pnw journal · this is one of the most interesting summers i think we have had. one day it’s...

PNW Journal

Inside this issue

Agronomy Update... 2-7

Seed Division………8

Human Resources ... .9

Grain Division .......... 10

Harvest Logistics ..... 11-12

Pulse Update ............. 13

CEO Report I want to thank all of the members for their business this past year. I believe that

all of us, whether members or staff, are proud to say that we are associated

with Pacific Northwest Farmers Cooperative.

The support we receive from all of our members contributes to the success of

your cooperative. We have just passed the 1st anniversary of our merger with

Co-Ag and I have been very pleased with the progress this past year. The entire

company integration process has been fairly smooth and I want to thank the

north-end growers for their support and business. When we entered into this

venture, our business model showed the needed support of ALL the growers

plus some new ones. This has happened. Thank you. I also want to thank the

staff for making the transition a pleasant one. Well done.

As you read through this newsletter, you will find articles from the different di-

visions. In the Agronomy Division, I am very excited by the expanded and im-

proved plot trials from the north to the south. The Grain Division continues in

its trend to educate the growers in new marketing areas and the Specialty Foods

Division continues to make rapid production gains using new production tech-

niques. To supply quality seed in an easier, timelier manner, the Seed division is

installing equipment in a few different locations to make your seeding experi-

ence a better one.

I don’t have room to comment on all the divisions here but I want to comment

on our team. Each and every staff member, from the summer help who dumps

your trucks in Fairfield to the production folks in Lewiston Processing and eve-

ryone in between, appreciates contributing to this company. I am also very hap-py that PNW attracts some of the finest talent that will continue to help us

meet and exceed our member’s expectations in the future.

On a different note, there needs to be discussion of the ongoing tariff issues that

are and will haunt us this coming year. PNW is experiencing export issues that, I

believe, will influence the grower price in a negative manner. This issue will be

addressed further in this newsletter.

Now on a positive note, PNW is currently undergoing the year-end audit and

the preliminary indication is that it was a very good year. You will receive the

audit newsletter the first week of August.

Again, I personally appreciate your active in-

volvement with PNW and the entire staff

wishes to thank you for your business.

Enjoy a great harvest and be safe out there.

-Bill

2018 Summer Newsletter

2

Crops are looking fantastic with the timely rains we have been having. The wheat is dough stage for the most

part and spring wheat is heading out and tillering. All of the early to mid-April seeded chickpeas are in full

bloom and nodulating with a few pods setting. Lentils are some of the cleanest I have seen in recent years

and the chemicals have really held weeds back with blooms starting to show up on them as well. It has been

an excellent year to have a field of peas or barley although the acres have been down on both due to the

markets. There haven’t been many signs of rust or Ascochyta Blight just yet (with the exceptions of some

further south) but with rain in the forecast this week I will be keeping a watchful eye out for both. I went

through both the flag days parade for Fairfield and the slippery gulch parade for Tekoa and it was good to see

familiar faces of you all that weathered the rain for both. Most of your attitudes have been positive as the old

saying goes, “rain makes grain!”. Let’s have a safe and successful harvest!

Eric Smith

Eric Smith - Fairfield Area Agronomist

Agronomy Update

I graduated from WSU this May out of the Agriculture and Technology Management program (AgTM), Go Cougs!

After interning for 2 years now with PNW, I have been promoted from intern to agronomist/the company drone

pilot. I am based out of our Southeast area, mainly trying to get to know growers that typically work with Kyle. I

have some pretty big shoes to fill but I am eager to get out there and bring my science/technology background to

your farm. I am blessed to be apart of this family of farmers and can hardly wait to start working with all of you.

