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Save Family Farming
Podcast by Save Family Farming
Ag Overtime Law Reduces CA Farmworker Income: Study
A new UC Berkeley study is showing how new overtime laws for farm work in California is leading to significantly fewer hours for each worker, and thus less take-home pay.
Researcher Ali Hill joins Dillon to break down the data she's been uncovering about the counterinuitive real-world impacts of a law similar to new legislation here in Washington state intended to help farmworkers.
21:1316/01/2024
Japanese Beetle Prompts Quarantine, Treatment in Lower Yakima Valley
Japanese Beetles can be a threat to crops here in Washington State, but leaders are optimistic it can be eradicated.
Cassie Cichorz with the Washington State Department of Agriculture joins Dillon to explain why they're going to battle against the invasive species now that it's become a problem in the lower Yakima Valley.
19:4115/01/2024
Farm Advocate Critical of New State Bid to Regulate Private Wells
Small farms and rural businesses in Washington that rely on wells could be forced to get special permit under a state Department of Health proposal.
Jay Gordon, southwest WA farmer and Policy Director for the Washington State Dairy Federation, joins Dillon with details on the proposed regulation and the possible ulterior motives behind it.
19:4805/01/2024
Flawed Formula: Group Pushes Back Against Guest Worker Minimum Wage Increases
With the minimum wage for guest workers on farms in WA going up to $19.25/hr. this year, many family farms are fighting to stay afloat.
Michael Marsh, CEO of the National Council of Agricultural Employers, joins Dillon to explain how the Federal government's flawed methodology is driving the skyrocketing minimum wage, how that wage is driving unsustainable wage inflation for more than just guest workers, and how that inflation is pushing American farms out of business.
21:1505/01/2024
Former Top Federal Official: Secret Dam Deal "Very Frightening"
After several members of Congress leaked an agreement on the future of the Lower Snake River Dams that the Biden administration negotiated in secret to exclude farmers and others, many are voicing condemnation of the deal.
Karen Budd-Falen, former US Department of the Interior Deputy Solicitor, who has followed activists' longtime campaign to force the dams' removal, joins Dillon with reaction and insight into what could happen next.
19:4021/12/2023
Labor Activists Misrepresent Farming Overtime Legislative 'Deal'
Extreme labor activists are falsely claiming that the farming community is going back on its word in a legislative agreement on overtime for farm work.
Pam Lewison, Director of the Center for Agriculture at the Washington Policy Center, tells Dillon the activists' narrative doesn't align with what actually happened in 2021 when a deal was forged to begin the ag overtime rollout.
20:4613/12/2023
Conflict over tide gates protecting Skagit farmland continues
Will Honea, Skagit County Senior Deputy Prosecutor, joins Dillon with the latest on the ongoing controversy over water management, fish recovery and farming in Skagit County.
19:0811/12/2023
Secret dam negotiations exclude farmers, electricity customers
Despite several science studies casting major doubt on their claims that it would save endangered salmon, activists continue to push for the removal of the dams on the lower Snake River in a move that would devastate agriculture, electricity rate payers and many others.
Todd Myers, Director of the Center for the Environment at the Washington Policy Center, joins Dillon with details on the secret negotiations the federal government has been having with only certain groups in the region, and notably omitting some of the communities that would be hit hardest.
41:3607/12/2023
Bracing for Upcoming Whatcom Water Lawsuit, Hundreds Gather in Lynden to Learn from Experts
Local residents packed a meeting this past week featuring experts outlining how they can protect their water access, as a state lawsuit on water rights in Whatcom County is expected to begin this coming spring.
Fred Likkel, Whatcom Family Farmers' Executive Director, joins Dillon to talk about some of the biggest questions and concerns people have as the court case looms.
20:2928/11/2023
Overtime, Fuel Surcharge Fixes Top WA State Senate GOP '24 Ag Agenda
Fixing problems with Washington state's new farming overtime laws, as well as the state's failure to follow state law exempting farming from new fuel surcharges, are among the top issues Republicans in the State Senate want to tackle in the coming legislative session. Their agriculture agenda, dubbed "Cultivate Washington," was the focus of a press conference recently, and state Sen. Ron Muzzall, R-Oak Harbor, joins Dillon with a look at some of those top priorities.
20:1828/11/2023
Protecting Your Water: Lynden Event Will Help Farmers, Landowners Prepare For State's Lawsuit
Many farmers and landowners are asking where to start preparing to protect their water access as the State of Washington prepares to file a massive lawsuit requiring them to prove their rights.
Water law expert Bill Clarke joins Dillon with details on how and why to attend Whatcom Family Farmers' educational event on Nov. 8 from 2:00pm to 4:00pm at the Northwest Washington Fairgrounds' Peoples Bank Farm Pavilion.
