This week's news that India's government will reverse course on controversial new farming laws that sparked over a year of deadly protests has the local Punjabi community celebrating. Lynden-area blueberry farmer Khush Brar and local realtor Raj Grewal join Dillon with details on what happened, and what it means for farmers in India as well as here in Whatcom County.

The pandemic turbocharged an already-growing trend of consumer interest in local food, but bottlenecks in the system and other difficulties face beef producers in Whatcom County and Western Washington. Producer Branden Brink joins Dillon with a closer look at the challenges that remain.

Highlighting the sustainability of beef produced in Washington state was a focus of this year's Washington Cattlemen's Association Annual Convention in Kennewick. Dillon sat down with Ashley House, the group's Executive Director, to discuss the latest issues facing beef producers in the state.

Radical labor activist groups pressured Washington state government into a "fool's errand" in a failed bid to hamper farms' ability to hire foreign guest workers, wafla director Dan Fazio tells Dillon. He explains how the ruse was supposed to work, and says the truth is the opposite of the activists' doomsday narrative, and he shares how foreign guest workers here in WA via the federal H-2A program have been well-protected against COVID, on top of earning life-changing income to bring to their families back in their home countries.

People involved in farming who are experiencing health struggles-- including injuries, disabilities, and even mental health issues--have many resources available to help them. But finding and connecting with them isn't always easy, and WA AgrAbility coordinator Kristen Hinton-Vanvalkenburg tells Dillon that's what the program was designed to help with.

In a recent ruling on key dairy regulations, a state court cited data blaming dairy composting for massive groundwater contamination. As Jay Gordon with the Washington State Dairy Federation tells Dillon, the study that the data purportedly came from never even happened, leaving major questions about the validity of the court's ruling.

Raspberry and blueberry farmer Todd Van Mersbergen faced some challenging days during the 2021 harvest season, as did most other Whatcom County berry growers. He talks with Dillon about how this summer's damaging 'heat dome' weather phenomenon caused widespread damage and crop loss.

Despite activists continuing to claim that no farm worker shortage exists in Washington, a recent effort by the state's Employment Security Department turned up no new qualified workers for farming. Dillon explains how this new information further dismantles the dishonest narrative of labor activists, and exposes again their harmful agenda.

Local farmers are unveiling a just-completed fish habitat restoration project that has re-opened miles of salmon stream on a tributary of the Nooksack River. Dillon talks with engineer Dale Buys about how the project installed a state-of-the-art fish-friendly floodgate that will allow salmon to again live and spawn in what is known as Duffner Ditch, which winds through productive farmland southwest of Lynden and connects with Bertrand Creek just before reaching the Nooksack River.

Bi-Zi Farms near Vancouver, WA may be forced to shut down after the WA Department of Ecology decided to punish the farm over technicalities on their ability to use water from the farm's well that's been in use for over a century. Owner Bill Zimmerman tells Dillon how despite their best efforts to satisfy Ecology's desires, state bureaucrats have provided no possible pathway for the small family farm to solve the legal issues. Dillon points out how Bi-Zi's situation is a likely harbinger of what could happen to many farms in Whatcom County as a result of the state's proposed water rights adjudication lawsuit.