Over the summer, I have been checking fields from Deary to Tammany, attending field days and taking notes on

our winter wheat strip trials in Genesee, ID. I would have to compare the weather this year to a greenhouse. We

have the mild heat followed by rain, it’s almost perfect. (Knock on wood). Everything seems to look good this year

from Pendleton, OR to Deary, Idaho. Most of the garbs around my areas are in full bloom and I am starting to see

some pods, especially on the early seeded beans in Tammany. I’ve seen a little Ascochyta blight around the area but

all the infected fields were sprayed with a fungicide to keep the spores from spreading. My biggest concern right

now is pod fill on the beans. They are native to the Mediterranean region and love those warmer days. If we could

get a good couple weeks of heat I think we will really start seeing more pods.

Lastly, I would like to remind everyone to check out our Agronomy Blog on the PNW website. (Home page >

Seed and agronomy > Login > Agronomy Blog). I have been posting updates there for disease, our strip trials, and

many other things. It is a communication tool for us to keep you involved in what we are seeing in the field. If there

is anything you would like to see more of on the blog, or not see, please don’t hesitate to email/text or call me.

This Blog is for you, our growers; it’s a way for our field staff to contribute to your success. Happy Harvest every-

one and thank you for your business.

Kaitlin Calvert

Kaitlin Calvert - Southeast Area Agronomist

Drone images taken by

Kaitlin Calvert in our Hard

red winter wheat strip trial

in Genesee.

Jay Rubin - Colfax Area Agronomist Well, so far this has been the June that everyone wishes for but never get. 2 inches of rain, (at times to

much at one time) and perfect temperatures, highs in the 80’s lows in the mid 50”s. Now we wait a little

longer and see if that translates to what appears to be one of the better crops we have had.

The winter wheat is probably the best I’ve seen in such a wide area. (Spokane to Walla Walla) . The spring

wheat and barley are coming along nicely but still have some work to do. The pulse crops look good across

the board. A lot more fungicide and foliar packages put on this year. It will be interesting to see if that will

translate into some yield bumps. Haven’t seen any issues with blight in the garbs. I still have a lot of acres

out there that didn’t get fungicide applied so that means we have to keep an eye out. As I write this, almost

all the garbs and lentils are in full bloom, it’s a beautiful site. With harvest around the corner I just want to

emphasize to everyone that safety is of utmost importance. I know we all get in a hurry with harvest and the

farther we get into it the more critical it becomes.

Have a great harvest and stay safe.

Jay Rubin

3

Jerry Mraz - Southwest Area Agronomist

Drone image taken by

Kaitlin Calvert during

harvest last year.

With the cool weather and ample precipitation in May and June, we had ideal growing conditions for winter

wheat, and it looks like a bumper crop coming on. The spring wheat and barley are also thriving.

While the Chickpea crop has a long way to go, we are off to a great start. Weed control is as good as I have ever

seen, due to timely rains activating the pre emerge herbicides and vigorous competition from the Chickpeas them-

selves. I dropped my phone in a Billy Bean field yesterday and it didn't hit the ground. If all that foliage sets and fills

pods we are looking at a bumper Chickpea crop as well.

And now harvest is upon us. Harvest has always been my favorite time of year, and with a crop like this one com-

ing on it's easy to get excited. Maybe I'll slow down and make it last as long as possible.

Hope your harvest goes well, stay safe out there!

Jerry Mraz

4

Crops have been growing great in my region! Winter wheat is mostly all in the soft dough stage, and spring ce-

reals are heading out. The majority of the garbs are now blooming and appear to love the heat! Until recently,

they just seemed to be sitting there, but now with some warmer weather they are really coming to life.

Winter wheat looks phenomenal! I’m a little concerned that we are running out of N at this point because of all

the moisture and mild temperatures we have had. We should have low protein soft white, but I’m not too confi-

dent about higher red wheat protein.

Seeding dates played a large role in all the spring crops in my region. Overall, the earlier seeded crops do look

the best, however, later seeded garbs seem to be catching up now.

Broadleaf weed control in garbs has been very good, with the majority of guys getting a good shot of rain to ac-

tivate the chemistry. Grassy weeds on the other hand, have had a good year. If you missed a roundup applica-

tion or didn’t get your Zidua or Anthem Flex out last fall, it was a mess this spring.

