The Farming Show

A troubling new proposal from Whatcom County government has put thousand of acres of farmland–and by extension, the farmers that grow food on it–at risk. Fred Likkel, Executive Director of Whatcom Family Farmers, joins Dillon to explain how bad the plan would be for local farming, and how bureaucrats in Bellingham are working to quickly ram the proposal through with minimal review.

With the backdrop of a statewide farm viability crisis and major local concerns about water, State Rep. Kristine Reeves, Chair of the Washington State House of Representatives’ Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, met with Whatcom County farmers and toured a couple of local farms. Reeves, a Federal Way Democrat, joins Dillon to talk about what she learned from Whatcom farmers when she joined State Rep. Alicia Rule, D-Blaine, for Rule’s Lynden-area campaign stop, and what she’s focusing on to help Washington state farmers in the year ahead.

The votes have been tallied, and virtually all the results are in from this year’s election, showing a strong “blue wave” of mid-term wins for Democrats at both the state and federal level. Enrique Gastelum, Worker and Farmer Labor Association CEO, joins Dillon with what farmers’ responsibility is in the wake of the election to keep working toward a sustainable future for agriculture and the people who make it possible

Bird Flu has been detected on a Pierce County, WA poultry farm, according to Washington state and local officials, who say that the risk to the public remains low. But what does the illness mean for farmers, especially with times being tight for agriculture across the state? A Southwest Washington poultry farmer–who asked not to be named–joins Dillon to share insight into what a farm with bird flu may be going through right now, and explains what farmers are doing to stop the spread of the sickness to protect other farms and the public.

A misleading UCLA-sponsored report that disparaged Washington state farmers with false accusations continues to draw criticism. Pam Lewison, an academic research expert and the Director of Agriculture Policy at the Washington Policy Center, joins Dillon to expose the report’s fundamental failures and its unmistakable parallels with political activists’ efforts.

Following the tragic news of the death of a Yakima-area dairy farm worker with bird flu, dairies continue to take precautions to protect workers, and experts say the risk to the public remains low. Rick Naerebout, Washington State Dairy Federation CEO, joins Dillon with details on what farms are doing for worker safety and to slow or stop the spread of the virus among dairy cows and other farm animals.

Government leaders have again proposed large, inflexible stream and wetland buffers that could take thousands of acres of farmland out of production, this time in Whatcom County. Sadly, these kinds of proposals made in the name of environmental protection so often fail to consider the harmful, counterproductive environmental impacts the change itself will cause. Rud Browne, a Whatcom County Planning Commissioner, former Whatcom County Councilman and lifelong environmental entrepreneur, joins Dillon with a breakdown of some major concerns about this major new local plan.

A Moses Lake-area farm has taken its fight against the Washington State Department of Ecology all the way to the state’s Supreme Court. Ron and Robin Fode await a decision after the Supreme Court of Washington heard their case Oct. 1. The farmers say Ecology broke state law when it unfairly slapped them with a massive fine. The Fodes join Dillon on the show, opening up about their case and how hard it is to fight back against a state agency.

More and more people are interested in eating food grown close to home, and for Washington state residents, there’s a map for that: the online Washington Food & Farm Finder. The Whatcom County-based Sustainable Connections spearheaded the project initially locally, but soon had partners across Washington assembled as the Eat Local First Collaborative, which helped continue to develop the statewide online tool that the effort became. Maressa Valliant, Eat Local First Director with Sustainable Connections, joins Dillon to announce the global agritourism award that the Washington Food & Farm Finder received, and share some of the project’s history.

A recent activist-led survey claims climate change is to blame for reduced income for farmworkers in Washington state–despite much more extensive Washington State University data showing workers largely pointing to a change in the state’s farm wage laws. Enrique Gastelum, leader of the Worker and Farmer Labor Association, joins Dillon to expose the bunk study’s hidden motivation to obscure the truth about the state’s harmful farm overtime law.