Save Family Farming

Despite much attention given to specific struggling salmon runs, many others are producing huge numbers. Washington state-based fisherman Paul Burrill tells Dillon there's more to the story of salmon health and abundance, and it's having a devastating impact on the Pacific Northwest fishing community.

Dry weather and water use restrictions have hurt crops in Skagit County and elsewhere across Washington state. Skagit dairy farmer Jason Vander Kooy joins Dillon with details on the drought's impact, and how the state's tardy declaration of a drought emergency affects crop losses.

Kaitlin Davies, Washington state outreach coordinator for the USDA's Farm Service Agency, joins Dillon with details on the kinds of support the federal agency has for farmers here.

Longtime Whatcom County berry grower and retired agricultural educator Ladd Shumway joins Dillon to talk about the variety of fruit his farm has available to the public, and explains how his "no spray" approach works, in this mid-harvest update from his farm, Shumway's Berries.

A deep dive into the state’s data – or lack thereof – on Washington state's farming labor crisis left host Dillon Honcoop with more questions than answers. He explains why he's concerned that state officials are ignoring what's arguably one of the biggest threats to the future of farming in Washington.

The already-costly federal H-2A guest worker program is getting even more expensive for farmers, thanks to huge new fees the feds are charging for each worker visa to help pay for the crisis at the US southern border. Enrique Gastelum, former farm worker and current CEO of farm labor non-profit wafla, joins Dillon to explain what the federal government is doing, and how it ultimately adds to the e...

Polluted water coming from BC is fouling Whatcom County's Nooksack River Basin, and local farmers are sounding the alarm. Fred Likkel, Whatcom Family Farmers' Executive Director, joins Dillon with details on the pollution, and how changes north of the border likely led to the ongoing problem.

Dairy farms and creameries around Whatcom County hosted visitors from far and wide Saturday, June 10th for the 2nd Annual "Whatcom This Whey & Choose Your Own Adventure" event put on by the Dairy Farmers of Washington. Just ahead of the event's 10am start, Dillon checked in with Marlies Gill, manager of the Appel Farms Cheese Shop, one of the stops on the self-guided tour.

Get an in-person look at Whatcom County dairy farms, creameries and cheesemaking on Saturday, June 10th, 2023 with the "Whatcom This Whey & Choose Your Own Adventure" event! Dillon talks with cheese artisan Daniel Wavrin about the tour and his work at Ferndale Farmstead, where he uses milk from his family's dairy to make award-winning cheeses.

Just in time for Lynden's Farmers' Day Parade, the Lynden Heritage Museum is hosting a free grand opening for a brand-new exhibit showcasing John Deere tractors, the longtime local John Deere dealer, and farming's importance to local history. Amanda May, the museum's director, joins Dillon with details on the new exhibit, the free-to-the-public launch, and changes happening at the museum, includin...

Even though the first several weeks of spring in the Pacific Northwest were exceptionally cool, Mark Van Mersbergen, Lynden-area red raspberry and blueberry grower and Washington Red Raspberry Commission President, says the recent warm days helped get the growing season back on track. Mark joins Dillon to explain the process he's been going through to replant one of his raspberry fields, as well a...

Competing directly with produce imported from Mexico and other countries, Wapato-area farmer Manuel Imperial of Imperial's Garden survives on incredibly tight margins to be able to sell his fruits and vegetables to grocery buyers. As he shares with Dillon, increasing labor pressures here in Washington are pushing farmers like him to the brink. He shared that message this week with several lawmaker...

It's the biggest of its kind north of Bellingham, and the Lynden Farmers Market continues to grow, year after year since its beginning 12 years ago. Dakota Stranik, Lynden Farmers Market Board President, joins Dillon with details on the market's history as well as plans for the 2023 season ahead.

Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, a few Washington state farm labor activists continue to claim there's no shortage of farm workers here. Enrique Gastelum grew up in a farm worker family, and now runs a non-profit helping the farming community deal with the worsening farm labor crisis in Washington. He joins Dillon to explain the extent of the problem, as well as its history and cause...

"Will the Last Family Farmer Leaving Washington Please Turn Out the Barn Lights?" was the headline on a recent Save Family Farming piece in the Seattle Times, borrowing from a phrase that goes back 50 years in Washington state. Gerald Baron, Save Family Farming founding director, and Fred Likkel, Whatcom Family Farmers' director, join Dillon to explain the new public outreach campaign to inform th...

Tulip Valley Farms is holding an April 29th event dubbed "Farm Bloom: Color and Conversations," and they're calling it an evening of color and conversations with farmers, neighbors, policymakers and friends. Andrew Miller, one of the farm's founders, joins Dillon to explain how they want to tackle the topics central to maintaining a vibrant agricultural economy and rural quality of life in Skagit,...

Despite the Washington state legislature's desire to protect farming and food production from the costs of a new carbon tax, the WA Department of Ecology has failed to develop a system to exempt farms from the higher fuel costs, as prices continue to climb. State Rep. Mike Chapman, D-Port Angeles, joins Dillon to voice his frustration with the Inslee Administration's failure to follow the 2021 law...

Down in California, Alexandre Family Farm is doing things differently. Blake Alexandre joins Dillon to explain how their dairy's big gamble is paying off, as well as to talk about how the Golden State's recent spate of wet weather is affecting farming there.

In the past, huge flocks of invasive European starlings were known to cause extensive damage to Whatcom County's berry crops, and consume significant amounts of cattle feed from local dairy farms. Matt Stevens, Wildlife Biologist with the USDA, along with Gavin Willis with Whatcom Family Farmers, join Dillon with details on the ongoing program to control the population of the pest birds that are a...

With no concerns about getting stuck in the mud or tangled in fences, drone spraying is giving farmers a new option to manage hard-to-access fields. Dillon talks with Sam Adams of Everson, WA-based Eagle Eye Aerial Solutions about the emerging technology and how they're providing drone spraying service to farms around the region at surprisingly reasonable prices.

Despite the good intentions of many who supported Washington's rollout of overtime pay for farm work, the implementation of the new law is harming the farm workers it was supposed to help. Pam Lewison, Director of the Washington Policy Center's Center for Agriculture, joins Dillon and explains why farm workers are speaking out, and how the new law is adding to the economic and regulatory pressure...

"Washington had a unique opportunity to return salmon to our streams and rivers and build a model for moving forward on thorny and critical environmental issues. But Gov. Jay Inslee's opposition doomed it.," Bill Bryant writes in a new column for the Inlander. The Nisqually River Foundation founding board member, former Seattle Port commissioner and 2016 WA gubernatorial candidate joins Dillon to...

Today's Whatcom Farm Expo features dozens of farms, suppliers, agencies and others hosting exhibits and providing educational talks for anyone interested in small farming. Aneka Sweeney, Whatcom Conservation District Education & Outreach Coordinator,

An advocate for Washington's Latino community says Hispanic farm workers are less likely to engage in Washington state's political process after state Senators disrespected and discounted the testimony of a dozen workers who testified before the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee. Maia Espinoza, founder of the Center for Latino Leadership, joins Dillon and shares how she was in the room when st...

Despite a bi-partisan effort--embraced by tribes and farmers--to create a program to help protect streams and salmon, WA Gov. Jay Inslee's opposition to the concept appears to have killed the proposal. Fred Likkel, Whatcom Family Farmers Executive Director, joins Dillon with details on the political confusion that remains after the broadly-supported bill was torpedoed in Olympia.