Both new opportunities and new challenges are ahead for Washington farmers as the COVID-19 crisis continues to unfold and reshape our economic, political and social landscape. Washington Ag Network's Glenn Vaagen joins Dillon from the Tri-Cities to talk about what he's hearing from farmers all over the state.

Washington dairy farmers are being told to prepare their workforce for the possibility of a statewide lockdown. Washington State Dairy Federation Executive Director Dan Wood tells Dillon his organization is advising farmers to prepare letters that employees can carry to verify their travel is legally allowed should a "shelter in place" order go into effect in the state. Recent federal memos designate farm employees among "essential critical infrastructure workers," but some farmers have expressed concern that workers may not feel confident traveling to and from farms if the state puts a full lockdown in place. Dillon also talks with Sustainable Connections' Food and Farming Program Director Sara Southerland about her group's efforts to connect small farmers with consumers in the face of COVID-19 restrictions. And Aneka Sweeney with the Whatcom Conservation District checks in with an update about changing plans for the district's upcoming events.

With difficult market conditions, many family farms in Washington have already been on the brink, and the economic fallout of the COVID-19 outbreak may be what pushes some over the edge. Colville, Wash.-area dairy farmer Krista Stauffer, who has grown a massive social media following blogging as "The Farmer's Wifee," tells Dillon sinking milk prices could spell the end of their family farm.

Dairy markets columnist Lee Mielke joins Dillon with a look at the latest info on production and prices, as well as analysis on whether the net impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing buying panic will be a net positive or negative for dairy producers.

Removing the Snake River dams would do more harm than good for salmon recovery, not to mention farming and the region's economy, says Todd Myers, Environment Director at the Washington Policy Center. He talks with Dillon about the reasons why, and why some environmental groups apparently don't want to accept the science on this issue.

Skagit County dairy farmer, humorist and prolific tweeter Dwayne Faber explains how the COVID-19 coronavirus is affecting global dairy markets, and ultimately the prices that local dairy farmers are getting for their milk. He and Dillon also ponder the psychology of toilet paper hoarding and the confusion over bovine coronavirus treatments.

After decades of dairying, Whatcom dairy farmer Mike Douma sold the cows and planted hemp. He tells Dillon how he and his family hope to make a business out of it despite the quickly-changing market conditions for hemp after its recent legalization in Washington.

With high-tech machines built into shipping containers, Cubic Farm Systems says it can change the way fresh produce is grown, for the better. CEO Dave Dinesen joins Dillon to explain how the technology works, and what it could mean for the future of farming.

Farmers can connect with new customers like restaurants, grocery stores and other food outlets at a meeting this week in Bellingham. Sara Southerland, Food and Farming Director at Sustainable Connections joins Dillon with the details on how the event works, and how farmers can take advantage of it to sell more of their products.

A Bellingham-raised tech guru moves to Acme and becomes a farmer, producing some of the most unique food products in the state of Washington. Devin Day of Valley Farmstead Rabbits and Neil's Big Leaf Maple Syrup talks with Dillon about how he's found his niche.