Wheat Life

10/09/2025

As we embrace the changing seasons, it's time to look ahead and prepare for the next cycle. Seeding next year's wheat crop is upon us, a process that requires dedication and careful planning for farmers everywhere.

From choosing the right variety to ensuring the soil is just right, each step is crucial in setting the foundation for a successful harvest. As Washington wheat farmers, we are proud to utilize the wisdom passed down through generations, combined with modern techniques, to cultivate the land and plant the seeds of tomorrow's sustenance for our neighbors and those across the world!

04/09/2025

An offhand comment about a crop insurance sales closing date during the January board meeting of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers sent Ben Thiel on a quest to see if he could streamline a crop insurance deadline to help growers for the 2026 crop year. Find out if he did at

An offhand comment about a crop insurance sales closing date during the January board meeting of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG) sent Ben Thiel on a quest to see if he could streamline a crop insurance deadline to help growers for the 2026 crop year. Thanks to a lucky turn of even...

03/09/2025

Sunday Funday missed the FUN memo. But if you know anything about farmers, you know a breakdown doesn’t mean we’re shut down. It just means something needs to get fixed and farmers can fix pretty much anything. A broken shaft is an inconvenient but minor repair. A little grinding and a little welding then we’ll slap it back together and be back at it.

And in case you’re wondering, yes, I am an excellent supervisor. Someone needs to make sure the boss is doing it right and I’m just the person for the job 😆.

02/09/2025

August/September's profile focuses on drone company, Terraplex Pacific Northwest. Learn why co-owner Doug Bruce thinks these machines should be part of every farmer's toolbox.

For Doug Bruce, drones seem like the perfect complement to his existing businesses; besides growing wheat, bluegrass, lentils, barley, oats, and a bit of alfalfa on his family’s farm near Farmington, Wash., he also sells ag chemicals through a local branch of the Hefty Seed Company. Drones flew on...

28/08/2025

Learn more about one of the "Dam Champions," Pacific Northwest Waterways Association (PNWA), and how they are working to protect a critical piece of wheat growers' transportation infrastructure in the August/September issue of Wheat Life.

Washington’s thriving wheat industry relies heavily on a critical, often unseen, transportation artery: the Columbia-Snake River System. This “river highway” is the backbone of the state’s agricultural export system, efficiently moving millions of bushels of wheat from inland grain elevators...

26/08/2025

Guest writer Howard Nelson discusses the basis relationship between soft white wheat (SWH) and CBOT wheat futures in this article from the August/September issue of Wheat Life.

I was asked if I would write an article explaining the basis relationship between soft white wheat (SWH) and CBOT wheat futures, so here we go! I felt that this relationship could be best explained if I compared/contrasted the hard red winter wheat (HRW) KCBOT basis relationship with the SWH CBOT re...

25/08/2025

On National Banana Split Day, be sure to grab a scoop (or three) and thank the dairy farmers who make it all possible! 🍦

25/08/2025

Your Wheat Life photo: Karmen (4) and Korbin (1) during harvest 2024 at Green View Farms in Fairfield. Photo by Carly Green.

21/08/2025

Understanding where our food comes from is something every person should know — and something every child should be taught. That’s the heart of the mission behind Washington Ag in the Classroom. Read more at

Understanding where our food comes from is something every person should know — and something every child should be taught. That’s the heart of the mission behind Washington Ag in the Classroom (WAIC), a program I’m honored to be a part of. My name is Alisha Klein, and I serve as the public re...

19/08/2025

In late June, Columbia-Snake River System stakeholders hosted a tour of the Pacific Northwest’s premier waterway for members of Upper Mississippi Waterway Association. The tour began in Astoria, Ore., and concluded in Lewiston, Idaho, and comes a year after a similar trip down the Mississippi River by many of those same Pacific Northwest stakeholders. Read about that trip at

In late June, Columbia-Snake River System stakeholders hosted a tour of the Pacific Northwest’s premier waterway for members of the Upper Mississippi Waterway Association (UMWA). The tour began in Astoria, Ore., and concluded in Lewiston, Idaho, and comes a year after a similar trip down the Missi...

18/08/2025

Your Wheat Life photo: Harvest 2024 at Jon Semingson Farms in Pullman included (clockwise from top left) Beth Semingson, Kristen Springer, Robin Hevly, Heidi Washington, and Tia Sinclair. Photo by Emily Boller of Hindsight Photography.