20:5206/11/2023
Good fall weather helps Whatcom corn, potato harvests
Despite underwhelming 2023 yields for berry crops in Whatcom County, farmers are enjoying healthy corn and potato production with advantageous weather for harvest. Clay Pehl, CHS Northwest Agronomist, joins Dillon to share what he's hearing from farmers in the field so far this fall.
19:1417/10/2023
500 Farm Workers Gather to Speak Out on WA Ag Overtime
Farm workers all over Washington are voicing frustration with the state's new agricultural overtime law, and 500 workers recently gathered in Quincy, WA to hear from leaders including state Rep. Alex Ybarra about how to have their voice heard in Olympia. Ybarra joins host Dillon Honcoop with details on the event, and how agricultural overtime is hurting the farm worker community -- the very people it was supposed to help.
21:0310/10/2023
Clark County farm provides chilling example of what could decimate Whatcom agriculture
As the water rights showdown between Vancouver, WA area BiZi Farms and the Washington State Department of Ecology continues to escalate, Whatcom County farmers should pay attention to the legal and practical problems it raises. Washington water law expert and attorney Bill Clarke joins Dillon to explain how state law actually encourages the development of farmland when water rights are in question.
20:5102/10/2023
USDA "not following federal law" in habitat payment debacle: former Whatcom councilman
Calling it bizarre, former Whatcom County councilman Rud Browne says he believes the USDA Farm Service Agency's recent decision to cancel a swath of contracts with local landowners to compensate for salmon habitat projects isn't legal. He joins Dillon to explain why he's been involved in the now-embattled Conservation Reserve Enhancement (CREP) Program, and why the feds' decision to pull out of many contracts due to their own administrative error is so harmful.
19:3128/09/2023
Farms Open Gates to Public for Annual Whatcom Farm Tour
Area residents had the chance to see local food and farming up close and personal at the annual Whatcom Farm Tour. Dillon talked with organizer Jess Meyer with Bellingham-based Sustainable Connections and Eat Local First about the details for this year's tour, and then checked in with a new farmer on the lineup--Marie Hegarty of Fair Cow's Path Farm near Blaine.
21:0220/09/2023
Water Rights Update: Standing-Room-Only Crowd in Ferndale Hears From Experts
Concern about the upcoming state water rights court case in Whatcom County continues to build among local residents. Dillon talks with Henry Bierlink, administrator of the Ag Water Board of Whatcom County, about the event that packed Ferndale's Pioneer Pavilion Community Center with local residents anxious about the future of their water rights, and what they heard from a lineup of experts.
20:2720/09/2023
Fed decision cancelling conservation contracts over technicality angers Whatcom farmers
Farmers in Whatcom County are incensed after the federal Farm Service Agency announced it would be cancelling roughly half of the Conservation Reserve Easement Program contracts it had made with local landowners. Steve Groen, who farmed west of Lynden for decades, joins Dillon to talk about how the decision impacts him, and how he feels the feds have betrayed his trust.
20:4805/09/2023
Despite drought emergency, state won't support fix for Ferndale water association supplying farm
Ferndale-area dairy farmer Rod Erickson faced an emergency situation this summer as the water association he relies on to water his cows had its well run dry. Dillon talks with Rod and Kevin Mayock, Bakerview Water Association Treasurer, to find out how they've worked to survive the situation, and why the state has, so far, not given any support to help with this drought-caused crisis.
20:0105/09/2023
Farmers, fish advocates outraged over stream restoration contract debacle
Farm Service Agency authorities have abruptly put hundreds of existing local stream restoration projects in jeopardy, pulling federal support last week due to a bureaucratic error two decades ago.
Fred Likkel, Whatcom Family Farmers' Executive Director, talks with Dillon about what he's uncovered so far on this developing story and how it will impact salmon recovery locally, not to mention the finances of many Whatcom County family farms that had participated in the fish restoration efforts.
21:4828/08/2023
Whatcom farmers struggle as wells run dry
Drought continues in Whatcom County, and some wells--including at least one that supplies a local water association--have gone dry.
Fred Likkel, Executive Director of Whatcom Family Farmers, joins Dillon with details on how that's affected some local farms.
20:0228/08/2023
New EPA Plan Would Drastically Restrict WA Farm Pesticide Use
Farmers and state regulators are pushing back against an EPA proposal that would severely restrict pesticide use, which federal regulators say is necessary to protect a list of endangered species. Capital Press reporter Don Jenkins joins Dillon with the details, as well as reaction from the Washington State Department of Agriculture and other state's regulatory agencies that are pushing back.
20:1516/08/2023
WA Fisherman: Glut of Salmon Creating Fish Market Crisis
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.
