Save Family Farming Show

"Uncertainty right now is the name of the game," says Jason Hoekstra, CEO of Sumas-based EPL Feed. The company provides feed for dairies and other farms all over Washington state. Hoekstra joined Dillon to talk about many of the challenges facing the local farming community, including the unknowns that the Trump administration's new tariffs present--impacts that could potentially either harm or help farms.

It's no secret that the over-50 year-old Endangered Species Act (ESA) has become anti-farm activists' favorite tool to litigate and regulate farms out of business. What most people don't know is that while killing farms and bringing in untold millions for the environmental litigation industry, the landmark law has largely failed to save the endangered species it claims to protect. Dan Keppen, Family Farm Alliance's Executive Director, joins Dillon with details on a new effort in Congress to reform the ESA, to modernize the measure and re-focus it on actually restoring endangered species rather than enabling costly, farm-killing litigation.

The farming community in the Lower Yakima Valley and across Washington state is mourning the loss of multigenerational family dairy Cow Palace, after the US Environmental Protection Agency's unrelenting attacks forced its closure. Amanda McKinney, Yakima County Commissioner, talks with Dillon about the EPA's war on farming, saying it's time for the agency's vicious bureaucrats to be held accountable for the harm they're causing.

Proponents of removing Lower Snake River dams have pushed a massive disinformation campaign for decades. Adam Ratliff, an engineer, social media influencer and marketing guru joins Dillon to share how he and a group of farmers have teamed up to push back with the truth about dams and agriculture.

Thousands of Whatcom County residents were perplexed in the past week after being asked to sign as they received a piece of certified mail--a mailing they quickly discovered was a packet of legal paperwork notifying them they are being sued by the State of Washington to prove their water rights in court. Fred Likkel, Whatcom Family Farmers' Executive Director, talks with Dillon as they explain what people need to know about receiving the court summons, and what they should and shouldn't do with the water rights claim form it asks them to submit.

As the court fight to protect thousands of acres of Skagit County farmland threatened by federal agencies' refusal to OK tidegate repair continues, a national farm group is throwing its weight behind the Skagit farmers' case. Norm Semanko, attorney for Family Farm Alliance, joins Dillon with the latest on the Skagit drainage district's lawsuit, and why his organization has filed a court brief in support of the suit.

A major breakdown in behind-the-scenes talks is plunging the future of Whatcom farmers and other water users into even deeper turmoil and uncertainty, underscoring the need for a collaborative process as the only way to save salmon and local farming. Fred Likkel, Whatcom Family Farmers Executive Director, joins Dillon with the behind-the-scenes details, and what they mean for Whatcom County's future.

Community members gathered Saturday, March 1st at the Northwest Washington Fairgrounds for the 9th annual Whatcom Farm Expo, put on by the Whatcom Conservation District. Aneka Sweeney, the conservation district's Outreach & Education Manager, joins Dillon early Saturday morning ahead of the event with details on what attendees can expect.

Save Family Farming is speaking out against the new federal immigration crackdown, releasing a statement critical of the brash approach that's created a wave of fear among the farmworker community. Ben Tindall, Save Family Farming Executive Director, joins Dillon with details on the organization's controversial new statement, saying the crackdown is having a negative impact on farms and isn't helping solve the nation's broken immigration system.

Three Lynden Christian High School students are putting their FFA projects to use beyond just the agricultural skills they'll gain. Students Brooke Van Loo, Jaedyn Polinder and Case DeJong, along with their teacher and advisor Kelly DeJong, join Dillon with details on their involvement in the charity effort "Growing Hope Globally," and how their FFA projects are part of a fundraiser to support sustainable food production in Rubanda, Uganda.

As the 2025 legislative session continues in Olympia, the farming community has a list of proposals it's watching closely. Bridget Coon, Washington Farm Bureau First Vice President for Legislative Affairs joins Dillon with details on a few of the issues topping their list, including a fix to illegal fuel surcharges on farmers, as well as relief for farmers and farmworkers from the harm of new state ag overtime rules.

While some critics claim animal agriculture's methane emissions contribute to climate change, when the totality of farming's carbon impacts--positive and negative--are tallied, a much different story emerges. Ellie Steensma Corbin, Whatcom Family Farmers' Education Coordinator, joins Dillon with details on the release of a new video project showing what Royal Dairy in Royal City, WA, is doing not only to reduce methane emissions but also to store carbon in the soil.

