Reauthorization of the farm bill remains a top priority this year, the new president of the National Association of Wheat Growers says. "Everybody wants to get this farm bill done, but it's got to be an improvement, it's got to be better," said Keeff Felty, of Altus, Okla. "We don't want to do it just for the sake of saying we got it accomplished. "Maintaining and improving crop insurance is the "cornerstone" of the bill for NAWG, Felty said. The farm bill has been extended for one year, through September.

The $45 million Idaho Career Ready Students grant is helping school districts prepare students for future careers, including agriculture. State legislators approved the one-time funding in July 2023. About 37% of the funds directly support agriculture and FFA-related programs, Debbie Critchfield, superintendent of public instruction for the state Board of Education, told the Capital Press. About $1.8 million remains of the funding, Critchfield said.

The temperatures are warming, and the snow is melting away. It is nearly time for farmers to plant again. While most people are thinking about spring break, farmers across the state are wondering how to make this year’s crop successful. Bryan Searle is the President of the Farm Bureau Federation. He wrote the following in a column titled "Farming is not for the faint of heart." “Idaho farmers are among the best in the world. They know how to raise a crop and they do that very well. That’s something they have control over. But, they also are at the mercy of the many things they do not control. Agriculture is truly a gamble and farmers and ranchers — to a large degree — roll the dice every year."

Even in the best of years, the fall and winter months can be an emotionally challenging time for many people. Feelings of sadness or depression, sometimes referred to as the “winter blues” or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), can increase as the days get shorter and colder. Mental Health America reports, in any given year, about 5% of the U.S. population experiences seasonal depression. SAD is more than just a fleeting feeling of gloom. It’s a type of depression that recurs at the same time each year, typically starting in the late fall and early winter, then subsiding during the spring and summer months.

Chinese scientists have developed higher yielding wheat for bread production, according to a research paper published in the latest issue of Plant Biotechnology Journal. Using CRISPR-CAS9 genome editing and by identifying molecular mechanisms that affect grain development, researchers from several institutions in China boosted the length and weight of wheat, the paper said. China is the world’s largest wheat producer.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 caused an immediate disruption in the global wheat market, with serious implications for food prices and global food security. Wheat is a staple commodity in many countries and one of the most extensively traded crops worldwide. Global wheat prices increased by 28 percent in the early phases of the war, but within a few months, they began to decrease. They remain two percent to three percent greater than before the invasion.

Agricultural trade – including topics tied closely to the work of U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) – was a major focus during the 100th annual Ag Outlook Forum in Washington, D.C. A panel discussion titled, “100 Years of U.S. Ag Trade; A Century of Growth, Innovation, and Progress” was the highlight of the first day. The panel featured speakers from USDA, the United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the Peterson Institute for International Economics.