19:5915/08/2023
Emergency Drought Declaration Better Late Than Never: Skagit Farmer
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.
18:0607/08/2023
Agency helps WA farmers connect with federal support
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.
17:1101/08/2023
Everson-area fresh-market berry farmer grows fruit for local U-pickers
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.
21:2724/07/2023
Is Olympia ignoring the biggest threat facing Washington’s farmers?
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.
37:0214/07/2023
New "Asylum Surcharge" on Guest Worker Visas Unfairly Punishes Smaller Farms
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 enormous pressure on family farms to either get big or get out.
20:0619/06/2023
Whatcom Farmers Call Out BC Water Pollution Coming Across Border
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.
21:0413/06/2023
Local dairy event welcomes visitors onto several Whatcom farms, creameries
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.
21:1713/06/2023
Award-winning Ferndale cheese artisan among hosts for special Whatcom dairy event
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.
20:4505/06/2023
Tractors, Local Farming Focus of New Museum Exhibit
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, including its newly-announced name change.
18:5130/05/2023
Lynden-area Raspberry, Blueberry Farmer Optimistic Despite Late Spring
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 as comment on how our recent unusual weather patterns are affecting crops.
20:4225/05/2023
Wapato fruit & vegetable farmer hosts controversial lawmaker as labor pressures rise
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 lawmakers who visited Imperial's Garden, including state Sen. Rebecca Saldaña, who has promoted controversial anti-farm proposals in the past, but is now expressing a desire to see both farm workers and farmers thrive.
18:5013/05/2023
Lynden Farmers Market Gearing Up for 2023 Season
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.
19:0306/05/2023
Does WA Have a Farm Labor Shortage?
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 causes.
20:1301/05/2023
Why "Barn Lights" is the Name of Save Family Farming's Latest Outreach Campaign
"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 the public of the true extent of problems currently pushing family farms out of the Evergreen State.
20:4201/05/2023
Skagit Tulip Farm Welcoming Public, Lawmakers for 'Color and Conversations'
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, Whatcom, Island, and Snohomish counties.
20:4517/04/2023
State Rep. 'beyond frustrated' with Ecology failure to protect farms from WA carbon tax
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, calling it "patently unfair" and suggesting the state risks being "complicit in losing farmland" as it continues to pile additional costs on producing food in WA.
20:4803/04/2023
How a California family dairy's unconventional approach is paying off
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.
20:5801/04/2023
Starling trapping program controls invasive birds to protect Whatcom crops, cattle feed
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 also known to spread dangerous disease.
21:2028/03/2023
Everson company brings high-tech spraying to local farms
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.
19:5220/03/2023
Why overtime pay designed for factories doesn't work for farming
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 that's pushing food production out of the state.
19:1614/03/2023
How WA Gov. Jay Inslee Killed Collaborative Effort Between Tribes and Farmers
"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 talk about the deeper harm Inslee's actions are causing.
18:4304/03/2023
Whatcom Farm Expo Features Free Talks, Exhibits
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,
21:2904/03/2023
Advocate: WA Senators' Disrespect for Farm Workers Has Chilling Effect
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 state Sens. Rebecca Saldaña and Karen Keiser suggested the workers didn't understand the issue on which they were testifying, and allowed a biased and editorialized translation of workers testifying in Spanish.
20:2027/02/2023
Salmon restoration effort supported by tribes, farmers dies following Inslee opposition
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.
21:4827/02/2023
How a WA state Senator disrespected farm workers in a key hearing
Dillon shares audio from the Feb. 9 WA state Senate Labor & Commerce Committee hearing on SB 5476, where Sen. Rebecca Saldaña mistranslated and editorialized farm workers' testimony, effectively suggesting they didn't understand the issue on which they were testifying.
19:4421/02/2023
Skagit farmers, tribes make progress against Seattle City Light land grab
Will Honea, Skagit County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, joins Dillon with an update on the ongoing battle by farmers, tribes and other local interests working together to stave off a greenwashed land grab by Seattle City Light.
20:5421/02/2023
Farm overtime hearing was 'disgrace,' says son of lifelong farm worker
Incensed after Hispanic farm workers were disrespected by State Senators Rebecca Saldaña and Karen Keiser during the Feb. 9 Senate Labor & Commerce Committee hearing on agricultural overtime, Enrique Gastelum tells Dillon his farm worker father would be outraged. Gastelum, head of farm labor organization wafla, called Saldaña's and Keiser's handling of the hearing "disgraceful," calling out how the state Senators not only suggested the farm workers testifying were ignorant on the topic of the hearing, but also deliberately mistranslated and editorialized their testimony while denying access to the certified translator in the room.
19:0814/02/2023