Save Family Farming

In a new editorial, Whatcom County farmers and realtors are collaborating to voice deep concern about how the state's massive water lawsuit is beginning to unfold. Perry Eskridge with the Whatcom Association of Realtors joins Dillon with more background on why they're troubled by the process so far, and what they would like to see instead.

With water supplies lagging far behind targets, irrigators in the Yakima basin are facing the likelihood of having their water restricted and even shut off later in this growing season. Scott Revell, manager of the Roza Irrigation District, joins Dillon with the details on the crisis and the emergency measures officials are taking to try to minimize the harm it can cause to agriculture there.

A group of labor activists is asking a judge to block all foreign guest workers for farming in Washington state, as part of a lawsuit disputing pay rates for farmworkers. Enrique Gastelum, CEO of wafla, joins Dillon with the details on the lawsuit and what it could mean for the future of WA farming.

An advocate for agriculture with extensive experience in both the political and non-profit realms has been named Save Family Farming's new leader. Ben Tindall, new Save Family Farming Executive Director, joins Dillon to share his passion for advocacy and protecting the future of family farming in Washington state.l

In an extreme example of government overreach, the WA Department of Ecology is seeking harsh penalties and even possible criminal charges against a ranch that had used a common practice to provide water for their animals. John Stuhlmiller, farming advocate and consultant to the ranch, joins Dillon with the stunning details.

Experts from the State of Washington and Washington State University are studying what factors currently hinder the competitiveness of farming in the state. Derek Sandison, Director of the Washington State Department of Agriculture, joins Dillon with details on the study and the Agricultural Viability Conference his agency recently hosted to gather information.

Whatcom and Skagit farmers faced a slow start to spring and are now working toward finishing up planting season. John Vander Veen, an agronomist with Skagit Farmers Supply, joins Dillon with the latest updates from local fields and farms.

Many local water users' questions remain unanswered even as the state's Nooksack water rights adjudication lawsuit gets underway across Whatcom County. Gavin Willis, Executive Director of the Ag Water Board of Whatcom County, joins Dillon to let people know about an opportunity they're offering to allow local ag water users to meet with water rights experts for free to get some of their questions...

Seattle water rights attorney Rachel Roberts estimates as many as 37,500 water users may be implicated in the water adjudication lawsuit the Washington Department of Ecology just filed in the Whatcom County courts. She joins Dillon with her perspective as someone who was involved in the state's last big water rights adjudication, which was in Yakima.

A new draft report is out from a task force formed by the WA Governor's Office looking at requirements for forested buffers along streams to aid salmon recovery. WA state Sen. Ron Muzzall joins Dillon with his concerns about the Riparian Task Force's Preliminary Recommendations, and what they could mean for the future of food and farming in Washington state.

Food consumers can get a transparent look at how their food was produced via a new system spearheaded in part by an Eastern Washington farmer. Austin Allred of Royal Family Farming joins Dillon to share how the FarmTracer system allows consumers to see exactly how their food was raised. He explains how they're using blockchain technology to overcome past hurdles to sharing farmers' information abo...

He's been studying the Lower Snake River Dams for years, and 'Armchair Engineer' Adam Ratliff joins Dillon with the truth about the pros and cons of these important and controversial structures.

Reporting in Canada is bringing to light a study showing a worsening outlook for flooding of the Nooksack River. Tyler Olsen, editor of the Fraser Valley Current, joins Dillon with details on what the latest science says farming and entire communities on both sides of the border may experience.

Local high school students might find a career path they're passionate about, or even just a good summer job at the all-new Whatcom County Agriculture Career Fair happening April 26 at Lynden High School. Whatcom Family Farmers is organizing the event featuring over a dozen local employers, and Outreach Coordinator Ellie Steensma Corbin joins Dillon with the details for students and for businesses...

As the state sues all Whatcom water users this year, requiring each user to prove their water rights in court, thousands of local residents will have to fill out court claim forms to begin their defense. Water rights attorney Bill Clarke joins Dillon with details on how crucial these court filings will be, and why the farming community has deep concern about the state's plan and proposed court for...

After a standing-room-only event this past fall, Whatcom Family Farmers is hosting another informational event to help people prepare for the upcoming water rights adjudication in the Nooksack River Basin. Fred Likkel, Whatcom Family Farmers' Executive Director, joins Dillon with details and why people--particularly farmers and private well owners--should attend if they want to protect their acces...

Nearly every other state that's enacted overtime pay rules for farm work allows for seasonal flexibility to help both farmworkers and farms--except Washington state. The state Senator who proposed adding flexibility to the law to bring relief for workers and farmers, Sen. Curtis King, joins Dillon to talk about the negative impacts of the poorly-thought-out new law, and how he plans to keep fighti...

Whatcom County water users will begin getting court summons in the mail this summer for the state's water rights lawsuit, and many are still unsure what this will mean for them. Jay Chennault, Principal Hydrologist with consulting firm Associated Earth Sciences, joins Dillon with details on an upcoming event that aims to educate community members about the process and the various steps they'll nee...

Many of the environmental efforts squeezing family farming in Washington state are connected to an assumed need for more fish habitat ostensibly to help restore the endangered Chinook salmon. But what if this major push is actually based on a misdiagnosis of the actual problems hindering Chinook recovery? Save Family Farming's Gerald Baron joins Dillon with details on his meta-analysis of several...

Saying it's not possible to survive financially the high cost of labor to harvest their fruit, another family farm is calling it quits. April Clayton, of Red Apple Orchard in Orondo, WA joins Dillon to explain why she and her husband decided to shut down the farm this year, and what might become of their beautiful orchards.

The latest Census of Agriculture data is out from the USDA, and Tom Vilsack, US Secretary of Agriculture, is calling it a "wakeup call." Pam Lewison, Center for Agriculture Director at the Washington Policy Center, says in many ways, the situation is even worse in Washington state than it is nationally, and joins Dillon with details.

The state of Washington's broken promise to Whatcom County farmers and now a sprawling lawsuit on water in the Nooksack River Basin is pushing already-struggling farms to shut down. Dillon shares audio clips from "Losing The Farm," a new, locally-produced documentary sharing the story of Cascade Farms, whose owners were forced to close less than a year ago.

Deep emotion and harsh realities of farm life are on full display in a brand new documentary giving viewers an inside look at a local potato farm that chose to close in the face of daunting odds for survival. Jeff and Diana Bedlington talk with Dillon about "Losing The Farm," which shares the story of their third-generation Lynden-area seed potato farm, and they open up about the heartbreak of hav...

Farmworkers are losing money as a result of Washington's new agricultural overtime law, and they're not happy about the change that was originally promoted as a benefit to them. Erik Zavala is a former farmworker who's now director of field staff for a tree fruit growers' cooperative in Eastern Washington, and he joins Dillon with more on what workers are saying and feeling about the situation.

Washington state Senator Rebecca Saldaña walked out of a hearing on a bill that would provide relief for farmworkers earning less money as a result of Washington's new ag overtime restrictions. Maia Espinoza, Director of the Center for Latino Leadership, joins Dillon and says Saldaña's exit happened as farmworkers in favor of a bill to allow overtime flexibility were about to speak. She shares wit...