The majority of you went fence to fence for grasses in your garbs and threw in a fungicide at this time as well.

Unfortunately, this seemed like an earlier application than usual because we didn’t want to let that ryegrass get

too big. This leaves us vulnerable later on to disease, and we aren’t getting that plant health benefit later on that

is so often talked about. Going forward, do we leave the fungicide out of the early grass application if the beans

are 4 inches tall and make a second application closer to or at bloom? It’s going to depend on what makes

sense for each of you, but definitely something to think about. We have a great looking fungicide trial in chick-

peas looking at products, rates and timings. Hopefully next year we'll have some more answers to those ques-

tions.

I am encouraged by the continued mild weather we have been having; it’s shaping up to be a great year! I wish

all of you a abundant harvest!

Jake Gelineau

Jake Gelineau - East Central Area Agronomist

Albert Radloff - Rosalia Area Agronomist The Northwest region is looking to have above average crops across the board. The last few weeks of cool

weather and slight precipitation have set us up for a great crop if we get some nice July heat to push plants

into reproductive mode. Winter wheat has seen very little rust pressure. Spring crops look fantastic across

all seeding dates; with garbs and lentils ranging from full bloom and row closure to just starting to bloom.

The few pea acres I have look great with single insecticide applications getting the job done. Very conducive

spring for good germination and stands across the board. Harvest will make for a busy August this year with

potentially bin busting yields across all crops! Having been with the company for a full year now and my

grower relationships have reached a point where I’m a part of the farm, not just another salesmen in a white

truck! I’m excited to take those relationships even farther with on farm trialing throughout the region, most-

ly related to tailoring chemical and fertilizer plans all to boost yields and help save a penny or two the right

way!

Enjoy summer while it lasts and lets have a great, safe, and profitable

harvest!

Albert Radloff

5

PNW Agronomy Staff

Kyle Renton - Agronomy Division Manager:

Cell: (208)791-1116 | Email: [email protected]

Kaitlin Calvert - Southeast Area Agronomist:


Jerry Mraz - Southwest Area Agronomist:


Jay Rubin - Colfax Area Agronomist:


Mike Devoe - Outside Area Agronomist:


Jake Gelineau - East Central Area Agronomist:


Ariel Schulz - Oakesdale Area Agronomist:


Eric Smith - Fairfield Area Agronomist:


Albert Radloff - Rosalia Area Agronomist:


We thank you for your business!

DON’T FORGET: Our

Fairfield crop tour is July

10th and Genesee is July

12th. We would love to

see you there!

Mike Devoe - Outside

Area Agronomist This is one of the most interesting summers I think

we have had. One day it’s sunny and 87 degrees and

the next day it’s cool and raining. Crops seem to love

it though, I don’t believe I have seen a bad field any-

where.

Dayton: Beans have 25 to 40 pods and are still

blooming. It’s crazy the fields that got in just a little

later have about 5 to 10 pods but everything is look-

ing good. The weather is sure in your favor! I am

very impressed with the weed control this year also.

Pomeroy: Growers are very happy with their bean

fields. They are all blooming and putting on pods I

just cannot find much to complain about for sure.

Culdesac: Beans are extremely thick and growing

very nicely. Like before, it is hard to find anything negative to say about fields this year.

Bonners Ferry: Unfortunately, I have only made it

up there for one day this summer but beans are

growing very nicely. I will go up there in another

week or so for a couple of days.

Summary: The biggest thing for me is crops look

good all over. I have found blight in all areas except

Pomeroy and I am concerned that pod filling is very

very slow. We could use some warmer weather to

kick them into gear and I am sure we will also not be

seeing too much virus. The aphids are moving in so

keep an eye on your spring wheat especially club

wheat, they can do a huge amount of damage in a

short period of time. I know the lentils & peas are

being sprayed for aphid also. I can see a very produc-

tive harvest with all crops. Its not in the bin yet but

its one hell of a good start. I am always at your ser-

vice thank you for growing for PNW.