A misguided new proposal to force Washington state farms to report methane emissions skips half of the equation, and could potentially harm the fight against climate change. Dan Wood, Washington State Dairy Federation Executive Director, joins Dillon with details on measure proposed in the state legislature in Olympia.

Washington state's legislature is back in session in Olympia through at least April, and legislators are considering a variety of proposals that could affect agriculture. Pam Lewison, the Research Director for the Center for Agriculture at the Washington Policy Center, joins Dillon with a rundown of issues both positive and negative that she's tracking right now.

Farmworkers are again set to gather on the steps of the Washington State Capitol to speak out against the state's new overtime rules for farming, as well as other regulations and issues impacting their community. Ben Tindall, Save Family Farming's Executive Director, joins Dillon with details on this year's event set for Feb. 4th, after last year's rally brought over 300 farmworkers to Olympia.

The title of a Washington proposal to allow predatory unions to force themselves on farmworkers without a vote belies its true motives. Scott Dilley, spokesman for the Olympia-based Worker and Farmer Labor Association, joins Dillon to explain that even the bill's main sponsor, Rep. Lillian Ortiz-Self, D-Mukilteo, admits there's a bigger plan than just unionizing cannabis workers.

As part of a legal ploy--ostensibly to allow certain farmworkers to make more money during fruit harvests--a group of labor activists is pushing a federal judge to block guest farmworkers in Washington state. The activists' legal game essentially amounts to a scorched-earth approach to wage negotiations that ultimately threatens tens of thousands of farmworkers' jobs and the survival of a wide swath of the state's fruit production. Enrique Gastelum, Worker and Farmer Labor Association CEO, tells Dillon the same activist group that's now claiming workers will be harmed if they don't get piece rates years ago actually argued against piece-rate wages for farmworkers.

Agriculture careers in Whatcom County are both diverse and plentiful, and a growing local event intends to connect young people with those opportunities. Ellie Steensma Corbin, Education Coordinator at Whatcom Family Farmers, joins Dillon with details on how both local students and businesses can get involved in the 2nd annual event coming up on Feb. 7 in the Farm Pavilion at the Northwest Washington Fairgrounds in Lynden.

As much as locally- and regionally-grown food is celebrated in the Pacific Northwest, the reality is that fewer and fewer kinds of crops are being grown here. Jay Gordon, a sixth-generation Southwest Washington farmer, joins Dillon to explain the ugly truth about why so many crops are no longer grown in the PNW, and why even more are leaving.

In a recent statement, a top EPA official in Seattle falsely claimed the federal agency is collaborating with other agencies and community groups to address groundwater nitrate issues in the lower Yakima Valley. David Taylor with the Washington State Dairy Federation and a former state representative joins Dillon to explain the reality that EPA has been far from collaborative or helpful with the ongoing Groundwater Management Area (GWMA) effort in Yakima County.

The US Environmental Protection Agency is using a court order to demand two Lower Yakima Valley dairies test area residents' water for nitrates, and provide bottled water and treatment systems. But Yakima County has already been doing that exact work for years, and has virtually blanketed the area with its efforts. LaDon Linde, Yakima County Commissioner and former dairy farmer, joins Dillon to explain why a federal judge's approval of the EPA's request for an emergency order against the dairies doesn't make sense.

A coalition of regional leaders including farmers is calling on the federal government to withdraw its plan for new environmental reviews of the Columbia and Snake River dams. Clark Mather, Executive Director of NW RiverPartners, joins Dillon to explain why such a study would be misleading and unlawful, risking huge harm to farming, hydropower and the future of the entire Pacific Northwest.

The latest hearing on the state's massive Whatcom water rights lawsuit spent court time debating whether to use single- or double-sided printing for court forms mailed to local water users. Fred Likkel, Executive Director of Whatcom Family Farmers, joins Dillon with an update, and explains how the ridiculous point of conflict between state and county officials is emblematic of the fundamental flaws in the water rights adjudication process.

A governor-appointed Washington state task force continues to forge ahead with recommendations for forcing wide, forested stream buffers on farmland, despite fundamental flaws in the process. Kara Rowe, Policy Director at the Western Washington Agricultural Association, joins Dillon with the latest on the Washington Riparian Task Force's recommendations.

Many sectors of the Washington farming community are struggling with soaring costs, flatlining returns, and suffocating regulations -- including tree fruit growers. Jon Devaney, President of the Washington State Tree Fruit Association joins Dillon with more on his recent column that raised some eyebrows, and what he's saying farmers can do to help their own cause.

