Working for You

Working for You

Each month we provide some key areas where MGGA leaders and staff have been working on your behalf. Here is a sampling of important issues and activities for August 2020:

* The National Association of Wheat Growers board of directors, including MGGA officers Vince Mattson and Mitch Konen, met by Zoom to discuss recent developments surrounding glyphosate:

* The annual Hard Red Spring wheat and Durum crop tours were held virtually this year. Hosted by the North Dakota Wheat Commission, the event featured video and comments from state wheat commissions and producers in the main growing region of the U.S., and included reports from Montana Wheat & Barley Committee Industry Analyst & Outreach Coordinator Sam Anderson and MWBC grower directors.

* Executive Vice President Lola Raska participated in the monthly call of state execs of the National Association of Wheat Growers. Agenda items included updates from NAWG DC staff; review and discussion of NAWG member survey on USDA program delivery; a review of draft comments on USDA’s Ag Innovation Agenda; restructuring proposals for upcoming NAWG meetings; feedback on this year’s state meeting status; and individual state input on how CARES Act funds have or have not been used to support ag.

* Check out the Montana Ag Experiment Station 2020 Virtual Field Days videos! In lieu of in-person field days, MAES scientists filmed an excellent series of in-field presentations on this season’s research activities. Video from their live session along with short talks organized by topic and project title can be found at agresearch.montana.edu/virtualfielddays.html.

* MGGA President Vince Mattson and Vice President Mitch Konen participated during August as NAWG directors in an Operations & Planning Committee meeting, a Domestic and Trade Policy Committee meeting, an Environment and Research Policy Committee meeting and a full Board of Directors meeting to provide input on current operational and policy issues important to Montana wheat growers.

* MGGA crop survey contributors provided media interviews reporting harvest progress and conditions. Thanks to all for helping to keep the public informed! Read weekly progress reports from Montana growers throughout this season at montanamarketmanager.org/weather/cropsurvey.