a public relations campaign, hasn’t signed on to the
national effort to brand potatoes as the star of gluten-free
global cuisine. The United States Potato Board, however, has
jumped on the gluten-free bandwagon with advertisements
that promote spuds as naturally gluten-free and packed with
nutritional benefits needed for a healthy lifestyle.
Seed-centric
no more
Monsanto is branching out. The
world’s largest seed company
purchased Precision Planting
Inc. for $250 million earlier this
year. The Illinois outfit develops
software tools to help farmers improve seed spacing and
depth using a national database of soil conditions. Now,
Monsanto has agreed to buy
Climate Corp. for about $930
million. Both purchases are
designed to help farmers boost
productivity and manage risk.
Climate Corp., which was developed by a team that left Google
in 2006, offers farmers individualized weather statistics. “We
believe that data science has
tremendous potential to boost
productivity, said Monsanto’s
executive vice president of
Global Strategy.
The decline
of civilization
The baguette, often considered one of the symbols
of French culture, has fallen
on hard times. These days, the
average Frenchman eats only
half a baguette a day compared
with almost a whole baguette in
1970 and more than three in 1900.
A slogan has been launched, modeled on
the American “Got Milk?” advertisement,
to remind the French to pick up their
bread. The campaign’s website explains
that France is a “civilization of bread” and
that the food is part of the traditional meal
“a la francaise.” Even with the decline in
consumption, it’s estimated that more
than 10 billion baguettes are sold every
year in France.
Middle of the pack
The first great surge of the middle class occurred in the 19th century and was brought
about by the Industrial Revolution. The second occurred in the years following World
War II. These two proliferations occurred primarily in the U.S. and Europe, but a third
great surge—what many believe will be the biggest and broadest—has been ongoing in China for a decade and is now spreading through Asia, Latin America and even
Africa. This should come as good news to wheat farmers who could be poised to take
advantage of consumers with more disposable income. In Indonesia, which is close to
displacing Brazil as the No. 2 wheat importer in the world (and may surpass Egypt as
the world’s largest importer within five years), inflation is driving a switch out of rice
and into noodles made of wheat. Also underpinning the growing appetite for wheat is
middle-class demand for Western fast foods like McDonalds, Dunkin’ Donuts and Pizza
Hut. Based on proximity, Australia is in the catbird seat, currently controlling about 65
percent of the market. The remainder is supplied from the U.S. and Canada. Even so,
soft white wheat marketing efforts are paying off in Indonesia with more than 189,000
metric tons in the export column so far this year.
Mr. Potato goes gluten-free
WL
Making protein count
When it comes to hard red wheat, receiving more rain than you have counted on or
fertilized for can mean growing a lot of wheat which gets discounted severely because
it doesn’t make the 12 percent protein benchmark for hard red winter or the 14 percent
sought for hard red spring. Australian researchers, however, are investigating whether
they can redesign wheat so a higher proportion of its proteins are functional. If it can be
achieved, it would allow yields to be increased by as much as 50 percent over current
levels and still make excellent end-use products.
REPORTS
WA S H I N G TO N G R A I N CO M M I S SION
Changes ahead for WSCIA, farmers
Growers should Brace for ‘a heck of a ride’ as variety choice widens
46 Jerry Robinson was just two years old when his father
caught the entrepreneurial spirit, left his job as a production manager at a Moscow-based farm business and
headed to Southern Idaho to try his hand at growing
seed crops on 92 irrigated acres.
Ten years later, the owner of a seed pea business asked
his dad to come back to Moscow to run it. They offered
him $600 a month. Given that this was the same amount
his father had cleared the previous year farming made
the decision easy.
Robinson was working with
seeds while he was still a sprout
himself. Officially, he worked for
his father for 24 years, eventually
buying Stubbs Seed and running
it another five years. Before he
was 49, he had been in the seed
business for 30 years. The downturn in the pulse market in the
1990s, however, scrambled the
family’s heritage, and Robinson
closed Stubbs in 2000.
been a backhanded plus.”
The industry needs somebody who tries harder because seed companies and farmers are in the midst of
navigating a wheat seed revolution. Last year, WSCIA
certified 148 wheat varieties, up from 90 just a few years
earlier.
Scott Yates, director of communications for the
Washington Grain Commission, recently sat down with
Robinson to discuss the avalanche of new varieties and
how WSCIA and farmers will
manage the challenge.
“There is a perception that all
these companies are the evil
empire, so to speak, but we
have found they are very good
to work with. They each have
their own structure to work
within, but each has been
extremely supportive of crop
improvement.”
WGC: What can wheat farmers
expect of the seed sector in the
next few years?
Robinson: The number of
varieties coming to market is just
staggering. AgriPro (Syngenta)
and Westbred (Monsanto) are
going full tilt. Limagrain is just
starting to hit full stride, and
Dow AgroSciences reportedly
has a couple of varieties in the
He then worked for two years
wings. WSU is also getting faster
for Columbia Grain, building its
—Jerry Robinson,
at releasing varieties, not to menpulse acreage before an openWSCIA seed manager
tion Bayer CropSciences will
ing as foundation seed manprobably be coming to the region
ager at the Washington State
soon. And AgriPro has hybrid
Crop Improvement Association
wheat coming. Between all of them, farmers are going to
(WSCIA) in 2003 again changed the direction of his life.
wind up with quite a chunk of new varieties in the next
In 2007, he was hired as general manager of the not-forfew years. I think it’s going to be a heck of a ride.
profit association which ensures the genetic purity of the
WGC: What exactly does the WSCIA do?
seed farmers buy and certifies the fields where the seed
Robinson: A lot of people, including me before I
is grown.
worked for crop improvement, are confused over who
You would never suspect that Robinson didn’t attend
we are and what we do. WSCIA is the umbrella organicollege. His raw intelligence, good humor and 40 years
zation of two different entities. There is the certification
in the seed business have provided him with all the tools
arm of crop improvement which is governed by an MOU
needed to excel.
with the Washington State Department of Agriculture,
“My father told me that college is a shortcut. It jumpwhich certifies fields where seed is grown. For many
starts you,” Robinson said. “But to be honest, the lack of
years, that’s all we did. Then in the 1970s, Washington
a degree has made me try harder. I have had to prove
State University asked WSCIA to take over its foundamyself, and in that respect, it has made me better. It has
tion seed program. We have an MOU with the university
WGC REPORTS
WL
to handle the breeder-to-foundation seed increase. The
breeder gives his seed to us. We raise foundation and
then registered and certified seed. Certified is the third
generation away from the original variety. Various studies have shown there’s a two-to-five bushel advantage by
planting certified seed over grower-saved seed caused by
things like a drop in seed viability and genetic drift from
the original.
WGC: Farmer-saved seed—isn’t that what some people
call brown bagging?
Robinson: I don’t call it brown bagging because a lot of
brown bagging is illegal, and it has a negative connotation. I call it grower-saved seed. We don’t like it, but it’s
within farmers’ rights to do it. Between 8 percent and 10
percent of the wheat seed planted in Eastern Washington
is grower-saved seed of older, common varieties.
WGC: With all the competition in the seed industry
today, how do you see things playing out for WSU?
Robinson: As newer varieties become available, the
mindset has changed to a certain degree. The fact that
private companies have salesman has woken people
up. The university system was getting complacent, kind
of a “If you release it they will come” mentality. They
were doing what they always did. If it hits it hits. Now,
with the advent of private companies, WSU is at a point
of needing to step up and bring something to the table.
Everybody is looking at the same acreage. Instead of
farmers having one choice of a variety for a specific
area, they may have five. We’re back in the car-shopping
mode.
WGC: So how does a farmer make a decision about the
best variety to grow?
Robinson: Growers start out in a mode of “This is
what I’ve traditionally grown,” and then they move to
the next step. Maybe they go to a field day or see some
literature. Then they go to their seed dealer. Maybe
they want something to replace Madsen. The farmer is
making an educated guess. The seed dealer has a great
amount of influence about what the grower is putting
in the ground. If a grower comes in and asks whether
he should raise Ovation or Legion, he might not know
the difference between the two, but his seed dealer does.