A federal judge has blocked the US Department of Labor's rollout of new rules for farms employing guest workers, including a change that could have given foreign guest workers union rights. Enrique Gastelum, CEO of the nonprofit Worker and Farmer Labor Association (WAFLA) joins Dillon with details on the preliminary injunction and the unreasonable proposed DOL rules it blocks.

The portion of the money spent on the average American Thanksgiving dinner that actually makes it back to the farmers who grew the food is shockingly small. Pam Lewison, Director of the Center for Agriculture at the Washington Policy Center, joins Dillon with the 2024 numbers, and why those numbers show a need for changes in government policy.

Family Farming in Washington state is in crisis, and at Save Family Farming, we're trying to sound the alarm to help protect a future for family farming here. Ben Tindall, Save Family Farming Executive Director, joins Dillon with details on some of the work the organization has been up to, and shares how you can support "Farming On The Brink," our latest documentary project to highlight the family farming crisis.

With much talk about endangered salmon and fish recovery, many people assume salmon are becoming more and more scarce in the Pacific Northwest. Paul Burrill, fishing industry veteran, tells Dillon that assumption couldn't be further from the truth for many salmon runs this year.

After Donald Trump announced former US Rep. Lee Zeldin as his pick to lead the US Environmental Protection Agency, Save Family Farming issued him a challenge: fix EPA's Region 10 leadership. Ben Tindall, Save Family Farming's Executive Director, joins Dillon to discuss why they're calling on Zeldin to clean house in EPA Region 10.

Puget Sound's Southern Resident Killer Whales for years have been struggling to survive, and it's long been assumed that a lack of the Chinook salmon the whales eat is to blame. That's added even more pressure to recovery efforts for endangered Chinook salmon, which often result in costs and restrictions for farming, ostensibly to restore fish habitat. But a new study is upending that assumption, and Dr. Andrew Trites, one of the researchers behind the report, joins Dillon with details on why a lack of salmon may not be the problem after all for the endangered orcas.

Longtime farmworker union and activist labor organization United Farm Workers wants to change Washington state laws to expand here, but the farming community in its home territory is sounding the alarm. Dan Gerawan, former major California fruit farmer, joins Dillon to share the truth about UFW and how it has been treating farmworkers and farms in the Golden State.

As the debate continues over whether to remove dams on the Lower Snake River, the stakes are high for the future of farming in Washington state. Michelle Hennings, a WA wheat farmer and the Executive Director of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers, joins Dillon with more detail on the devastation that breaching the dams would cause, and why it's so important for farmers to speak out against their removal.

Farmworker rights activist Jesse Rojas is exposing the ugly truth about United Farm Workers in California that's forcing the dwindling union to look to Washington state. He joins Dillon to share the famous labor organization's true track record with workers, and explain why UFW isn't the average labor union.

Millions of dollars are still available to refund Washington state farmers who have been overcharged for fuel thanks to the state's new carbon pricing scheme. The so-called Climate Commitment Act was supposed to exempt agriculture, and when the state failed to do that, the legislature earmarked $30M to refund farmers and farming truckers. But, as state Department of Licensing official Jennifer Clawson tells Dillon, much of that money has so far gone unclaimed, and she's encouraging farmers to still register for their refunds.

In just over a year, the federal laws governing estate taxes will change, putting some families at risk of much higher tax bills when family property or businesses change hands (more info here https://insights.larsongross.com/project/important-update-upcoming-changes-to-estate-and-gift-tax/) Todd Burgers, an accountant and partner in Larson Gross CPAs & Consultants, joins Dillon to explain more about what this could mean particularly for farmers and their families. Larson Gross is holding two upcoming events to help people start the process of getting prepared for the change: https://insights.larsongross.com/project/important-update-upcoming-changes-to-estate-and-gift-tax/

An upcoming free event will help local farmers and water users prepare for the state's Whatcom water lawsuit, even as legal challenges delay the process. Bill Clarke, attorney for the Ag Water Board of Whatcom County, joins Dillon with updates on the slow-moving legal process, and why residents need to attend the "Securing Your Water Rights: What's Next" event at the Northwest Washington Fairgrounds' Farm Pavilion on Tuesday, Oct. 22 at 6:30pm.

