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.

The Northwest RiverPartners Board of Directors has selected Clark Mather as the association’s next executive director. Mather will officially take over leadership responsibilities on April 1. Heather Stebbings, who has served as interim executive director since December 1, 2023, will assist in the transition process. “We’re excited to welcome Clark to the organization, as he comes to us with a depth of knowledge and expertise,” said Rich Wallen, Northwest RiverPartners board chair. “At such a critical time for hydropower in our region, Northwest RiverPartners needs to focus on promoting and protecting our hydropower assets.

After a slow start, the University of Idaho College of Agricultural and Life Sciences is finally poised to begin a monumental project to build farming systems that will stand up to the challenges of climate change. The Innovative Agriculture and Marketing Partnerships for Idaho — commonly known at IAMP — has been awarded $55 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It’s the largest grant in the university’s history and was among 70 projects awarded nationwide from a $2.8 billion investment in the department’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities initiative. More than half of the money will be paid out to growers who enroll in the program.

Tribal representatives and the governors of Washington and Oregon met with federal officials at the White House on Feb. 23 to sign the Columbia River Basin Agreement, reached during mediation over a long-running lawsuit targeting Snake River dam operations. None of the speakers mentioned breaching the lower Snake River dams. Tribal leaders and agricultural stakeholders have said the deal is a pathway to breaching. Authority to breach the dams remains with Congress.

An irrigators association estimates it would cost as much as $1 billion to keep farming if the four lower Snake River dams are ever breached. Washington state and the Bonneville Power Administration would need to pay irrigators about $750 million over four years to reconstruct about 25 pump stations in the event of breaching, and cover disruption to their farms as the dams are removed and replaced, according to the Columbia-Snake River Irrigators Association.

In a 29-5 vote, the Idaho Senate on Monday adopted Senate Joint Memorial 103 to voice opposition to the federal government’s efforts to remove and breach dams in the Columbia-Snake River system. A joint memorial is not a bill, but rather it is a petition or representation made by either chamber and approved in the other chamber, “addressed to whoever can effectuate the request of the memorial." According to the joint memorial, the Idaho Legislature addresses President Joe Biden, the U.S. Congress and Idaho’s congressional delegation. The Idaho Legislature in the joint memorial said it recognizes the importance of the Columbia-Snake River system for fish and wildlife, recreation, hydropower generation, irrigation, and transportation for agriculture.

We can be hard on ourselves. We often focus on our perceived limitations and get caught in a cycle of self-reproach and criticism. This self-punitive attitude can distance us from others, as we might feel unworthy of or a burden to other people, increasing our disconnectedness and loneliness. This is mirrored by activation patterns in the brain: Isolation and poor self-esteem have been associated with altered activity in areas connected to motivation, reward and stress response. Low self-esteem and social isolation go hand-in-hand. But the opposite is also true: Treating ourselves well is connected with positive feelings toward others and gratitude about life.