Seed dealers know the varieties for their areas better
than anybody else.
Jerry Robinson, general manager
of the Washington State Crop
Improvement Association,
strikes a relaxed pose in front of
his organization’s new building
located not far from Washington
State University’s Pullman
campus.
WGC: Is it wise to give seed dealers the power to make
those choices?
Robinson: It works pretty well. It could be improved.
For seed houses, their location and physical infrastructure often dictates the varieties they’ll handle. For
instance, Central Washington is going to need varieties
that are snow mold resistant. Others are going to need
aluminum tolerance or fusarium root rot resistance. The
growers have to grow what the dealer has and what
works best for them.
WL
WGC REPORTS
WGC: We’ve been told private companies are looking to exploit higher yielding areas and won’t breed for small areas with specific problems, like snow
mold.
Robinson: Privates are not going to pass up any available acreage. A place
like Douglas County may make them gun shy because it isn’t known for
having a lot of certified seed, but as a whole, companies are looking at any
area they have adapted varieties. They aren’t going to just look at the Palouse
proper or the (Columbia) Basin. They’re looking everywhere anymore.
WGC: How has it been working with the private companies?
Robinson: We have prided ourselves on the fact we have been able to make
the public and the private folks comfortable enough to work with us and make
increases and share their dark secrets. We have some concerns, but as a whole,
we have done a really good job of maintaining neutrality, whether in certification or foundation seed production. Everybody benefits. I’m pleased with the
situation we are in right now. I have my concerns about getting too one way or
another, but we have worked very diligently at keeping ourselves neutral.
WGC: By their very nature, private companies are competitive. Do you see
that in your interactions?
Robinson: There is a perception that all these companies are the evil empire,
so to speak, but we have found they are very good to work with. They each
have their own structure to work within, but each has been extremely supportive of crop improvement. My hat is off to all of them. They’re playing in
the sandbox very well. No one has put us in a situation of asking us to give
them a leg up on their competition. I’m really impressed with the working
relationship among all these companies.
WGC: How has WSCIA managed the additional workload?
Robinson: I think we have taken on the private company model where we
work our people harder than in the public sector, and we expect more out
of them. The WSCIA has seven employees, and we’re running them pretty
hard, but we’ve also increased our efficiencies. We’ve changed how we handle
things in the field as far as foundation seed. We’ve hired outside crews to do
some of the work that we used to do internally. But we are at the stage now
where we will need to look at our employee situation.
WGC: What about your relationship with WSU?
Robinson: We have a really good relationship with WSU. Sometimes, I have
to work to keep a professional distance, but overall, it’s a good relationship.
WGC: How has the wheat seed business in Washington changed?
Robinson: We’re seeing the small seed dealers and co-ops selling out for
competitive or financial reasons. The big are getting bigger and running extremely lean. Some of them have the money, but not the time or wherewithal
to do the job (of growing seed) as well as they should. It used to be a guy
would raise 20 or 40 acres of foundation seed. Now, that’s almost a nuisance.
But the growers are getting bigger too, and they don’t want to handle 20 or 40
acres. They want 500 acres. The combination of larger growers and seed dealers makes it more difficult to raise these varieties in a proper manner.
WGC: How is the WSCIA going to deal with the advent of genetically engineered varieties?
Robinson: I’ve had discussions with researchers on how we’ll handle increases, but it hasn’t gone further than that. It’s not really on my radar at this
point.
Variety survey
charts future
Private and out-of-state
varieties ascendant
By Scott A. Yates
Ten years ago, there were
two private varieties planted in
Washington, comprising less than
3 percent of the soft white winter
(SWW) wheat acreage grown in the
state. In 2013, 13 private soft white
winter varieties composing about
45 percent of Washington’s flagship
crop were planted on 508,450 acres.
Varieties of soft white winter
wheat developed at Oregon State
University (OSU), meanwhile, were
sown on 363,927 acres. Washington
State University (WSU) varieties,
which not long ago commanded
the vast majority of SWW acreage in Washington, were planted
on 311,813 acres with a single
Agriculture Research Service variety planted on 37,000 acres.
The No. 1 soft white winter variety in Washington at 234,508 acres
is ORCF-102, an OSU Clearfield
herbicide-tolerant wheat with a
Madsen pedigree. That was down
from 320,269 acres last year. OSU
also has the No. 6 variety, ORCF103, designed to be planted in Eltan
areas. Its use fell from 118,406 acres
in 2012 to 81,850 in 2013.
Farmers pay a royalty of 2 cents
on each pound of seed purchased
from OSU. Based on the 2013
list, Washington farmers sent the
Beavers’ program between $400,000
and $500,000.
Counting varieties from OSU
and the University of Idaho along
with private company varieties,
nearly 75 percent of the soft white
winter seed Eastern Washington
wheat farmers planted in the fall
WGC REPORTS
wheat out of the 25 listed older than
10 years and only three varieties of
HRW out of 15 listed.
At the time, it was believed the one-gene technology would be short-lived
due to chemical resistance and out-crossing issues that have yet to show up.
WSU has changed course in the interim and has just approved the release
of two-gene Clearfield varieties that the university hopes will replace earlier
Oregon selections.
Eltan, a 1990 release from WSU,
was the No. 1 most grown variety from 1999 to 2010. It has now
dropped to third place, planted on
139,762 acres. In 2003, it was planted
on 445,600 acres as a single variety
and much more than that in blends.
Madsen, an ARS release from 1988,
was No. 1 from 1995 to 1999. Ten
years ago, it was planted on 307,900
acres as a single variety and again,
much more in blends. Today, it is
planted on 36,928 acres.
The 2013 Washington Wheat Variety Survey, based on certified seed sales in
Eastern Washington, is a veritable treasure trove for those willing to mine the
data. Jerry Robinson, manager of the Washington State Crop Improvement
Association, said the survey proves how fast the industry is changing. He
said more changes are in store including a chunk of new varieties in the near
future (see preceding article).
In the past, the Washington Agricultural Statistics Service (WASS) conducted the varietal survey. Based on a telephone poll, the survey revealed the multitude of blended varieties farmers plant. A reorganization at WASS resulted
in a steep increase in the cost of the survey. As a result, for the last two years
the Washington Grain Commission has obtained varietal information based
on certified seed sales. Washington growers have the highest certified seed
use in the nation at around 92 percent.
The inroads private companies have made into the state is even more pronounced when it comes to hard red winter acreage. Out of the 214,766 acres
planted in 2013, 170,293 acres, or 79 percent, are licensed to private companies,
the biggest of which include Westbred (Monsanto), Agripro (Syngenta) and
Limagrain, a French cooperative. A similar situation exists for hard red spring
acreage. Of the 223,648 acres planted to the class in Eastern Washington,
147,312 acres were from private companies, or 66 percent.
Farmers appear to be listening
to breeders who argue that those
planting older varieties are leaving
money on the table. Of the 25 soft
white winter varieties listed, nine
have been released since 2010,
comprising 236,620 acres.
WSU does shine in some classes. Soft white winter club acres are dominated
by Bruehl, a 2000 release, with 110,482 acres out of the 173,199 planted to the
class, or 64 percent. Most of the rest of the club varieties, comprising 54,498
acres, are from the Agricultural Research Service of the U.S. Department
of Agriculture. WSU also shows well in soft white common spring
acres with its varieties planted on 219,212 acres out of a total 270,325
acres, or 81 percent.
of 2013 came from programs outside of WSU. A large part of the discrepancy
is the result of a decision made at WSU in the 1990s not to pursue Clearfield
herbicide-tolerant varieties.
WL
Older varieties which farmers had grown accustomed to and
were reluctant to give up once ruled the variety list.