Another Eastern Washington dairy is shutting down after being attacked by the EPA, despite a huge amount of work and money spent on environmental upgrades over the last decade. Jay Gordon, Washington State Dairy Federation's Policy Director, joins Dillon with details on Liberty Dairy's closure, and the EPA's new lawsuit against the same dairies it attacked over a decade ago.

The state's 'adjudication' lawsuit against all Whatcom water users is already encountering snags, even before the actual legal case is officially underway. Fred Likkel, Whatcom Family Farmers' Executive Director, joins Dillon with the latest on the legal process, as well as sharing several updates relating to water and farming in Whatcom County.

A tractor stolen from the Lynden FFA corn maze still hasn't been found, and the high school and FFA chapter are trying to figure out what comes next. Julie Milstead, Lynden FFA Adviser, joins Dillon with details on the theft, and how it affects agriculture students at Lynden High School.

Sumas-area water users are going to court, asking to be excluded from the state's Whatcom water rights lawsuit. Jerry De Bruin, "Sumas Out" group spokesman, local farmer and Fire District 14 Chief, joins Dillon to explain why the group believes the court should take them out of the state Department of Ecology's water rights adjudication case.

After federal authorities blocked not one, but two seemingly straightforward fixes to tide gates protecting Skagit County farmland, troubling questions are surfacing about the true motives behind the decision. Skagit dairy farmer and dike district commissioner Jason Vander Kooy joins Dillon with details on the predicament that puts hundreds of acres of fertile farmland at risk of destruction.

Local farms are relying more and more on technology and automation, and the latest development is the arrival of robotic irrigation systems in the corn and grass fields of two Whatcom County dairies. Aric Vander Haak with Farmers Equipment Company joins Dillon with details on the 360 Rain system that boasts big water efficiency gains, dramatically reduced labor requirements, as well as soil health, plant health and nutrient management benefits.

When activists gathered recently to protest newly-remodeled housing for farmworkers in Mt. Vernon, they didn't expect what would happen next. Enrique Gastelum, leader of the farm labor non-profit that's remodeling the housing facility for farmworkers, joins Dillon with the story of how he responded to the protesters, and the surprising conversations that ensued.

Washington farmers and truckers who transport farm products have been paying more for their fuel thanks to the state's new cap-and-trade law, despite promises that agriculture would be exempt. This spring the state legislature earmarked money to refund some of those extra costs, directing the Washington State Department of Licensing to manage the program delivering refunds to those who qualify. Jennifer Clawson with WA DOL joins Dillon with the details on the new Agriculture Support Program they've created as a result, and explains how farmers and truckers can apply for refunds this fall for fuel they purchased in 2023.

Money-hungry lawyers in California are shaking down farms for millions over incredibly minor labor law mistakes such as record-keeping discrepancies. Fresno attorney Kevin Piercy joins Dillon with details of the scheme, how farms can protect themselves, and why Washington farms are likely the next stop for the profiteering lawyers he's been battling.

The Washington State Department of Health is proposing water well policy changes that threaten the affordable housing farmworkers have depended on for decades. Jay Gordon, Washington State Dairy Federation Policy Director, joins Dillon with more on how the troubling change in state policy that would harm farmworkers and farms is now out for public comment. You can send the Department of Health a message here: https://p2a.co/3PM8Byl

Although she is retiring from lecturing and university research, Lynden-area farmer Karen Steensma didn't want to stop helping farmers solve problems. Karen joins Dillon to talk about the kinds of environmental work she's doing through her new consulting business to help farmers protect crops, livestock and the environment with research-based natural strategies.

As Washington state continues to lose farms at an alarming rate, the public is becoming aware of the growing crisis that affects our food system, our economy and our communities more and more all the time. Pam Lewison, Director of the Washington Policy Center's Center for Agriculture, joins Dillon to talk about the reaction to her recent Seattle Times editorial on WA's farming crisis, and the increasing challenges that continue to worsen the trend.

A state task force considered using the courts to take land away from farms for stream buffers in draft recommendations for riparian restoration. Kara Rowe, policy director for the Western Washington Agricultural Association, joins Dillon to talk about the problematic proposal, as well as a visit the task force made to a Skagit farm that would be decimated by the plan.

Despite their huge efforts, three Yakima-area dairies are being accused by the US Environmental Protection Agency of not doing enough to protect groundwater from nutrient contamination. Gerald Baron, former Save Family Farming Executive Director, joins Dillon and says the nature of the legal attack and its threats of massive fines bring up troubling questions about EPA Region 10's true motives, especially considering its long track record of dishonesty on this issue.