Good day, NAWG!
Congress is back in Washington today, and both chambers are walking in with plates that are, frankly, overfull. Government funding, the farm bill, and a stack of other unfinished business all need attention before the clock runs out on this work period — and none of it gets easier the longer it sits.
That’s exactly why timing on this week’s fly-in matters so much. NAWG is participating in, and helping lead, a coordinated multi-organization fly-in squarely focused on pushing the Senate to act on the farm bill. Wheat brings the largest concentration of grassroots participants of any commodity group in this week’s effort — which says a lot about where our members’ priorities sit and how seriously you all take showing up. When Senate offices look up this week and see wheat growers in the room in those numbers, alongside our peer organizations, it’s a signal they can’t easily wave off.
I want to thank every grower who made the trip to be here this week — that’s real time away from the farm at a demanding point in the calendar, and it matters. I also want to thank our state staff and board members back home who may not be in DC today, but advocate for agriculture every day of the year. Sometimes it’s visiting the offices on Capitol Hill, other days its doing the quieter work: keeping local relationships warm, gathering the stories that make our case real, and helping translate wheat’s to-do list into something Members of Congress can actually act on. The fly-ins get visibility, but none of it works without the necessary and important groundwork.
And after many questions about the likelihood of Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell returning to DC to help pass the Farm Bill out of committee, we just received official notice of a Senate Agriculture Committee business meeting for Wednesday afternoon. We believe this is a signal that the Farm Bill is set to commence this week; so, having wheat growers on the Hill right now is especially important.
We’ll share more on the week’s specific meetings and any farm bill movement as it develops.
Thanks, as always, for the work you all do to keep NAWG’s voice loud and clear on the Hill and back home.
-SK
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From the Foundation
Call for Nominations for National Wheat Foundation Board
Two of the National Wheat Foundation Directors’ second terms will expire in 2027; Scott Brown (ID) and Jeff Blackwood (industry). We want to thank and recognize Scott and Jeff for their tremendous contributions to the board.
We are calling for anyone interested in serving on the National Wheat Foundation Board to submit your name, in writing, along with a brief resume to Boyd Heilig, NWF nomination committee chair (heiligb18@gmail.com) and/or Anne Osborne, NWF Executive Director (aosborne@wheatworld.org) by October 9th, 2026.
Board terms are three years, and there is a maximum of two terms. The board holds two in-person meetings per year, plus it attends the Commodity Classic and the National Wheat Yield Contest winner’s reception. The term of the newly elected directors will begin in March 2027 immediately following the Commodity Classic.
If you have any questions about the process or the National Wheat Foundation, please contact either Anne or Boyd.
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DC Week Ahead
- Today, Monday, September 14, the House Rules Committee meets at 4:00 PM EST on H.J. Res. 210 and H.J. Res. 213 (disapproving EPA rules on California nonroad-engine/vessel emissions standards).
- You can find more information here.
- On Wednesday, September 16, at 9:30 AM EST the House Committee on Agriculture will hold a hearing on Increasing Demand and Opportunities for Homegrown Products Here and Abroad.
- You can find more information here.
- On Wednesday, September 16, at 3:30 PM EST the Senate Agriculture Committee will hold a business meeting to consider the Farm Bill.
- You can find more information here.
Policy Report
Multi-Commodity Fly-in in D.C.
This week, as the House and Senate return from recess, producers from across several different commodity groups will be in Washington, D.C., meeting with members of Congress and advocating for a stalled farm bill in the Senate, financial assistance for struggling crop producers, expanded market access, and other priorities. Producers are also highlighting the rising cost of inputs, including record-high diesel prices as harvest gets underway.
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman has said he will hold a new vote on a proposed farm bill this week, following the committee’s failure to advance the legislation in early August. Chaiman Boozman announced a 3:30 p.m. EDT business meetingf or Wednesday, September 16. It remains unclear whether Senator Mitch McConnell will return to the committee this week, but Boozman said he will call the vote regardless. McConnell’s absence during the August vote left the committee evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats, making his potential return significant for the committee’s next vote.
Record High Diesel Prices
Diesel prices continue to place pressure on producers as the harvest season begins, with the average U.S. price reaching a record high of $6.20 per gallon on Sunday, 68% higher than a year ago. These rising diesel costs will add significantly to farmers’ expenses, adding to concerns about already elevated production costs.
Canada Expanding its Trade Relationships
As trade tensions between the Canada and the U.S. continue to rise, Canada is working to expand its trade relationships outside of the United States. Prime Minister Mark Carney is hosting the Canada Investment Summit in Toronto this week, bringing together investors from around the globe.