Just five years ago in 2008, more than 97 percent
of the varieties grown in Eastern Washington
were 16 years or older. In 2013, however,
there were only five varieties of SWW
WL
WGC REPORTS
2013 Washington Wheat Variety Survey
Soft White Common Winter Acres
ORCF-102 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234,508
Xerpha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147,627
Eltan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139,762
WB 528 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124,677
SY Ovation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103,179
ORCF-103 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81,850
Trifecta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57,087
AP 700 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49,177
WB 523 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45,635
Brundage 96 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45,541
Madsen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36,928
WB-1070CL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36,015
Legion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30,669
WB 456 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20,606
Stephens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19,519
Skiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17,835
Masami . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13,358
WB-Junction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11,664
Bruneau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11,501
Rod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11,066
AP Legacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,220
Tubbs 06 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,215
AP Badger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,140
LCS Artdeco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,074
WB1066 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,307
Other varieties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,844
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,292,004
Soft White Club Winter Acres
Bruehl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110,482
Cara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33,257
Coda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18,171
IMI Bruehl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,834
Chukar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,070
Other varieties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173,199
Hard Red Winter Acres
Norwest 553 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68,474
Farnum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37,656
Whetstone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37,194
LCS Azimut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19,149
AP 503CL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 9,514
Sinope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,211
WB-Arrowhead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,658
Esperia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,823
Bauermeister . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,616
Declo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,443
Eddy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,666
FX001C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,584
WB Tucson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,813
Rimrock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,987
Paladin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,764
Other varieties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214,766
Winter Wheat Acres Planted Estimate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,679,969
Soft White Common Spring Acres
Louise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94,096
Diva . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73,229
Nick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28,383
Babe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26,690
Whit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25,197
WB-1035CL+ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19,295
Other varieties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,435
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270,325
Soft White Club Spring Acres
JD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,444
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,444
Hard White Spring Acres
BR-7030 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14,639
WB-Hartline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,725
Other varieties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Hard Red Spring Acres
Expresso . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55,672
Kelse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45,916
Solano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32,557
Buck Pronto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21,677
Jefferson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21,237
SY605CL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,360
WB Fuzion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,879
Cabernet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,606
Hollis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,143
Bullseye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,076
WB Rockland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,485
Glee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,656
Tara 2002 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,150
Other varieties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,199
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223,648
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20,443
Spring Wheat Acres Planted Estimate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 519,860
Total Acres Planted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,199,829
WGC REPORTS
WL
Soft white where?
Outside of PNW, Michigan is next top producer of soft white wheat
By Scott A. Yates
Washington, Oregon and Idaho are known for soft
white wheat production, with the low protein, whitecoated bran class grown, respectively, on 88 percent, 95
percent and 79 percent of the three Northwest states’
wheat acreage.
As was evident in Washington this year, wheat with
white bran is more susceptible to low falling numbers
than red bran wheat given the conditions that cause
sprout or induce alpha amylase activity. In Michigan
farming country, which can receive more than 30 inches
of rainfall annually, avoiding falling number discounts
has led directly to an increase of soft red production. The
Although fusarium head blight attacks all classes of
wheat under the right conditions, Michigan farmers
believe soft white is more susceptible to the disease. An
outbreak of blight in 1996 completed farmers’ shift in
planting priorities from white to red.
Michigan growers cannot, however, abandon soft
white completely. A mature milling industry provides
soft white flour to manufacturers of breakfast cereals like
General Mills, Post and Kellogg. Lately, however, getting
enough soft white has meant offering premiums—60
cents a bushel recently, but as high as 80 cents in the
past. In very short years, soft white is railed in from the
Northwest.
That is not the preferred solution to short soft white
years, said Byung-Kee Baik, lead scientist of the Soft
White Quality Lab in Wooster, Ohio. Baik, who until recently directed the wheat quality program at
Washington State University, said even the lowest
WHEAT LIFE NOVEMBER 2013 WASHINGTON GRAIN COMMISSION
Eight other states, however, also grow soft white with
Michigan being the top producer outside the Northwest.
About 32 percent or 14.4 million bushels of soft white
was produced in the Great Lakes state in 2013 out of a
total 45 million bushels’ worth of production. The other
68 percent of the state’s production is soft red. Twenty
years ago, before falling number and disease issues came
to the fore, the ratio was 70/30 in favor of soft white.
level below which falling number discounts are imposed
in Michigan, however, is 240 seconds, not the 300 seconds required for export from the PNW.
51
WL
52 WGC REPORTS
Chris Schmidt is a soft
white grower, but don’t
expect to find him in
the Northwest. Schmidt
grows soft white in
Michigan, ranked
fourth in the nation for
production of the lowprotein wheat.
protein soft white from the Pacific Northwest—around
8 percent—is still higher than the 6 percent Michigan
manufacturers prefer. Northwest soft white may also
have stronger protein and grain
hardness, traits that still need to be
verified, Baik said.
“They are a huge presence in the state in terms of soft
white wheat consumption and have made Michigan a
unique wheat growing state,” Schmidt said.
Small but unique
Chris Schmidt, a soft white
seed grower and member of the
Michigan Wheat Program (MWP)
board formed in 2011, grows soft
white and soft red for seed on a
700-acre farm homesteaded by his
mother’s family in the Saginaw
Valley. He devotes between 150 to
180 acres to producing certified
wheat seed and averages about 100
bushels an acre on soils that were
once an ancient seabed. He also
grows oats and soybean for seed.
If you consider soft white winter
wheat a separate class, it constitutes
the smallest of the established classes
of wheat in the U.S. with 214 million
bushels produced in the 2012/13 crop
year. That compares to 565 million
bushels of soft red winter and 744
million bushels of hard red winter.
Hard white winter production is far
smaller than soft white, but hardly
what you would call “established” at a
little more than 11 million bushels.
Schmidt said the milling industry, which established itself in
Michigan before wheat production
moved into drier climes further
west, is the “800-pound gorilla when it comes to soft white.”
Within the state or in close proximity are eight different milling
companies compared to just two
mills in Eastern Washington, both
owned by ADM.
It’s the same for spring wheat.
Soft white spring production in the
2012/13 crop year stood at 32.6 million bushels compared to 61.5 million
bushels for durum and 488.6 million
bushels for hard red spring wheat.
Hard white spring production was
10.5 million bushels. Total production of soft white (spring and winter)
throughout the U.S. stood at 247 million bushels in 2013.
Dave Milligan, chairman of the
MWP, said that’s why he continues
to grow soft white even though it’s
riskier than soft red.
“You can make as much growing soft red wheat without worrying about quality issues. The
reason I haven’t changed (to red)
is because I feel this is an area that
has a strong miller presence with a
use for white wheat. If we have the
millers and end users who want
white wheat, we’d be stupid not to
grow for that market,” he said.
Milligan also grows corn, soybeans and dry beans. Although
farmers like each one of their
rotations to be as profitable as
the next, he said his wheat crop
serves to spread his risk and puts
his $400,000 combine to work in
July instead of sitting in the shed
until corn and bean harvest in
September and October.
Wheat acreage in Michigan has
been on the decline since 1953
WGC REPORTS
when 1.5 million acres was planted.
Since then, corn and soybeans have
been ascendant. In 2013, Michigan
farmers harvested 600,000 acres of
both soft red and soft white wheat.
Jody Pollok-Newsom, executive
director of the MWP, remains convinced of the commodity’s potential in the state. Until now, there’s
been an organizational vacuum
that has been filled by advocates of
corn and soybeans.
“There have been drastic cuts at
the state and federal level for agricultural research. It’s not a popular
place to spend money anymore. We
felt the need, and who better than
wheat growers to control the purse
strings?” Milligan said.
