It was a short work week in Washington, D.C., with the Memorial Day holiday on Monday and the Senate on recess. Here’s a quick update on key happenings.

Ag media is buzzing with hints about timing for farm bill consideration on the Senate floor and in the House Agriculture Committee, though Congressional agricultural leaders have announced no official dates.

NAWG and other agricultural groups wrote President Barack Obama this week, commending him for his Administration’s support of agricultural technology in the recently-released National Bioeconomy Blueprint.

Wheat harvest is in full swing, earlier by weeks than most can remember. Readers have many options for following along online.

The coming reauthorization of federal farm and food policy should include a multi-legged farm safety net with crop insurance as its foundation, NAWG President Erik Younggren testified Thursday to Members of the House Committee on Agriculture’s Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management.

The United States and Colombia officially implemented on Tuesday a free trade agreement (FTA) first signed in 2006, immediately eliminating all tariffs on wheat imports to the South American country.

Nearly 280 million Americans will have seen America’s Heartland by the start of the show’s eighth season this fall, according research by TRAC Media, producers told show Advisory Board members this week at their biannual meeting.

USDA’s 150th birthday is Tuesday, May 15, and the agriculture community is asking farmers and consumers to help it celebrate.

Anticipation is building for 2012 Farm Bill action in the coming weeks, with reauthorization before the current bill’s expiration on Sept. 30 looking possible.

The conference process for divergent House- and Senate-passed surface transportation bills began this week with a public hearing on Tuesday that was dominated by opening statements and calls for passage of a long-term bill.

A new survey of U.S. consumer perceptions of agricultural technology shows a strong majority would be willing to purchase foods made with wheat produced using biotechnology if the innovations delivered nutritional or environmental benefits.

Congress was out of session again this week. NAWG encourages all readers to visit with their Representatives and Senators during these times, to deliver information about the needs of wheat producers directly. Meanwhile, here’s an update on what’s been happening in D.C.