Small, Latino-owned farms and their workers are reeling after Washington state's new agricultural overtime law hurt workers' earning potential during busy seasons, and made it hard for small farms with labor-intensive crops to stay in business. Maria Rodriguez, CEO of Vizions Economic Development Center in Yakima, which runs the Center for Latino farmers, joins Dillon to explain how a law intended to help workers is actually creating new challenges for both workers and small farmers.

Farm workers are being harmed by Washington state's new agricultural overtime law, and former farm worker Enrique Gastelum, now head of farm labor organization wafla, says state lawmakers need to do something. Gastelum talks with Dillon ahead of a Feb. 9 hearing over a new proposal being heard by the Washington state Senate Labor & Commerce committee that would begin to undo that harm.

While Washington state’s new mandate for overtime pay for farm workers was supposed to benefit workers, it’s had the opposite effect. Dillon talks with Maggie Pérez, an employee at an Eastern Washington apple and cherry farm, to learn what she is hearing from many of her co-workers about how the new law has affected them, and why they’re deeply frustrated with Olympia over the change.

Despite an effort by Yakima Valley dairies to benefit the environment, longtime anti-dairy activist Jean Mendoza is slamming the plan with her typical unscientific dogma. Jay Gordon, Policy Director for the Washington State Dairy Federation, joins Dillon to explain how Mendoza's unfounded criticism exposes her anti-farm agenda, and how the science of dairy's carbon cycle actually works.

As part of their work to preserve the legacy and future of local family farming, Whatcom Family Farmers provides a range of educational programs, both for kids and adults. But it requires community support, and Dillon talks with Ellie Steensma Corbin, Whatcom Family Farmers' Education & Outreach Coordinator, about an upcoming online auction to benefit those educational efforts, and how you can sponsor or donate items to be auctioned.

Throwing out a Trump-era effort to simplify the federal H-2A guest worker program, the Biden administration has now issued its own changes that complicate and add more expense for farmers using the system. Enrique Gastelum, CEO of wafla, joins Dillon to explain how the changes will make it even more challenging to grow food here in Washington state.

Blueberry production in Whatcom County and across Washington state continues to increase, according to new numbers from this year's harvest. Alan Schreiber, the Washington Blueberry Commission's executive director, joins Dillon with some highlights from his recent presentation to growers on the "State of the Washington Blueberry Industry".

Although a wet spring forced many crops in Whatcom County to be planted much later than normal, an unusually dry fall meant harvests weren't as disastrous as they could have been. Joe Vanderpol, agronomist for CHS Northwest, joins Dillon with a recap of the 2022 growing season, and the new challenges farmers faced from less-than-typical weather patterns.

While the troubling lack of progress in restoring endangered WA salmon runs continues to spur calls for more farmland to be converted to fish habitat, more evidence is coming to light that habitat work alone won't save the salmon. Daniel Schindler, professor at the University of Washington's School of Fishery and Aquatic Sciences joins Dillon to talk about a new study effort he chaired through the Washington State Academy of Sciences showing that seals and sea lions are hindering salmon recovery, and may need their populations controlled with lethal removal.

An apparent PR effort to support the Washington Department of Ecology's plan to litigate water rights issues in the Nooksack basin backfired on the state agency. Instead of supporting Ecology's position, experts speaking during the department's so-called "Solutions Showcase" forum exposed the deep flaws in the state's approach. Whatcom berry grower and water rights guru Marty Maberry joins Dillon with reaction to the forum's message, and Ecology's awkward effort to ignore the truth it shared.

One year after she and thousands of others were flooded by an unprecedented disaster in Whatcom County, Sumas-area farmer Leea Rainey Heeringa is still dealing with the impacts, not only on her farm, but also in processing the trauma she survived. Heeringa joins Dillon to share what it was like to live through the historic flood, and why she remains so passionate about reminding people of the disaster and urging solutions to keep it from happening again.

After a setback due to the pandemic, the Whatcom Farm Circle event grew to new heights in 2022. Ellie Steensma Corbin, Whatcom Family Farmers' Agriculture Education Coordinator, joins Dillon to explain how the field trip for third graders from Whatcom County schools works, and what this year's event included.