Mike Devoe

6

Agronomy Division Update

I always look forward to harvest around this time of year. On the poorer years, my attitude is let’s get the crop

off and forget about it! Or maybe the pulse crops are a weedy mess and we can’t desiccate soon enough. But oc-

casionally we experience “perfect” weather throughout our growing season. For this current crop, I’m bubbling

with anticipation to see the yield results, for most everyone throughout the Inland Northwest, its going to be a

“bin buster!”

Winter wheat: The adage “rain makes grain” is so true, especially if the rain happens in September. The 1-1.5”

we picked up last September got the winter wheat quickly emerged and well established going into winter. Earlier

seed dates look the best and surprisingly very little Ceph stripe damage. Our warm, wet spring continued to ad-

vance the crop and most fields were heading by the first of June. Our cooler and wetter June has slowed the crop

development and it now appears it won’t be an early harvest. Honestly, there’s not a lot of issues to discuss with

this crop. Very little rust pressure and crown rot disease. Aphids are starting to build but mostly on the flag

leaves, and the wheat should mature quick enough before economic thresholds are met (25% of the heads have 10

or more aphid up to hard dough stage). But keep an eye on the north sides of later maturing varieties like Madsen

or Cara where aphids will quickly congregate as the south sides/ridges start to dry down. The 2 major differences

between an above-average wheat crop or a record wheat crop, if you seeded before the 5th of October along with

spring top dressing in a timely manner. It also confirmed two additional inputs I would now never go without, add-

ing a stabilizer with your fall nitrogen application and applying a fall herbicide like Zidua or Anthem Flex. Other

than hail or fire, at this stage the crop is made in my opinion. Your yield monitor maps are going to be fairly boring

this year, for there just isn’t any weak areas throughout most fields. Going to hear some crazy yield numbers…

can’t wait!

Spring grains: It sure makes a difference getting the crop seeded in April versus mid-May. Spring grain stands

look excellent, and if we can avoid a hot July, we should see above average yields. Just like the winter wheat, some

fields, especially barley, are the thickest I’ve ever seen for number of tillers per plant.

Wireworm pressure was heavy, for they don’t move down in the profile until the soil dries out or soil temps hit

mid-70’s. In other words, they’re probably still mostly in the top 2-6” of the soil profile! Even though we’ve seen

some damage to stands in a few isolated fields, the protection we got from our 3-way insecticide blend worked

excellent. If we’d only been using the medium rates of a neonicotinoid, I believe damage would have been severe

enough to justify reseeding.

With not a lot of rust pressure and most spring varieties having some resistance, I’m doubtful we’ll see many fields

needing sprayed other than maybe Whit, Louise or WB 6341. Aphid on the other hand are building quickly and

we could be looking at spraying most fields (same thresholds as mentioned for fall wheat). Its rare if barley needs

sprayed for aphid, because they never migrate onto the heads. If you need to spray your barley, dimethoate is

NOT labeled, so make sure you only use Warrior II or Transform.

Spring pulses: In 2016, we saw record yields of most pulse crops. Can this year surpass that? Maybe. One thing

is certain, most fields are spotless of broadleaves and the stands are near perfect. One thing to note as the top

foot of profile has stayed moist, our nodulation stays active and its not uncommon to dig up plants right now that

have nodules the size of grapes. Not only do they fixate Nitrogen for the current pulse crop but they are building

Nitrogen for the following winter wheat crop. The only down side to the wet May/June are some bald clay knobs

from metribuzin damage by too much rain/shallow seed depth. With the soil moisture profile still in great shape,

it’s still too early to know if we’ll see record pulse yields, but we should see above average yields. Aphid are build-

ing quickly in the lentils and the few pea fields that are out there. We’ve seen some ascochyta blight in early seed-

ed chickpeas which warranted a 2nd fungicide application. But fields seeded the end of April into May are clean.