Did you know that Michigan has:
• 54,900 farms
• An average farm size of 182 acres
• 10,000,000 tillable acres
• 200 grain elevators
1600
1400
1200
1000
800
600
Milk
400
200
0
Corn
19351940 19451950 19551960 19651970 19751980 1985
19901995 20002005 2010
Apples
MIlk
Wheat
Soybeans
Potatoes
80
Nursery
60
Hay, All
40
Cattle & Calves
20
Cattle & Calves
0
Hogs
19351940 19451950 1955 1960 19651970 19751980 1985
19901995 20002005 2010
Cherries, All
Wheat
Nursery
60
50
Sugar Beets
40
30
Eggs
20
10
Potatoes
500000
1000000
1500000
2000000
0
19351940 19451950 1955 1960 19651970 1975 19801985 1990
2010
0 19952000
500000 2005
1000000
Grapes, All
Pears, All
0
Michigan’s Top 10 Ag Commodities by Cash Value
1500000
2000000
Washington’s Top 10 Ag Commodities by Cash Value
Apples
Milk
Corn
Milk
Soybeans
Wheat
Nursery
Potatoes
Cattle & Calves
Hay, All
Hogs
Cattle & Calves
Wheat
Cherries, All
Sugar Beets
Nursery
Eggs
Grapes, All
Pears, All
Potatoes
0
500,000
1,000,000 1,500,000
in $1,000
2,000,000
Source: USDA, 2011
0
500,000
1,000,000 1,500,000
in $1,000
2,000,000
Source: USDA, 2011
Michigan farmers rejected formation of a wheat checkoff in 2001.
In 2011, the referendum was run
again and approved. The checkoff
of half a percent of the value of
each bushel at the first point of sale
is expected to generate around a
million dollars. Part of that money
will go toward Michigan’s membership in the National Association
of Wheat Growers. The group is
also investigating membership in
U.S. Wheat Associates, but most of
the collected assessment will go
towards research.
WL
Flagship yes, but other states in the fleet
It may be the region’s flagship crop, but soft white
isn’t just grown in the Northwest.
Three percent of California’s winter wheat production
was soft white in 2013, or about 816,000 bushels. All of
Nevada’s winter and spring wheat production, 1.2 million bushels, was soft white. Ten percent of New York’s
winter wheat production was in soft white, or about
782,000 bushels. Twenty-six percent of Utah’s winter
wheat in 2013 was soft white, or 1.5 million bushels,
while 37 percent of its spring production, or 248,640
bushels, was soft white. Colorado farmers produced
738,000 bushels of spring soft white, or 1.4 percent of
their entire production. One percent of Wisconsin’s and
Pennsylvania’s winter wheat was also in soft white, totaling, respectively, 153,700 bushels and 108,800 bushels.
Including Michigan, the total amount of soft white
wheat grown outside the Pacific Northwest comes in
at just shy of 20 million bushels. Washington’s total
production of 117 million bushels dwarfs that number.
Total production of soft white in Washington, Oregon
and Idaho in 2013 was pegged at 227 million bushels, or
92 percent of all the soft white grown in the U.S.
WL
WGC REPORTS
By Kara Kaelber
Winter is upon us, and school has
been back in session for weeks. The
freshness of new school clothes and
crisp notebooks has been replaced
by jeans with holes and tattered
pages. But for a dozen teachers across
Washington, the school year only
began in October. That’s when this select group of instructors geared up to
hit the state’s fourth- and fifth-grade
classrooms with a program called
Wheat Week.
For the past six years, the
Washington Grain Commission has
been the main sponsor of the program, contributing $260,000 in its
2013/14 budget. A total of 25 organizations play a role in the program. The
total budget of Wheat Week and other
natural resource programs, including Water on Wheels, Salmon in the
Classroom and teacher education, is
budgeted at $375,000, a small price to
pay for educating tomorrow’s decision makers.
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WHEAT
WEEK
Through Wheat Week, guest educators use the state’s
pre-eminent, small-grain crop as a tool to teach students
how to conserve, protect and sustain natural resources
such as water, soil and energy. Students also learn firsthand how important wheat farmers are in our state, and,
more importantly, how their food is grown.
By design, these approaches purposefully fit within
the state standards required at those grade levels.
For example, Wheat Week connects to several science
concepts in the fourth grade and also works alongside
Washington state history curriculum. For fifth graders who are taking the Science MSP (Measurement of
Student Progress) in the spring, Wheat Week serves as an
excellent review.
Regardless of the grade, the intentional focus of the
curriculum makes the program popular with teachers.
“Wheat Week’s curriculum greatly enhanced my
students’ academic vocabulary from the study of water, soil, the three renewable energy sources and the
amazing background information on wheat,” said
Donna Bartkowski, a fifth-grade teacher at Hiawatha
Elementary in Othello. “We used the ‘Kernel Journal’ as
a springboard for further investigations of the uses of
wheat, and what is meant by the term ‘breadbasket of the
world’ as practice for labeling parts of a system and to
raise our level of awareness about the ingredients of the
food we eat.”
As impressive as the curriculum is, it’s the trained educators coming into the classroom to teach the program
each day for a week that makes the real difference.
“What a wonderful program, but even better...Jessica.
She is SO personable, and the students really enjoy
her,” said Danielle Huber, a fifth-grade teacher at West
Valley Middle School in Yakima. “She has a great mix of
structure, fun, activities and skills and is able to control
behavior problems.”
The same can be said about all the educators implementing the program based on feedback we’ve received
through numerous evaluations each year.
During the summer, the Wheat Week program goes
through curriculum changes according to the suggestions teachers provide. This greatly improves the overall
program, and the additional training program educators
receive improves the Wheat Week curriculum each year.
PowerPoint presentations and hands-on activities keep
the students engaged and focused during the hour-long
For a list of words hidden in this puzzle see page 63.
Using grain as an educational tool
WGC REPORTS
lessons. But the most important part of each day’s lesson
is making learning fun. That is certainly what students
like about the program.
There are currently 12 Wheat Week educators across
Washington, including myself, education director at the
Franklin Conservation District in Pasco. It was my idea
seven years ago to pitch the Wheat Week concept to what
was then the Washington Wheat Commission. The program, which started in Eastern Washington, extended
into Western Washington in 2010, and three teachers
now cover schools in Island, King, Kitsap, Mason, Pierce,
Skagit, Snohomish, Thurston and Whatcom counties.
Proof that the message is getting through is found in
the postcards. At the conclusion of each Wheat Week
lesson, students fill out a “Thank You Washington Wheat
Farmer” postcard to thank the farmers and the industry
that helps sponsor the program. Some of the postcards
are appreciative and thank the farmers for providing
yummy wheat. Some are informational and tell the farmers what they’ve learned.
By far, the most powerful are the heartfelt and sincere
responses like: “I want to be a farmer when I grow up,”
or “Thank you for giving me this opportunity to feel
the wheat. I threshed it in my hands,” or “Thank you for
letting me chew the wheat in my mouth until it made
wheat gum.” These experiences are rare for the average
student and will indeed leave a lasting impression.
That answer wasn’t good enough for my
daughter. We ended up purchasing recycling
bins, and now my seventh-grade daughter
and I make weekly trips to the recycling center. I’m hoping Wheat Week has the same effect on students, helping them understand the
hard work that goes into making their food
and the conscientious effort farmers practice
in protecting our natural resource. The ultimate goal is to help children appreciate and
conserve the precious natural resources that
make life on our planet possible.
(Above) You won’t often find
Wheat Week teachers in one
place. Back row from left are
Ann Leach, Jessica Kinney,
Jennifer Reilly, Kara Kaelber,
Meghan Miller and Holly
Thompson. Front row from
left are Naomi Alhadeff,
Terry Rueb, Brad Bowers and
Stacey Selcho. Not pictured
are AmeriCorp volunteers
Zach Hinman and Mikaela
Legarsky. (Left) Sammy
Keskitalo and Sierra Pauley
use a magnifying glass to
look at a grain of wheat as
part of Wheat Week at Mesa
Elementary in Mesa, Wash.
Photos by Kara Kaelber
WHEAT LIFE NOVEMBER 2013 WASHINGTON GRAIN COMMISSION
It’s important to educate children while they’re young.
My own family is an example of the payoff. My daughter
was in kindergarten when she came home and informed
me we needed to start recycling. Before then,
we didn’t recycle because our county didn’t
offer curbside service, and it would take a lot
of extra work to make it happen.