New state rules forced Alan Schreiber, a fruit and vegetable farmer near Eltopia, WA to leave one of his fields unharvested and let tens of thousands of cantaloupes rot away. Now that a video of Schreiber sharing the story has gone viral on Save Family Farming's Instagram account, he joins Dillon to answer the inevitable criticism the video is receiving on social media, explaining how the critics are missing the big picture.

Salmon are being restored and agriculture continues to thrive in the Yakima River Basin thanks to a collaborative effort between tribes, farmers, environmental interests and others. But as Dillon hears from Scott Revell, Roza Irrigation District Manager, the process didn't start that way, and may never have succeeded if the focus had stayed only on the state's water rights adjudication and the acrimony it created in the courtroom.

More and more people all over the Pacific Northwest and beyond continue to discover Blaine's Drayton Harbor Oyster Company and it's delicious shellfish. But, as Dillon learns from second-generation oyster farmer Mark Seymour and his biologist partner Kat Garrah, it took a lot of work to make it possible. Mark and Kat explain why the whole Whatcom community needs to work together to protect our water resources and ability to grow shellfish.

Advocates for protecting farming in Skagit County are continuing to push back against Seattle City Light's attempts to buy up farmland and take it out of production to mitigate for the lack of fish passage on its Skagit River dams. Will Honea, Skagit County Senior Deputy Prosecutor, updates Dillon on the latest developments, including an upcoming public hearing on Skagit County's efforts to make its ban on such land grabs permanent.

The New York Times recently featured the success of collaborative efforts to solve water management problems in the Yakima River Basin, and Dan Keppen, Executive Director of the Family Farm Alliance, joins Dillon to share more about the opportunities that negotiated settlements provide, as opposed to the litigatory path the Washington State Department of Ecology is pursuing in the Nooksack River Basin.

A process that can achieve real solutions to Whatcom County's water crisis exists, and has been resoundingly successful in other similar situations across the country. Respected water law expert Paul Simmons joins Dillon to explain how a negotiated Indian Water Rights Settlement process could make possible the changes needed here to protect families, fish and farming, as well as how massive federal funding is available if our community collaborates rather than fights in court.

While Joe Nichols’ 2013 hit song “Sunny and 75” points to the weather described in its title as the quintessential perfect day, labor activists are now attempting to spin 75-degree weather as ‘hazardous’ for farm workers. Pam Lewison, Director of Washington Policy Center's Initiative on Agriculture, joins Dillon to discuss how the extremists' plan defied common sense and exposed their ulterior motives.

September is Eat Local Month, and Sustainable Connections is working to help coordinate the celebrations across Whatcom County. Jess Meyer, Sustainable Connections' Food & Farming Outreach Coordinator, joins Dillon with the details on the various events and festivities happening all month long.

A new report from a national expert and former US Department of Interior Assistant Solicitor, Ramsey Kropf, outlines what's likely the only feasible path to solve the water management crisis in the Nooksack River Basin in a way that protects families, fish and farming. Fred Likkel, Whatcom Family Farmers Executive Director, joins Dillon to explain how Kropf's analysis of the Nooksack's challenges provides a workable path forward, as well as examples of other basins across the west that have had success following this path.

The USDA announced plans to partner with labor activists on a new project to develop further regulations on the already heavily-regulated federal H-2A guest worker program. Farm labor advocate Jesse Rojas is crying foul, pointing out the extremist nature of the activist group USDA is partnering with, and sharing the anti-farmworker actions that he has witnessed that group take during his work with advocacy group Pick Justice.

Protecting farming and some of the best farmland in the world is important to Skagitonians, as well as working to restore struggling salmon runs. Will Honea, Skagit County Senior Deputy Prosecutor, joins Dillon to explain how Seattle City Light wants to buy up Skagit delta farmland to use instead for salmon habitat projects to mitigate for its lack of fish passage on its Skagit River dams. He says it amounts to 'greenwashing' that will ultimately harm farming and fish.

With a heat wave pushing temperatures into the triple digits in many parts of Washington, farmers and workers bringing in the harvest need to use caution to avoid heat-related illness. Pam Lewison, director of the Washington Policy Center's Initiative on Agriculture, joins Dillon to break down what farmers across the state are doing and what state law mandates to protect workers.