Kyle Renton

7

Winter Wheat Varieties: I’ve been in a lot of wheat fields this past month. When writing this summer newslet-

ter, there’s usually always a couple of varieties that really stand out on any given year. This year is tough because

everything looks so good! A month ago, my favorite was SY Assure. It headed out a week earlier than anything else

and it has huge heads. The later maturing varieties have now caught it but it’s still close to the top in most of our

trials. It reminds me of WB 1070 CL which was gaining a lot of traction 7 or 8 years ago. Until we had a hard, early

June frost that knocked off about 20-30 bushels of the yield in most fields. Maybe be careful where you seed it but

still a great choice to plant on a couple of your fields to help spread harvest out. Another variety that is like Assure

and should really shine west of the SR 195 corridor is Norwest Tandem. Like Assure, it will have great straw

strength, stripe rust resistance and shorter in stature. Both are weaker on winter hardiness, but still, they will both

take a lot of acres in the 14-18” rainfall zones of the Palouse. Also consider our Trident blend for summer fallow,

three-year rotation or high production fields. It has held up well to rust this year and has stayed standing up. It was

our biggest seller last fall and the way it looks in the fields right now, probably will be again next fall.

For the Eastern Palouse, WB 1783, Jasper and PNW Hailey look great. All three have good tolerance to Ceph

stripe, stripe rust and foot rot. They’re medium/late maturing varieties which tend to favor wetter, cooler soils.

Hailey probably handles wet feet the best of the 3 and probably has the best straw strength. All three have great

winter hardiness. We’re testing new combinations for our Trooper blend, and more than likely, one or two of

these will be in that new blend this fall. Trooper II will be focused for the Highway 27 & 95 corridors on the Pa-

louse and especially designed for two-year rotation. Cara club is probably our latest maturing variety we sell and

has the best straw strength of any club. Its starting to lean this summer which is usually an indication of high yields!

In most fields of wheat this year, I’m sure you’ve noticed heads where 1-3 of the bottom florets are blank. It’s the

most obvious in the later maturing varieties. Those were caused by 3 warm days, in the middle of May, when our

highs hit mid-80’s. That was enough stress for those plants when head development was occurring to abort some

florets. It shouldn’t impact yield too much, and those three warm days are about the only black eye we’ve received

in this otherwise perfect summer.

For Clearfield wheats, Magic looks dynamite this summer. It has had some rust show up in it and it’s suspect for

lower Falling Numbers. It’s going to be hard to top for yield this harvest. UI Palouse looks great also and is target-

ed for Eastern Palouse. It’s the work horse of the bunch with a great disease package and great quality. We’ll have

Resilience CL2 available this fall also. Its pretty much Madsen with the Clearfield trait.

Hard reds… they honestly all look good! My favorite is Jet and even though the heads are smaller, there’s only

about 8 tillers per plant! We sold a lot of our Redrock Blend last fall and it has Touchstone blended in to help

boost protein. We’ll see how the grades come back after harvest, but we should see a half percent higher protein

with the blend. A new variety from Westbred that looks great right now in our trials is WB 4311. It should beat

Keldin or Rimrock on yield and protein with improved stripe rust resistance and straw strength. If you’ve been a fan

of Westbred wheats, you’ll be very pleased with this one.

Research Trials/Field Days: Our research program has been evolving quickly and we’d like the opportunity to

share our trials with you on the mornings of July 10th (Fairfield) or July 12th (Genesee). We’ll be mostly looking at

varieties but included are seed treats, seed rate studies, in furrow or foliar nutrient/fungicides and some herbicide

trialing. Every crop we handle is in the trials including current and future varieties. I will say the growers who attend

our crop tours, get the jump on their neighbors by ordering the newest and best fall wheat varieties. Plus, Jake Ge-

lineau can barbecue a great steak!