WL
55
WHEAT WATCH
Pricing signals positive
By T. Randall Fortenbery
U.S. wheat producers entered the
second quarter of the marketing year
(September through November) holding just under 30 percent of total U.S.
wheat stocks. This is a slightly higher
percentage than last year, but less than
the five-year average (Figure 1).
The Sept. 1 stocks number implies that almost 38 percent of the total 2013/14 U.S. wheat supply was consumed
in the first quarter. This is well above each of the previous four years (Figure 2) and even exceeds the aggressive
first quarter pace of 2008.
Producers began the marketing year (June 1) holding
a larger percentage of total stocks compared to each of
the last two years and the five-year average. Going from
above-average farmer holdings (relative to total stocks)
to below average over the course of the first quarter
suggests farmers were more aggressive in making sales
through the harvest season this year compared to previous years.
Total wheat disappearance June through September
exceeded that of the previous year by 10 percent. This
year-over-year increase is largely explained by export
activity (Figure 3) and comes despite total U.S. wheat
supplies being 5 percent below last year and slightly less
than the 2011/12 supply.
The most recent U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) estimate forecasts an 8.5 percent increase in total
wheat exports relative to last year. However, first quarter
exports this year exceeded last year’s pace by more than
28 percent.
Increased export expectations are offset by a forecast
for decreased domestic wheat consumption. USDA
projects a modest increase in domestic food use of wheat,
but this is more than offset by a 28 percent reduction in
wheat feeding. According to their September estimates
(October estimates were suspended due to the federal
government shutdown), total domestic use of wheat for
2013/14 is expected to lag last year by 98 million bushels,
or about 7 percent.
The result is a total use estimate for 2013/14 (domestic consumption plus exports) that is about equal
with last year’s total wheat consumption. Given that
exports through the first month of the second quarter
(September) have continued to outpace last year’s levels,
the total 2013/14 use level may be underestimated.
Over the previous four years, about 43 percent of the
total wheat supply was consumed through the end of
the second quarter (Dec. 1). If USDA has estimated total
U.S. wheat supply accurately, then based on the aggressive pace of first quarter disappearance this year, we will
likely consume more than half of the total supply by Dec.
1. This is consistent with the incentive signals being sent
though the futures market.
Futures prices for wheat are offering little reward for
storage past December (soft red wheat futures for March
and May delivery do not exceed December delivery
prices by the cost of storage, and for hard red winter
wheat deferred futures are actually lower than prices
for earlier delivery). This means grain merchants face an
Figure 1: Percent of U.S. wheat supply held by farmers
0.35
0.3
0.25
0.2
0.15
0.1
0.05
0
June 1
Sept. 1
5-Year Average
2011/12
Dec. 1
March 1
2012/13
2013/14
Figure 2: First quarter wheat consumption
as a percent of total supply
0.4
0.35
0.3
0.25
0.2
0.15
0.1
0.05
0
2008/09
2009/10
2010/11
2011/12
2012/13
2013/14
WHEAT WATCH
Supply Demand Estimates. If USDA
stays with their earlier demand estimates, we would need to see a dramatic
drop in quarterly consumption rates
over the remainder of the year for those
expectations to be met.
Figure 3: U.S. weekly wheat exports
1,400,000
1,200,000
metric tons
1,000,000
600,000
400,000
200,000
June
July
2011/12
Aug.
2012/13
Sept.
2013/14
In Washington, wheat producers
entered the second quarter holding
16.5 million bushels of wheat, a significant increase over the 14 million they
held on Sept. 1, 2012. Their holdings
represented less than 12 percent of the
total Washington wheat supply. This is
about the same percentage they held a
year ago.
Figure 4: Total U.S. white wheat exports
6,000,000
5,000,000
metric tons
4,000,000
Total Washington wheat stocks on
Sept. 1 represented about 98 percent of
the 144.2 million bushels produced in
2013. This is well above the percentage
held the previous two years. On Sept.
1, 2011, Washington wheat stocks were
less than 97 percent of total production
and in 2012 were 94 percent.
3,000,000
2,000,000
1,000,000
2011/12
2012/13
Ap
2013/14
increased incentive to move grain to the market rather
than holding inventory and hoping to earn profits from
storage and may contribute to a more aggressive second
quarter disappearance compared to previous years.
Given that total consumption first quarter this year exceeded last year despite September projections of lower
overall use, it seems likely USDA has underestimated total wheat consumption for this year. Exports are currently on pace to exceed last year by more than the projected
8.5 percent. Export activity through September suggests
that, like the first quarter, second quarter exports will
also exceed last year’s levels.
The aggressive pace of wheat disappearance through
the first four months of the marketing year implies
we might see substantial changes to the overall wheat
balance sheet in the Nov. 8 USDA World Agricultural
Ma
y
Unlike total U.S. wheat exports,
white wheat exports out of the PNW
are lagging last year’s pace (Figure 4).
Through September, they were about 20 percent less
than last year. This is consistent with USDA’s forecast
for a year-over-year reduction in white wheat exports of
close to 14 percent.
ril
c.
De
No
v.
t.
Oc
y
Jul
Jun
e
0
The market may already be pricing a tighter balance sheet compared
to USDA’s September estimate. Soft
red wheat futures for December
delivery have experienced a steady
uptrend since bottoming out on Sept.
5. Through Oct. 19, the market added
more than 65 cents per bushel to the
December price and closed above $7
per bushel for the first time since June
24.
800,000
0
WL
The lower white wheat export projection relative to
year-ago levels is offset by a lower 2013 production estimate, resulting in a 19 percent reduction in 2013/14 ending stocks compared to last year. While this is generally
price positive, we are not likely to see PNW cash prices
over the next couple of months challenge the price levels
experienced a year ago.
Randy Fortenbery holds the Tom Mick Endowed Chair in
Grain Economics at Washington State University. He received
his Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from the University of
Illinois-Urbana/Champaign.
WL
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Rustling up some grub
A look at the women who cooked for threshing crews in the early 1900s
By Trista Crossley
Imagine making your Thanksgiving or Christmas
dinner on a wood-burning stove, without the luxury of a
refrigerator or a microwave. Now imagine doing it every
day for weeks in a small, enclosed space in the midst of
summer’s heat. Welcome to the world of a threshing outfit’s cook.
Back around the turn of the 20th century, the wheat
harvest was a much more complicated affair that involved
dozens of people spending weeks, if not months, doing
back-breaking labor. Rather than the combines we see
now, where one person can harvest hundreds of acres a
day by themselves, back then, harvest was done by cutting
the wheat and then bringing the cut wheat to a thresher, a
stationary machine run by steam. Because the threshing
machinery was so expensive, most farmers didn’t own
one, but instead, rented the use of one, along with a crew,
to harvest their fields.
Besides the thresher, often called a “stationary,” the outfit usually included several “headers,” the machines that
cut the wheat; “header boxes,” the wagons that moved the
cut wheat from the field to the thresher; and a cook wagon.
Crews of 20 to 40 people were needed to run the operation, as well as horses or mules to drive all the equipment.
Unless they were very close to home, the crews would live
in the fields during harvest, sleeping on the ground with
limited bathing and other plumbing opportunities. And
all those people had to be fed, four or five times a day.
All of the cooking was done in a cook wagon, a large,
enclosed structure that held a woodstove, a table for food
preparation and narrow tables and benches for the crew
to sit at while they ate. Screened windows lined the sides
FEATURE
of the wagon. Most outfits employed two cooks, usually
women who were related, such as sisters or mothers and
daughters.
Hooper resident Della Evans grew up listening to her
mother, Lenora Barr Torgeson, talk about harvest and the
cook wagon. In 1975 for a church charity, Torgeson wrote a
small book, “Snake River Hills,” that talked about growing up in wheat country and being with her mother who
spent time as a cook in the cook wagon.
