Howard McDonald, the new president of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers, urges farmers to get involved.

“Especially the younger generation,” he said. “We need them involved. They’re our future. There aren’t many of us left, but this younger generation is so passionate about farming. It’s fun to see, but they need to get involved. We need their help.”

McDonald got involved because he was impressed by an industry meeting.

“Once I was there, I’m going, ‘Wow,’” he said. “The people around here — Michelle Hennings, Lori Williams, Glen Squires — we’ve got so many great people. I saw that and I’m going, ‘I want to be involved, contribute a little bit.’”

Hennings is executive director and Williams is outreach coordinator of WAWG. Squires is CEO of the Washington Grain Commission.

McDonald farms northeast of Coulee City with his son, occasionally getting help from another son and a son-in-law, who are both agronomists. He raises wheat, canola and some sunflowers.

He and his wife have six kids who are either teachers or involved in agriculture, he said.

Upcoming issues such as the next farm bill that Congress will produce, labor issues such as overtime rules and preserving the Snake River dams are priorities, he said.

He hopes to have made progress on at least some of those issues when his term is up at the end of 2022.