Even though they could potentially collect money via back-pay lawsuits in the wake of the Washington State Supreme Court's ruling on overtime pay for farm work, HR manager Felipe Garcia tells Dillon that they're concerned about a much larger risk. He says workers are saying it's not worth the much more significant damage that lawsuits against farms would cause. He explains that workers know their jobs are in jeopardy, because the potential financial burden of retroactive overtime pay could put the farms they work for out of business - MORE: https://bit.ly/3iCS6dS

Make sure you vote in the Whatcom Conservation District election--request a ballot ASAP! The district's Aneka Sweeney joins Dillon to explain why in-person voting is not happening this year, so everyone who wants to vote must request a ballot by Monday, Feb. 8.

Over her 30-plus years of working on water quality issues in northwest Washington, Christine Woodward has seen real progress when diverse groups come together and collaborate on solutions. Woodward, the chair of the Portage Bay Shellfish Protection District, joined Dillon to talk about the positive changes brought by farmers and others working together to protect streams, and said there's still more work to be done.

An effort to protect Washington farms from unfair farm-ending lawsuits has begun in Olympia, but it faces an uphill battle. Gerald Baron, Save Family Farming Executive Director, joins Dillon to explain how the voice of people who support farming is urgently needed right now to stop unconstitutional back-pay lawsuits from bankrupting law-abiding farmers.

Farmland continues to be gobbled up by urbanization in Washington state -- but what can be done to stop it? Melissa Campbell, Washington Farmland Trust Executive Director, joins Dillon to explain what the organization does not only to preserve farmland, but also make sure it's still being farmed.

Many farms are at risk of bankruptcy if unconstitutional lawsuits inspired by a recent Washington State Supreme Court ruling are allowed to continue. Dan Wood, Washington State Dairy Federation Executive Director, joins Dillon with an update on the dozens of class action lawsuits that money-hungry lawyers have filed against law-abiding farmers since the November SCOW decision, as well as what the state legislature could do about the crisis.

Local Indian-Sikh farmers are thanking the Seattle City Council for supporting protesting farmers in India, and they’re asking for help against threats faced by family farmers here in Washington. Whatcom blueberry grower Paul Sangha joins Dillon to talk about how farmers in Whatcom County, like farmers in India, face devastating government actions proposed without their input - MORE: https://bit.ly/3syRxGs

COVID-19 safety violations were the reason the Washington Department of Labor and Industries gave when they fined a central Washington fruit farm a record-setting $2 million this week. But is the state's motivation really about keeping workers safe? Dillon becomes deeply suspicious of the state's targeting of Gebbers Farms as their spokeswoman Amy Philpott joins him to share the real story of the farm's efforts to protect workers in the pandemic.

The harmful 'adjudication' process state leaders are calling for in Whatcom County has been used before--in Yakima, where it caused far more harm than good. John Stuhlmiller, Washington Farm Bureau CEO, joins Dillon to explain the history, and why the story of what happened in the Yakima basin clearly shows why adjudication is not the right solution for the Nooksack basin's water woes.

Lynne Rainey Wheeler's family farm near Acme could be forced out of business if state leaders go ahead with a harmful plan to 'adjudicate' water rights. She joins Dillon to explain what this dire situation means for her farm and her family, and how hard they have worked to help improve water issues in the Nooksack River's south fork near their farm.