“The whistle would blow
at 4 a.m. The men would
thresh for two hours and
then eat breakfast at 6
o’clock,” Evans said, reading from her mother’s
book. “At 10 o’clock, they
would have 15 minutes for
lunch, which was taken to
the fields. Dinner would
be at 12 noon. Another
lunch would be served
at 3 o’clock, and then
the men would thresh
until 8 o’clock.” After
finishing threshing for
the day, the men would
eat a supper before
bedding down for the
night.
WL
be delivered, otherwise, cooks used cured meats, such as
bacon, ham and sausage. Vegetables were mainly longlasting ones, such as potatoes and cabbages, supplemented
by whatever the “roustabout” (the person who brought
supplies to the camp) delivered. Canned fruits and vegetables were the normal fare.
“As far as those cookhouses were concerned, if it didn’t
come out of a can, it probably didn’t come,” Evans said.
“They just didn’t have refrigeration. They had to eat it
up at that meal, and then the next meal would be from
scratch. There’s no refrigeration, so that’s
“You can imagine,
with all those horses
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tea towel over the food to keep the flies away. It doesn’t
take an awful lot of imagination to really think about what
pretty hard for young people to imagine.
those women did out there in that cookhouse. In the first
Cold drinks were a thing unheard of.”
place, it is hot, and they are cooking with wood or coal.
Hilda Carlson Ruberg spent several threshing seasons in
You have a heated stove in a little room, and the heat has
the cook wagon. Born in 1893, Hilda and her family came
got to be terrific. Then they wore long dresses, and the wato Idaho’s Latah County in 1912. She was interviewed in
ter was hauled, so you know they didn’t have much water.
1976 as part of the Latah County Historical Society’s oral
There wasn’t deodorant, and the men didn’t bathe very
history project (see bibliography). She recalled cooking
often. The men were dirty and grubby, and even though
for 28 men in 1913 with her sister, Mabel. In the interview,
they had wash pans and did wash their hands and faces,
Hilda is asked what kinds of food she cooked.
maybe, at the same time, there they were sweating, and
there was no way of bathing.”
Because there was no refrigeration, the food had to be
made from scratch each day. Bread, pies, cake and cookies
were baked daily, the women juggling cooking space with
meats and vegetables. In some cases, fresh meat would
“Oh, vegetables and potatoes and meat and desserts,”
Hilda answers. “You know, those days we didn’t serve salads…And breakfast was always bacon and pancakes and
eggs, you know, oatmeal, stuff like that. And of course, we
baked all our own bread and everything.
WL
FEATURE
A little later in the interview,
Hilda talks about having to wash
dishes in a dishpan after each
meal with water that was hauled
in water barrels. Then she goes
on to talk about what they’d
make for the rest of the meals,
including the biggest meal of
the day, dinner, usually served
around noon.
“…we didn’t have lunch because they ate breakfast at six
and then dinner at 11:30, you
see. So at noon, it was always
roast beef or roast pork or
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Photo courtesy
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potatoes and gravy and their vegetables
and then desserts.”
hard time keeping
In another interview for the Latah County Historical
Society’s oral history project, Palma Hanson Hove, born
in 1893 near Genesee, Idaho, remembered baking bread,
eight loaves, twice a day for a threshing crew.
the Della Evans Private
everything in place when they
moved the cook wagon.
“Well, you had to tie everything down,” Palma says.
“You had cupboards for the dishes, and you
just had to wire the cupboard door shut so
they wouldn’t fall out. And you couldn’t
cook or anything while you were moving.
And you know, like if you wanted to cook a
roast so you’d have it for supper that night,
you couldn’t do it because you couldn’t
keep the fire going when you were moving.
So, oh yes, we had to pack everything off
the tables, you know, so that it didn’t shake
off. And that was another added chore we
had to do.”
Collection and Whitman
County Library
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Palma also baked pies and cookies every day, something
that Hilda did as well. Palma recalls the hassle of moving
the cook wagons, especially when they were trying to get
a meal ready. In the interview, Palma is asked if she had a
Room was tight in the cook wagons,
especially on the stove, as cooks often
struggled to find space to bake desserts
and bread at the same time as they cooked
a roast. Ada Oylear Schoeffler, born in
1901 at Potlatch Ridge, Idaho, and interviewed as part of the Latah County
Historical Society’s oral history project,
remembered that juggling act when trying to cook for a crew of 47.
“But the worst of it was, see, we had the big ranges, but
they weren’t to cook for that many. Your stove wasn’t big
enough…I baked 20 loaves of bread a day, 10 in the morning and 10 in the afternoon. I made pies, and I had to have
so much room in the oven that I couldn’t do it. I could get
FEATURE
the cakes out some way, because they didn’t take so long.
I had to have 12 pies and didn’t have time to get the meat
in and the bread and all that stuff. I’d get up at three in the
morning, and I’d be still going at 10 or 10:30 at night.”
The interviewer then asks Ada if she served hotcakes for
breakfast.
“No, I only tried that about once or twice,” Ada replies.
“That’s too much. We’d fry potatoes, and we’d have meat
and eggs and a cooked cereal…because pancakes, you
can’t hardly flop ‘em over fast enough to keep ‘em going. I
set 14 at a time (meaning the number of people she served
at a time), so they could set, and at the last, I had 20-some.
I had a big dining room there at that place, and I run two
tables. But at the last, why, I just had that one big, long
table that seated 14.
“They left the table, and then we’d have to get those
dishes off and out of the way, then set some more on there.
But I only tried that once, hotcakes for breakfast. That was
too darn much work for that many men.”
Wages for cooks varied. In another oral history interview, Fannie Cuthbert Byers, born in 1893 in Latah County,
Idaho, remembered being paid $5 a day to cook for a
threshing crew (this was probably between 1913 and 1920).
In “Counting Sheep: From Open Range to Agribusiness
on the Columbia Plateau,” a book on the history of agriculture and the McGregor family by Alex McGregor, it
is noted that in 1907, cooks were paid $2 per day on the
McGregor farm.
WL
Bibliography
Latah County Historical Society, Oral History Project. Hilda
Carlson Ruberg and Helena Carwright Carlson, interviewed by
Karen Purtee, June 19, 1976.
Latah County Historical Society, Oral History Project. Palma
Hanson Hove, interviewed by Sam Schrager, June 13, 1975.
Latah County Historical Society, Oral History Project. Fannie
Cuthbert Byers and Jennie Cuthbert Brouillard, interviewed by
Sam Schrager, Nov. 5, 1976.
Latah County Historical Society, Oral History Project. Ada Oylear
Schoeffler, interviewed by Karen Purtee, Feb. 7, 1976.
Della Evans interview on Oct. 4, 2013.
“Snake River Hills” by Lenora Barr Torgeson. Published in 1975 by
the News Review Publishing Company.
“Counting Sheep: From Open Range to Agribusiness on the
Columbia Plateau,” by Alexander C. McGregor. Published June
1989 by University of Washington Press.
“Harvest Heritage: Agricultural Origins and Heirloom Crops of
the Pacific Northwest” by Richard D. Scheuerman and Alexander
C. McGregor. Published October 2013 by Washington State
University Press.
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WL
FEATURE
Modern-day take
How one Eastern Washington family keeps its harvest meal tradition cooking
By Trista Crossley
Over the past 100 years, everything about the wheat industry
has changed, but at the same time,
it hasn’t. Wheat still gets harvested in late summer. The grain is
still threshed and taken to market.
And the crews involved in the
harvest still have to eat.
On the Bodeau farm in the
Almira/Wilbur area, they may
have traded horses for engines
and wagons for semitrucks, but
they’ve held tight to one cherished
tradition, bringing the crew in
from the fields for a midday meal.
“I want to continue the lunches
Just a typical harvest lunch for the Bodeau Crew at Brad and Lori Bodeau’s home in 2012.
because I want to be involved,”
stretching across an area about 27 miles long. Four famiexplained Joyce Bodeau, wife of
lies take turns cooking a large noon meal for the crew and
Todd Bodeau of Bodeau Brothers Farms. “I want to hear
packing a “goody” box full of fruit, cookies and beverages
their stories, hear them talking about the work in the
for an afternoon snack. Whose turn it is to cook depends
fields. Harvest is a celebration.”
on where the crew is working; they try to have the meal
Harvest on the Bodeau farm usually lasts 24 days,
close to the fields that are being harvested to cut down on travel time for the
crew.