With over 17 winter wheat plots, 4 spring grain plots and 4 pulse plots, we hope to provide good data to support

the decisions you must make on your farm. Our focus has always been on the net return per acre, so every trial

will have gross revenue per acre according to grades while factoring in the variable costs to produce that crop. It’s

a lot of work but we hope its valuable information to ultimately raise the profitability on your farm.

Last, we are truly blessed to call the Palouse our home. Even more so, to be able to use our Natural Resources to

provide for our families and support our local communities! We all take great pride in producing, handling, cleaning

or marketing the grain or legumes for dinner tables throughout the

world. Have a safe and (I’m confident) a bountiful harvest!

Kyle Renton

8

Seed Division Update Jake Gisler - Seed Division Manager

Thanks to all of you for your business this spring. This was one of

the most enjoyable springs we have seen in quite a few years. The

season progressed at a very good rate and we were able to keep

seed at all our locations.

We have updated some facilities since spring, for you will now see new seed tanks and a

leg at Oakesdale which will help the seed operation there and better serve growers in that area. We have also add-

ed a receiving leg at Genesee. This should help speed up the shipping of treated seed to Genesee, mainly soft white,

and keep our PNW trucks out of the driveway. We know picking up seed last fall was challenging, and the staff is

committed to making it a smoother process this fall.

Blends: In the past we have made every combination under the sun and that was a hindrance last year. This year we

are going to offer the original Trident, Trooper Blend and Redrock Blend. We are also going to offer a New Troop-

er or a Trooper replacement. We are currently testing a few different combinations, however have not determined

quite yet what it will comprise of. As soon as the yield data is in we will make our selections and have limited

amounts available.

Seed Treat, we are constantly evaluating seed treats and what rates and ratios are going to be best for the growers across the entire growing area. At the current time we are not seeing any changes to this falls seed treats. So far it

has treated us well, no pun intended. We will continue to use the same micro package that we used last year, for it

continues to bring some great benefits to the seed at very little additional cost.

Micro Package Analysis/Data

Variety Selection for this fall has been trimmed down some after last year. We have some carry over inventory of

the past varieties however the varieties listed below are the direction we are headed in the future.

Soft White: PNW Hailey, UI Magic CLP, UI Palouse CLP, Resilience CLP, WB 1783, Madsen, SY Assure, WB 1529,

WB 1604, Brundage 96, Jasper, DG Impact, NW Tandem, Cara Club, Ovation, Trident Blend, Trooper & New

Trooper II.

Red Wheat: LCS Jet, WB 4311, SY Touchstone, Rimrock, Keldin, Clearstone & Redrock Blend

All the wheat in the area looks great and it has been hard to decide which varieties are standing out from each oth-

er. We have a good supply of all the listed varieties however they seem to sell out quick these days. If you have

something on the farm you like, don’t hesitate to get an order in now! Seed orders started rolling in about a month

ago, so I guess it's never too early to order seed!

We'll be sending out our test plot data, variety descriptions and seed prices in our fall seed letter the first of Sep-

tember. The agronomy staff will also be posting our test plot results on our

website in the agronomy blog as they are getting cut. Have a safe and bountiful

harvest! Jake Gisler

Oakesdale seed tanks

The ancient Greek playwright Sophocles once said, “Without labor nothing prospers.” How true today, es-

pecially as we all get closer to summer. As each of you determine who is working in what aspects of your

harvest, here at PNW we have been doing the same.

Our pre-harvest work begins early in the year, as we review workers from the previous harvest. We initially

make contact during February and March, first determining who is available to return, when they will be able

to start, and establishing their last day (for school or if they are able to stay the entire time). We follow this

up by recruiting during the spring.

Recruiting doesn’t mean just placing an ad in the paper; we have found fewer

people go through classifieds in local papers. As a result, we reach out in other ways to recruit, which in-

cludes online, contacting colleges (also online recruiting), putting up posters, and contacting high school

teachers.