The recent Northwest Raspberry Festival took over downtown Lynden with delicious treats, vendors, entertainment and basketball games. Dillon talked to Megan Lacy with Washington Red Raspberries to not only get details on the event, but also hear what local raspberry farmers are doing to promote their tasty, nutritious fruit.

Even as the farming community and others in the Nooksack River Basin continue to point out the troubling problems with their plan, the Washington State Department of Ecology continues to focus on litigation rather than collaboration to solve the local water crisis. Ag Water Board of Whatcom County administrator Henry Bierlink tells Dillon he's frustrated that Ecology isn't really hearing what the farming community is saying.

In a recent letter to Laura Watson, Washington Department of Ecology's director, the mayors of Sumas, Nooksack, Everson, Lynden and Blaine say they're concerned Ecology's misinformation about a water rights lawsuit in the Nooksack River Basin may be leading key parties to resist collaboration toward the larger solutions for the basin's water management crisis. Everson Mayor John Perry joins Dillon to talk about the letter, and underscore the need for cooperative efforts to accomplish bigger solutions than a state water rights adjudication lawsuit can produce.

Farmers are applauding a recent Supreme Court decision limiting EPA's ability to make regulations above and beyond the authority Congress has given it. Dan Wood, Washington State Dairy Federation Executive Director, talks with Dillon about how that could impact not only the future of EPA's efforts to restrict farming, but also the work of various other arms of the executive branch of government making onerous rules beyond their purview.

Despite its storied 155-year history of leadership on farming and rural public policy issues, many people are unaware of what the Grange is, and what it stands for. Dillon visits the Washington State Grange Convention in Puyallup and chats with National Grange Vice President Chris Hamp about the organization's origins, values, and enduring relevance, especially in our increasingly polarized society.

With raspberry and blueberry harvest looming, farms in Whatcom County are offering more flexibility than ever for people interested in helping with a diverse list of jobs and making some summertime cash. Christine Bolton, who leads the human resources department at Enfield Farms near Lynden, tells Dillon that many positions remain open, and they're able to tailor the work to each person's specific needs and interests.

One of the coolest, wettest springs in recent memory has farmers in the Pacific Northwest struggling to get crops planted. Clay Pehl, agronomist with CHS Northwest, joins Dillon to share what's happening on farms across Whatcom County, and how local farmers are trying to adjust to the challenging conditions they face.

Dairy farms, creameries and cheesemakers around Whatcom County are all on the list of places you can visit Saturday, June 11, as they open their doors to the public for the "Whatcom This Whey" self-guided farm tours event. Brianna DeBruin, Everson-area dairy herdswoman, is hosting a tour stop on her farm, and joins Dillon with details on what you can expect when you "choose your own adventure" during the 10am - 4pm event Saturday organized by the Dairy Farmers of Washington. The tour map and info about all the stops are available at https://www.wadairy.org/whatcomthiswhey/

The WA Board of Health’s move to regulate manure is on its face very redundant, as numerous federal, state, county and local governments and agencies already regulate every possible aspect of manure and how it’s managed. But as Dan Wood, Washington State Dairy Federation director tells Dillon, also troubling is the vague nature of many of their albeit redundant rulemaking, creating a potential regulatory and litigatory nightmare for animal agriculture.

Despite the daunting water management challenges facing the Nooksack River Basin, solutions are within reach, says Dan Keppen, Family Farm Alliance Executive Director. He joins Dillon to discuss his recent visit to Whatcom County, explain why he's optimistic that our local water crisis can be solved, and share what he's learned through his decades of involvement in the water challenges in the Klamath River Basin in southern Oregon and northern California.

As local leaders and residents continue to grapple with the Nooksack River Basin’s water management crisis and how to solve it, top national experts are coming to Whatcom County to hear from water users and offer their wisdom at a major community event. One of the experts, nationally-recognized attorney Ramsey Kropf, joins Dillon to share what people can expect to learn at the May 25th event at the Northwest Washington Fairgrounds’ Farm Pavilion in Lynden.

Titled "Solving Whatcom's Water Crisis," a major event on May 25 will bring national experts to Lynden for a discussion of the work needed to protect families, fish and farming. Fred Likkel, Whatcom Family Farmers' Executive Director, joins Dillon with the details.

