Southeast Asia Team Explores U.S. ‘Wheat Store’ During Workshop Stops in North Dakota, Oregon
A group of flour millers from Southeast Asia recently became pioneers of sorts, making up the first international trade team to receive instruction at the new home of the Northern Crops Institute (NCI). They also were the first team to visit U.S. Wheat Associates’(USW) new West Coast Office in Portland. More importantly, the professionals from […]
Early Optimism Blooms for 2024 U.S. Winter Wheat Production
Drought in major U.S. wheat-growing regions over the past few years is well-documented. The persistent dry conditions acutely impacted U.S. wheat yield and increased abandonment, with 2023/24 production coming in 6% below the pre-drought five-year average. Now, entering the second half of the marketing year, the focus has shifted to the 2024 harvest and its […]
Washington Grain Commission CEO Testifies on Behalf of Columbia Snake River System
On Jan. 30, 2024, Casey Chumrau, CEO of the Washington Grain Commission, offered compelling testimony supporting the crucial infrastructure of dams and locks on the Columbia Snake River System (CSRS) at a U.S. House Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee hearing. U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) and the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) sent separate […]
Farmers, Industry Leaders Travel the Globe to Share Crop Quality Information
A month-long effort that had U.S. wheat farmers and industry experts presenting the 2023 Crop Quality Report to customers in more than two dozen countries is winding down with a collective sense of accomplishment. It is believed at least one attendance record was set this year. The annual series of U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) Crop […]
Farmers Overcome Hot, Dry Season to Produce Highly Functional Soft White Wheat
“It was a challenging year,” said Oregon farmer David Brewer of the 2023 soft white (SW) wheat production season. “However, I believe that our investments into variety development and adoption of sustainable management practices have helped us ensure the best functionality from the 2023 crop.” Seeding conditions were good in the fall of 2022 with […]
Images from USW Santiago Team’s Participation in USDA Trade Mission to Chile
During the week of Sept. 25-29, U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Alexis Taylor is leading an agribusiness trade mission to Chile. U.S. agribusinesses, including U.S. Wheat Associates (USW), are participating in business-to-business meetings with importers from both Chile and Peru. The trade mission coincides with the USDA-endorsed Espacio […]
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Helps Break Ground on New Agricultural Research Service Facility
Federal officials including U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack joined Washington state lawmakers and university leaders in early August for the groundbreaking of a new U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) Plant Sciences Building on the Washington State University (WSU) campus in Pullman. ARS is USDA’s “in-house research agency” focused on delivering scientific solutions […]
Washington Farmer’s Job Titles Are Many; Add ‘Sustainable Producer’ to the List
A business card to describe the jobs Art Schultheis fills in a typical year would be too big for any pocket. “I drive a tractor and harvest with a combine – all the things people think a farmer does,” explained Schultheis, a fifth-generation farmer from Colton, Washington. “But behind the scenes I’m also a mechanic, […]
Stories of Stewardship: Preserving Productive Soil in Washington State
Whitman County in eastern Washington State is the most productive wheat-producing county in the United States. There, near the town of St. John in “The Palouse,” the Bailey family has grown winter and spring soft white and club wheat and barley for three generations. Gary Bailey (above with a team of wheat buyers from Myanmar […]
U.S. Soft White Wheat Production: It’s Dry, But Too Early in Harvest to Determine 2023 Yield
Amid this year’s volatile markets and relatively slow demand, U.S. soft white wheat (SW) has provided many customers with buying opportunities, positioning itself as one of the most competitive classes of U.S. wheat. In recent months, dryness in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) this spring dominated market news and discussions about quality. As harvest ramps up […]