With names recruited through the various sources, we start with

screening questions, then set up interviews with David Weitz and

his team. This is followed by checking references, followed by drug

testing and background checks for successful candidates. New ap-

plicants attend orientation sessions where they fill out the required

paperwork (there is always paperwork!), then go through safety,

GMP and Kosher training. The last step is for all harvest employ-

ees to attend our annual harvest/safety training in July. These

meetings are being set-up and scheduled for July.

My hat is off to the PNW team members at work behind the

scenes, to make sure the people part of harvest runs as smoothly

as possible: safety officer Wade Morris, Dave Charles who works

with both Wade and I in human resources and safety, and Claire

Vincent, our new HR assistant and payroll. Wade and Dave work

closely together to create and provide safety training; Dave has

been doing much of the leg work in setting up interviews and coor-

dinating orientations and training, and our newest team member,

Claire has been getting new and returning employees set up in

our payroll system.

Our labor is your labor; all of us working together helps provide a path for you and PNW to prosper.

Here’s to a successful harvest 2018!

Tedi Roach

9

Human Resources

Tedi Roach - HR Division Manager

Kim Monk and Al Krick standing alongside

the proud 4-h group who raised money for

the flag.

David Weitz - Grain Division

Wheat markets have been “Must See TV” as of late.

Since 2018 was turned on the calendar, we have been on

the upside of the lows from 2017. Three moves to new

contract highs, one in March, and two in May. Since the May run, we have backed off, testing the low in

March. These moves were all based on the lack of moisture in the Midwest as well as other locations

worldwide, namely, the Black Sea region and Australia. Traders have been whipsawing this market with

‘knee jerk’ reactions - weather premium to the upside and world wheat stocks to the downside.

The great thing about this volatility has been the opportunities created. We were able to take a lot of

risk off the table by laying in our hedging on the high’s and locking in Basis on the recent downturn. Indi-

viduals and our marketing pool took advantage.

Speaking of the SWW Marketing Pool. We closed up our marketing and finished with a 6.71/coast for

December pay. Our goal was 5.80, but again, the volatility gave us many opportunities to beat that

goal. If you would like to participate in the 2019 crop pool, please call in before it is filled up. We have

limited bushels in the pool and would like to start trading it soon.

Looking forward, SWW has high demand coming into harvest, being the wheat with the tightest stocks

to use ratio. Keep your eye on the Basis. As long as we have demand, it will remain strong and in your

favor. On the other hand, if you see it begin to weaken then exporters have backed off due to a lack of

demand. Word on the street is the Midwest HRW harvest, although down this year, may not be as bad

as was predicted back in May. The crop so far has been good quality with high protein. Hopefully that

will help our protein schedules here in the Pacific Northwest. The jury is still out on the DNS crop, but

so far it is looking to be in great shape, having a 77% Good to Excellent rating versus 40% at this time last

year. Because these crops are better than originally anticipated and the world still has a lot of wheat, the

futures market has backed off substantially. Will we get back to the May highs? We may need to wait

and see how the northern hemisphere harvest unwinds. Also, wheat will need some help from corn.

Corn is currently in fantastic shape as well, but if the seeded acreage comes in at 88 million and the yield

isn’t there, then there is upside for both corn and wheat. On the flip side . . . . . . well 90 million acres

and a good yield . . . . . I’ll let you finish the statement.

Prices currently are the best we have seen in the last 3-4 years. Strategy for the 2018 crop is reward the

market. These opportunities are profitable and with a big crop coming stay ahead of your budget.

White wheat has potential as long as the exporters are buying, so watch the basis very close, that is key

to your success this year in SWW. The red wheats will depend upon the harvest in the Midwest and

norther plains. Keep a close eye, if they turn out in good shape, again the basis will tell you what to do.

If we get another run in the futures market, take advantage

with cash sales and/or put options on any unsold wheat –

protect your downside . . . . Because . . . . the market does

not care what WE THINK and it can turn around in a sec-

ond.

Enclosed you will find our ‘off coast’ and delivery locations

sheet for this harvest. We are happy to answer any of

your questions regarding harvest or the marketing of your

products, just give any of us a call at one of our 5 offices.