Most milk produced by cows in the Nooksack River Basin is processed at Darigold's Lynden facility, where most of its water is removed to make powdered milk. Dillon talks with Lynden Mayor Scott Korthuis, whose idea to credit so-called "COW water" to the city's water needs, explains how the project to return water to the river is finally moving forward.

Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau, visited farms in Whatcom and Skagit counties recently. Dillon talks with Rosella Mosby, the new Washington Farm Bureau President, about Duvall's reaction to the unique political pressures the farming community faces here, as well as her vision for the future of the Washington Farm Bureau.

Already officially over a month into spring—at least according to the calendar—the weather here in the PNW has been decidedly cold and wet so far. Meteorologist Rufus La Lone joins Dillon to explain what’s causing our weather to seem as much like winter as it does spring. He shares a long-range outlook that has some hope to local farmers who are weeks behind spring planting schedules thanks to cold, wet fields—but there’s a catch.

Slapping Skagit Valley Farms with a fine over a quarter-million dollars, the WA Department of Ecology accuses the local vegetable grower of irrigating illegally and suggests it was harming salmon. But as Capital Press reporter Don Jenkins tells Dillon, there's more to the story, including details shared by the farm that raise major questions about Ecology's accusations and tactics in targeting the farm for enforcement.

With the price of fertilizer doubled--or more--over last year's already elevated prices, in addition to shortages leading to skyrocketing prices or complete unavailability of some key crop protection products, local farmers are under extra pressure during the already-stressful time of spring crop planting. Blake Carson, agronomist with Skagit Farmers Supply in Whatcom and Skagit counties, tells Dillon farmers are facing tough choices on whether to forge ahead or change their plans.

Water used for irrigation on farms will need to meet quality standards under a new agricultural water rule emerging from the FDA's years-long update of the Food Safety Modernization Act. Washington State Tree Fruit Association President Jon DeVaney joins Dillon to explain how the new rule works, and what it will mean for farmers here.

Fred Likkel, Whatcom Family Farmers Executive Director, tells Dillon he's encouraged to see people on all sides agree that we have to do something to solve water management issues in the Nooksack River Basin. “I would really encourage our community to work on helping us continue to send that message out, because it’s going to be very easy for this to fade from the headlines and just go back to, just not doing anything, because it’s easier that way.” Join the effort for Whatcom water management solutions now: https://p2a.co/gvg7BWc

WA Gov. Jay Inslee's renewed efforts to push farm-killing legislation and recent comments suggesting farmers are opposed because they don't care about salmon recovery are causing farmers and ranchers to speak out. Benge, WA, rancher Bridget Coon joins Dillon to explain the return of Inslee's harmful plans to the state legislature under a new name, just weeks after a previous attempt was resoundingly rejected. ***UPDATE: In the days following this 2/19 interview, the idea was again rejected by a state Senate committee and will not move forward in this year's legislative session.

After local mayors and the Whatcom farming community began speaking out about the need for immediate work to prevent another flooding disaster in the Nooksack basin, a Seattle reporter asked a Washington State Department of Ecology official whether they're considering sediment removal from the river--one of the multiple prevention efforts local leaders are calling for. "Nope," was the official's response, and Dillon not only shares the audio of the official's offensive comments, but also shares the larger context that underscores just how troubling the perspective of the Ecology official, David Radabaugh, truly is for the effort to prevent another catastrophe.

Amanda Lenssen, Whatcom County Dairy Ambassador, talks with Dillon about her dairy farming background on a Lynden-area family farm, as well as the advocacy she's been doing for the local dairy community in her dairy ambassador role and her vision for her future in agriculture.

After the twin problems of drought last summer, followed by a deadly flooding disaster in November, the mayors of north Whatcom County's small cities are calling on state leaders to stop ignoring the water management crisis in the Nooksack River Basin. Scott Korthuis, Lynden's mayor, joins Dillon to explain why he and his mayor colleagues wrote a letter to Olympia.

Political moves in Olympia last year to require long-term care coverage for WA residents have resulted in a debacle, to put it mildly. Lynden-based Manna Insurance Group owner and founder Dan Vander Kooi joins Dillon to explain what the latest 18-month delay recently approved by state lawmakers means for farms and other employers deciding whether to withhold money from workers' checks.