Bodeau said that while there are usually about eight crew members, they end
up serving anywhere from eight to 15
people because of the “extras”—children
not actively involved in the harvest,
grandparents who are no longer harvesting and other relatives. The menu
often includes dishes such as roast
beef and mashed potatoes or ham and
scalloped potatoes with side dishes and
dessert.
Photo courtesy of the Bodeau family
The Bodeau harvest crew takes a break to raid the “goody box,” an assortment of fruit, cookies and
beverages that are delivered to the field each afternoon.
Even with today’s modern conveniences, preparing the lunches and
goody boxes is an all day process,
compounded by other commitments the
women have, such as an off-the-farm
job. Bodeau said she is thankful she
doesn’t have to cook in a cook wagon
and make everything from scratch,
such as bread.
Seeding and Tillage
“I get up at 5 a.m. and start preparing food,” she said. “They (the
crew) come in, and I start serving,
and by the time they get out of here
and I get the dishes done, it is 2 p.m.
I might have a little time for myself,
but then it is time to get the goody
box out. Then you might want to
make pie for the next day.”
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The Bodeau’s harvest meal tradition may evolve in the future (the
family is considering cutting down
the number of days each family
cooks next year), but one thing will
probably remain consistent: beef
stroganoff will make an appearance
at some point.
“The reason we aren’t willing to
pack lunches like other families
is because of tradition,” Bodeau
explained. “We love seeing the kids
come into our homes and eat with
us. These are our nieces and nephews, and we love being part of the
harvest tradition. If we didn’t do
this, we wouldn’t get to see the guys
until they came in at night. It’s a way
to keep all of us more involved and
keep that tradition alive.”
Concepts that are
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THE
BOTTOM LINE
Keeping the family in family farm
By Dale Cloninger, CRPC®
Wheatland Wealth Management
You have worked hard to build your family farm, and
while retirement may not be an immediate consideration
for you, it’s important that you have a plan in place for the
succession of your business and how you will fund your
retirement. If you plan to keep your farming business in
the family, you should be aware of some of the issues that
can contribute to the success or the failure of the farm as it
is transferred to the successor generation. Insight, planning and open discussion can contribute to the successful
transfer and continuation of the family farming business.
Conflicting needs and values
Families and businesses commonly have conflicting
needs and values. These conflicting needs often overlap
in a family business as family roles and perceptions come
into play inside the business. It can sometimes be hard to
look beyond the family relationships and see the strengths
of a family member as an employee. It is important for the
continued success of your business that family issues and
business issues are kept separate.
One tool that has been found to be useful is the formation of a family council to establish plans for both business
and family goals. Formal succession plans can be used to
ease concerns about transferring ownership and to prepare the successors for their new roles. In addition, estate
planning is critical for both the family and the business to
ensure that the estate goes primarily to
your heirs and not to pay taxes.
Retirement income planning
There are retirement planning options unique to business owners. If you
have not already engaged in retirement planning for yourself, you might
want to do so now. Arrangements
can be made for deferred compensation while you are still working. With
deferred compensation, you would
receive a raise in salary while working but not actually receive the cash
until your retirement or withdrawal
from the company. If you plan to sell
the business to your successor fam64 WHEAT LIFE NOVEMBER 2013
ily members, financing arrangements such as installment
sales, private annuities and self-canceling installment
notes can provide you with income over a period of time.
A lump-sum payment can provide you with an amount of
cash that you can invest. If you intend to pass the business
to your heirs through your will or trust at your death, you
may want to consider retirement options such as IRAs,
simplified IRAs, simplified employee pension plans or
some of the other retirement plans available.
Smoothing the transition
After you have left your business due to retirement,
death or just a desire to withdraw, certain expenses will
continue. While these are not new expenses to the business, it may be more difficult for the business to meet
these and other existing expenses when your leadership
and skills are no longer present.
Let’s assume that there is nobody in the family who is
prepared to step into your role and take over if you died.
The business may have to recruit, train and compensate
a replacement hired from outside the family. Very often,
someone from outside the family may demand a higher
salary than you were paying yourself. The financial burden of this potential situation can be reduced or eliminated through use of a key person life insurance policy on
your life.
Another expense that will continue is compensation
to those children who are active in the business. If their
roles are expanded with your departure, it may warrant an increase in
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Profits to family members
You may have family members
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the business but who hold ownership
positions. As owners, they may expect
to receive profits from the business. In
addition to a cash outflow, this passive
ownership interest might also represent a potential for conflict between
those family members actively managing the business who want to reinvest
profits back in the business.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Cashing out some family members
Certain family members may not wish to remain with
the business after you are gone, while others may have
different goals. Owners who are not active in the family
farm as managers or employees generally have a different
set of needs and desires than those who are active participants in the business. If cash is available to repurchase the
ownership interests of those members who want to leave
the business, many potential conflicts could be eliminated.
As stated earlier, insight, planning and open discussion
can contribute to the successful transfer and continuation
of the family farming business, but don’t attempt to do
it all on your own. Rely on the expertise of your trusted
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WL
advisors. Together with the input of your family and the
guidance of your CPA, financial advisor and attorney, you
will be able to develop a plan that will meet the needs
you have for retirement and those of your family who are
responsible for the continuation of your business.
Wheatland Wealth Management is a full-service brokerage and financial planning division of Wheatland Bank,
offering services through Investment Centers of America (ICA),
including needs-based financial planning for individuals and
businesses. Through the relationship with ICA, Wheatland
Wealth Management can offer the following services: managed
advisory services, mutual funds, stocks, fixed income/bonds,
annuities and insurance.
Tax-free Income
for Your reTIremenT
Tax-free income is the best gift you can
give yourself at retirement. Converting to a
Roth Individual Retirement Account (IRA)
from a traditional IRA allows for tax-free
accumulation as well as tax-free withdrawals
in retirement – which means you don’t have
to worry as much about what income tax
rates will be in the future.
There are tax considerations and other
factors that determine whether converting
to a Roth IRA is right for you.
Edward Jones, its employees and financial
advisors cannot provide
tax or legal advice. Please consult your
attorney or qualified tax advisor regarding
your situation.
call today to schedule an appointment to learn more. We’ll discuss your retirement
goals to help determine if a roth Ira makes sense for you.
ryan Brault aamS®
Financial Advisor
Brian e. Bailey aamS®
Financial Advisor
3616 W. Court St. Suite I 303 Bridge Street Suite 3
Clarkston, WA 99403
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509-235-4920
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866-798-4732
Your wheat life...
(Above) Shooting the summer
moon from the Walt
Schoessler farm in Ritzville.
Photo by Marva Schoessler
(Left) Wheat harvest from
the cab of a combine during
WHB Farms’ 2013 wheat
harvest.
Photo by Steve Gross
Email pictures to
editor@wawg.org. Please
include location of picture,
names of all people
appearing in the picture
and ages of all children.
Sixty-bushel spring wheat in Walla Walla County
from the 2012 harvest.
Richard Barry (left) and Cody Bennett waiting
for the day to start at the Five Mile Inn Farm on
Union Flat Creek Road near LaCrosse.
Photo by Lance Rea
Photo by Dena Bennett.
Fiancés Allison Viebrock and Kyle Steveson take a breath before this year’s harvest and pose with their kids
at Cliff and Debra Steveson’s farm near Grand Coulee. From top are Viebrock and Steveson, Wyatt Steveson,
12; Carter Steveson, 10; Grace Bennett, 8; and Ryan Bennett, 10.
Photo by Debra Steveson
HAPPENINGS
All dates and times are subject to change.
Please verify event before heading out.
