Future of ‘traditional’ farm bill is uncertain

By Michelle Hennings
Executive Director, Washington Association of Wheat Growers

Harvest has begun, and at home, I can feel the urgency to move the crop from the field to the bin. It can seem frantic, but I am reminded that this is what we have been waiting for all year. Even with the stress of preparing, making sure equipment is ready, and keeping lunches and dinners on the table, harvest is the season when farmers finally see the results of their hard work. Nervousness does come into play, hoping and praying the crop will be bountiful. The industry needs an above-average yield of high quality grain to make up or at least help our high input costs and the low market price we receive for our wheat. So, I would say, farmers are more nervous than usual due to the pressures of the farm economy and if they can keep farming for another year or is this going to be it. 

Over the past six months, the Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG) has worked diligently to share this message with leaders in both Olympia and Washington, D.C. Washington ranks 50th in the nation for farm profit, a fact legislators often ask us to explain. While I sometimes wonder how this reality is not already clear, our role is to educate them on the mounting pressures farmers face, such as heavy state regulatory burdens; high input costs including fuel, fertilizer, and transportation; rising labor costs; higher interest rates driven by inflation; and continued uncertainty in the farm economy. 

We provide lawmakers with graphs, statistics, and research and encourage them to visit a family farm to understand operations and the value farms bring to our state and the world. BUT, to some, the message never seems to resonate. Others understand and work to find solutions. It’s important for WAWG not to get discouraged in times like these and keep diligent and consistent with messaging and educating on behalf of our wheat farmers. We must stay persistent, and that is our goal.

A quote from John F. Kennedy seems to stick with me: “The farmer is the only person in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways.” 

The farm bill has been a major focus of our work over the past several years, and we have seen some progress now that it has passed the House of Representatives and moved to the Senate. We continue to hear that the Senate wants to act quickly, but other issues keep pushing the farm bill aside and delaying action. How can support for farmers and our food supply be treated as secondary? In my view, the farm bill has too often been used as a political bargaining chip between parties, which is frustrating because it should be one of the most bipartisan issues in the country. Supporting a safe and secure food supply is a matter of national security. 

We are navigating uncertain times with the current structure of the farm bill. WAWG has never supported splitting it apart, yet that is what has happened. A portion, which included some improvements, was included in the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), while the remaining provisions were left for Farm Bill 2.0. One program that was not included in the OBBB was the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). WAWG has done extensive work to demonstrate the changes needed to make CRP a feasible and economically viable option for farmers. WAWG developed a CRP subcommittee under the current Natural Resources Committee with farmers who are actively involved with the program. The committee developed a white paper that outlines key issues and recommends updates and changes. Our board approved the paper, and we shared it at both the national and state levels (see page 38). 

When the House passed the farm bill, it left CRP unchanged, which is not the outcome we wanted. However, the Senate version includes several improvements, such as increasing the annual CRP payment limitation from $50,000 to $125,000, which is the first increase in history; reauthorizing the program through 2031 and capping enrollment at 27 million acres; updating rental rate calculations to better incentivize enrolling marginal land, rather than prime farmland; allowing cost-sharing for grazing and water infrastructure and ensuring cost-share support for midcontract management activities; and improving access to CRP acreage for haying and grazing during emergency responses to drought, flooding, and other disasters. There are many other improvements that need to be made to the program, and WAWG is working diligently at the national and state levels to provide the documentation to get some of these improvements done. 

At the national level, WAWG works closely with the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG). Late last year, NAWG hired a new CEO, Sam Kieffer, and the organization has done significant internal work to strengthen its direction. That work included developing a strategic plan to guide the organization on a more productive path for U.S. wheat farmers, as well as updating its mission and vision statements. Since Sam joined the organization, I have seen meaningful progress, from hiring professional and effective staff to encouraging new states to become members. I look forward to seeing NAWG continue to grow and elevate the representation of wheat in national policy. NAWG remains an essential part of keeping wheat growers connected in Washington, D.C.

Transportation remains a major challenge. Even though the administration ended the Biden agreement with the states and sovereign Tribes earlier this year, the lower Snake River dams removal issue went back into the courts in Oregon. Judge Simon ordered additional spill, which is actually harmful to salmon and makes navigation challenging. The Inland Ports and Navigation Group — WAWG is a member — appealed the ruling. We are currently waiting on a court date, and all intervenor-defendants and the plaintiffs have submitted their reply briefs. A likely date for oral arguments will be in October or November. 

WAWG continues to participate in the Washington State Department of Transportation’s lower Snake River dams transportation study that is developing scenarios that remove the dams. In our view, none of these scenarios are feasible, cost-effective, or reliable, but we remain at the table to make those concerns clear. 

In February, the “Dam Heros” took their annual trip to D.C. to educate members of Congress who sit on key committees, as well as federal agencies, about the importance of Marine Highway 84. It was a very successful trip and well worth the time and investment. We also took the opportunity to personally invite key staffers to attend our popular lower Snake River dams congressional tour later this month. Transportation is a significant cost for farmers, whether it’s by river, rail, or road, and WAWG is working diligently to protect those modes and address rising costs.

I wish everyone a safe and bountiful harvest, and I thank our WAWG members for their continued support and investment in our organization as we provide Washington wheat growers with a unified voice.