We appreciate your business and wish all of you a safe and

prosperous harvest!

David Weitz 10

Drone photo taken by Kaitlin Calvert at Central

Ferry Terminal.

As I have been driving around the country side I am amazed as to how well the crops look this year. Boy,

what a difference from last year. As a pulse processor, I love to see these beautiful green fields. As you

know, this region is known around the globe for its consistent quality product and, by looking at these fields,

we have an opportunity to deliver the same premium quality product again this year.

We will need all the help we can get this year to be able to move off this potentially large chickpea crop.

The last couple of years, we have experienced extremely good prices for our chickpeas which has been a

godsend considering the prices of wheat and feed barley. However, this has led to an increase in planted

acres around the world, which combined with good growing conditions, is resulting in excess supply that has

put pressure on world prices.

Large production of chickpeas in India and Mexico has started the downturn in prices as growers try to sell

their product into the market place. If this wasn’t bad enough, India imposed import tariffs on Pea, Lentils

and Chickpeas regardless of origin. The tariffs were set at levels that essentially stopped all pulse trade into

India overnight. This is a big deal and cost the U.S industry millions of dollars. Last year India imported over

81 million lbs. of chickpeas, 156 million lbs. of lentils and 304 million lbs. of peas (green and yellow com-

bined). Total lbs. of pulses imported from the U.S. is over 540 million

lbs. of pulses, or over 300,000 acres of pulses. In addition, we have

retaliatory tariffs from China on U.S pulses which could come into ef-

fect on July 6th. This has stopped shipments to China and has left cargo

stranded in the ports. Last year China imported over 130 million lbs.

of peas (green and yellow combined) from the U.S. or ~70,000 acres

of production.

One thing to remember is, the China Tariffs are for the United States

ONLY. India’ tariffs are worldwide. Not only does the U. S. need to

find homes for half a billion pounds of pulses, the rest of the pulse pro-

ducing countries are trying to sell their product into the remaining

markets as well. I expect we will see strong competition for the mar-

kets that remain. Moving forward I expect to see a lot of volatility in

prices this year. One big advantage we have over our competition is that we have very good quality.

PNW works very hard to establish and maintain programs not only with you, the grower, but the end users

as well. We have a very strong domestic marketing program as well as a very good reputation around the

world as a supplier of premium quality product. We will continue to work extremely hard for you and take

your high-quality products into the marketplace.

Last but not least, we have brought Amanda Yockey into the pulse division to help with various items. One

large part of her duties will be her availability for you to answer questions and buy pulses. She has worked

for PNW for over a year and in the pulse division since January to better understand the markets. She is

based in the Colfax office and is looking forward to answering any questions you may have about the mar-

kets. I am very happy to have her on the team.

Please have a safe and great harvest.

Shawn O'Connell

13

Shawn O’Connell - Specialty Crop Division Manager

Don’t forget

our PNW

Crop Tours!

Pacific Northwest

Farmers Cooperative

117 W. Chestnut,

Genesee, ID 83832

Phone: 208-285-1141

N. 204 Main, Colfax,

WA 99111

Phone: 509-397-4381

120 W. 5th, Rosalia,

WA 99170

Phone: 509-523-3511

www.pnw.coop

Genesee, Idaho

8:00 a.m., Thursday July 12th

The tour will begin behind

the East End Elevator fol-

lowed by a steak BBQ at the

Genesee City Park.

For questions please contact

Kyle Renton (208)791-1116.

Fairfield, Washington

8:00 a.m., Tuesday, July 10th

Join us for coffee and donuts at Fair-

field City Park before we start our

tour. Steak BBQ to follow at Fairfield

city park around 12:30.

Drone picture taken by Kaitlin Calvert at our

Genesee East end elevators/ Research Plots.

Thank you for your business!

pnw journal · this is one of the most interesting summers i think we have had. one day it’s...

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