November 2013
6 Ag Outlook Conference. A
one-day seminar with Dr. Dave Kohl,
professor emeritus at Virginia Tech, on
mega trends in agriculture, including
global and national economies. Open to
everyone. Sponsored by Northwest Farm
Credit Services’ Business Management
Center. Kennewick, Wash., (866) 5229193. Register at northwestfcs.com/
en/Resources/Management-Education/
Calendar-Registration
13-16 2013 Tri-State Grain
Growers Convention. Davenport
Hotel in Spokane, Wash.
wawg.org/convention
20-21 Washington Grain
Commission Meeting. Spokane, Wash.
(509) 456-2481
29 Christmas Kickoff. Fireworks,
hayrides, parade, wine tasting, gingerbread contest. Dayton, Wash.
historicdayton.com/christmas-kickoff-3
29-30 Christmas at the End of
the Road. And old-fashioned cowboy Christmas! Storytelling, fun run,
caroling, pictures with Santa. Winthrop,
Wash. winthropwashington.com/event/
christmas-end-road
December 2013
2 Managing Cost I: Using Global
Positions Systems to Manage
Your Input Cost. Ammo workshop at
Davenport Memorial Hall. Preregister by
phone at (877) 740-2666 or email lcammo@
live.com. Visit lcammo.org for more info.
Hill Ray Plaza in Colfax. Preregister by
Red Lion Hotel in Pasco. Preregister by
Your Input Cost. Ammo workshop
at Ritzville American Legion Hall.
Preregister by phone at (877) 740-2666 or
email lcammo@live.com. Visit lcammo.org
for more info.
lcammo.org for more info.
12 Managing Cost II: Making Good
Capital Management Decisions.
6 Christmas Lighting Festival.
Sleigh rides, carolers, roasted chestnuts.
12-7:30 p.m. Leavenworth, Wash.
leavenworth.org
Ammo workshop at Ritzville American
Legion Hall. Preregister by phone at (877)
740-2666 or email lcammo@live.com. Visit
7 Holiday Festival and Tree
12 Understanding Financial
Lighting Ceremony. Live perfor-
mances, fun run and marshmallow
roast. Pullman, Wash. pullmanchamber.com/visit-pullman/chamber-events/
holiday-festival/
Ammo workshop at Davenport Memorial
Hall. Preregister by phone at (877) 7402666 or email lcammo@live.com. Visit
10 WAWG Board Meeting. Meeting
starts at 10 a.m. at Washington Wheat
Foundation Building, Ritzville, Wash.
(509) 659-0610, wawg.org
Ammo workshop at Hill Ray Plaza in
Colfax. Preregister by phone at (877)
Statements. Hands-on, interac-
tive workshop for those who want to
learn basic financial skills. 8 a.m. to
3:30 p.m., Red Lion Hotel on North
River Drive in Spokane. Sponsored
by Northwest Farm Credit Services’
Business Management Center. (866)
522-9193. Register at northwestfcs.com/
Analysis. Hands-on, interactive work-
shop for those who want to learn basic financial skills. 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Red Lion
Hotel on North River Drive in Spokane.
Sponsored by Northwest Farm Credit
Services’ Business Management Center.
(866) 522-9193. Register at northwestfcs.
com/en/Resources/Management-Education/
Ammo workshop at Red Lion Hotel
in Pasco. Preregister by phone at (877)
Statements. Hands-on, interactive
workshop for those who want to learn
basic financial skills. 8 a.m. to 3:30
p.m., Terra Blanca Winery and Estate
Vineyard, Benton City, Wash. Sponsored
Analysis. Hands-on, interactive
workshop for those who want to learn
basic financial skills. 8 a.m. to 3:30
p.m., Terra Blanca Winery and Estate
Vineyard, Benton City, Wash. Sponsored
leavenworth.org
14 Miracle on Main Street
Holiday Festival. Fun run, children’s
activities, pictures with Santa, baking
contest, parade. Ephrata, Wash.
ephratawachamber.com
14 Lighted Tractor Parade.
Centralia, Wash.
leavenworth.org
Submissions
Listings must be received by the
10th of each month for the next
month’s Wheat Life. Email listings to editor@wawg.org. Include
date, time and location of event,
plus contact info and a short
description.
Your One-Stop Ag Shop!
We’re
ready
Combines • Tractors • Grain Augers • Hay Equipment
Tillage Equipment • Sprayers • Harrows • Drills & More
Special Low Interest Rates Available OAC
JONES TRUCK
& IMPLEMENT
Your Agricultural Supply Headquarters
Now 2 locations to better serve you!
425 Walla Walla Hwy.
Colfax, Wash.
509-397-4371
1-800-831-0896
304 N. 9th Avenue
Walla Walla, Wash.
509-525-6620
1-800-525-6620
At State Bank Northwest,
we understand it takes capital to sow the seeds. That’s why we
have the time and talent ready to back you up. Have a question
about AG loans? We can answer them. Call us today!
Full Service Banking On a First Name Basis.
Service: Greg Mayer
Parts: Casey Jones
Terry Largent
509-336-1344
Garfield Branch, 301 W. California St. 635-1361
Northpointe Spokane Branch, 9727 N. Nevada 464-2701
Spokane Valley Branch, 12902 E. Sprague 789-4335
Dan Helbling
509-336-1346
www.jtii.com
©2010 CNH America LLC. All rights reserved. Case IH is a registered
trademark of CNH America LLC. CNH Capital is a trademark of CNH
America LLC. www.caseih.com
www.statebanknorthwest .com
NEW PHOTOGRAPHY BOOK
NOW AVAILABLE
“Beautiful!”, “Simply incredible!”, “Awesome book!”
-Recent Facebook user comments
A project sponored by the Washington Association of Wheat Growers
Preview it online at www.washingtonwheatbook.com
PLEASE CALL THE WAWG OFFICE TODAY
Washington Association of Wheat Growers
109 E. First
Ritzville, WA 99169
Phone: 509-659-061
E-mail: info@wawg.org
WAWG members – $35
Non-members – $45
PLUS TAX AND SHIPPING
Advertiser Index
2nd Harvest Food Bank . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Ag Enterprise Supply Inc . . . . . . . . . . 37
AGPRO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
ATI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Blue Mountain Realtors . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Butch Booker Auction. . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Byrnes Oil Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Churchill’s Steakhouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Class 8 Trucks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Connell Oil Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Country Financial. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Diesel & Machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Downtown Spokane Partnership. . . . 5
Edward Jones. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Evergreen Implement Inc . . . . . . . . . 31
Equipment Technologies. . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Farm & Home Supply. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Great Plains Equipment Group . . . . 63
Jones Truck & Implement. . . . . . . . . . 69
Kincaid Real Estate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Landmark Native Seed. . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Les Schwab Tire Centers. . . . . . . . . . . 29
MK Industries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Meridian Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . 15
Micro-Ag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
North Pine Ag Equipment. . . . . . . . . 61
Northwest Farm Credit Services . . . . 11
Northwest Outdoor Properties. . . . 61
NuChem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
PNW Farmers Cooperative. . . . . . . . . 71
Perkins & Zlatich PS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Peters and Sons Florists. . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Pioneer West Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Pomeroy Grain Growers Inc . . . . . . . 33
RH Machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Ramada Airport Inn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Rock Steel Structures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Runners Soul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Scales NW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Spectrum Crop Development . . . . . 31
Spectrum Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . 17
SS Equipment Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
State Bank Northwest. . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
T & S Sales. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
The McGregor Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
The Whitney Land Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Touchmark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Verdesian Life Sciences. . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Walter Implement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Washington Trust Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Western Reclamation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Wilbur-Ellis–Broadrange 55. . . . . . . . 13
Windermere
Coeur d’Alene Realty Inc. . . . . . . . . 25
Thank you to all of our advertisers. Support those who support your industry.
Steam threshing crew with cook wagon, probably near Deary, Idaho, circa 1899. Original photo from Oscar Olson of Deary. Latah County
Historical Society, Photo Collection, 25-02-097.jpg
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November - Wheat Life

Transcription

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