The Farming Show

Whatcom Family Farmers’ 11th annual Whatcom Farm Circle event for 3rd grade students all over Whatcom County happens next week at the Northwest Washington Fairgrounds in Lynden.

Aneka Sweeney and Adam Brayton with event sponsor Whatcom Conservation District join Dillon to talk about how closely connected farming and environmental issues are, and how they’re passionate about showing young people that important connection.

The latest federal data show income for all Washington state farmers in 2025 jumping from the previous year’s abysmal quarter-billion-dollar loss up to nearly $1.3B in the black.

But don’t be fooled–that could actually be a really bad sign.

Pam Lewison, Director of Agriculture Policy at the Washington Policy Center, joins Dillon to dig into the numbers and explain how the “rebound” may actually be a deeply troubling signal about the future of the state’s farmers.

With record-high diesel prices, farmers in the throes of harvest season–already facing razor-thin margins–are looking for any help they can get.

Bob Larson, Western Ag Network reporter, joins Dillon to discuss the challenges with delivering relief, including the complications with President Trump’s recent executive order allowing expanded use of tax-exempt, red-dyed off-road diesel.

The embattled Lower Snake River dams are being accused of killing fish — by a pro-dam advocate! But the reason is not at all what you might expect.

Adam Ratliff, a social media influencer known as “The Armchair Engineer,” joins Dillon to explain what – and who – is really to blame for the harm to endangered salmon in the Snake River, and how it’s part of a sinister ploy to advocate for breaching the dams, which would irreparably harm farming in Washington state.

As evidence of the harm Washington state’s farming overtime law is causing farmworkers continues to mount, the state of Colorado has also grappled with the same problem, and state legislators there were able to acheive a bipartisan solution.

Democratic Colorado State Representative Matthew Martinez joins Dillon to explain the problem overtime caused for farmworkers in his state, and share the story of how a compromise solution was crafted and ultimately passed into law.

A local reporter is uncovering the true history of what used to be a major Skagit Valley crop: green peas.

Sophia Gates with Cascadia Daily News extensively researched the new article, and joins Dillon with details on why commercial pea farming has almost entirely disappeared from Skagit County, giving insight into the larger struggles all farmers in the region continue to face.

An embattled Moses Lake-area farm family finally got its day at Washington state’s high court, after suing the state Department of Ecology for breaking the law nearly a decade ago when it slapped the farm with a half-million dollar fine.

Ben Tindall, Executive Director of Save Family Farming, joins Dillon with details of what happened at the Supreme Court of Washington on Thursday, Oct. 1 when the Fode family’s case received its much-awaited hearing before the bench.

Farming in Washington state is in crisis, with more farms closing daily as farmers face costs that are often far exceeding what they get paid for their crops.

Sadly, this has led to worsening mental health problems among farmers, as they grapple with crushing pressures and a looming sense of failure.

State Rep. Tom Dent, a farmer himself, joins Dillon to explain how excessive state regulation has added even more unnecessary stress for farmers, and what his plan is to try to bring some relief for the people growing food in our state.

A Whatcom County government advisory committee is refusing to walk back false accusations it made against local farmers in its 2026 annual report to the County Council, instead claiming they “allow those contradictions to co-exist,” in a July 24 “Open Letter to the Whatcom County Council.”

Mark Stremler, Whatcom County Council member, joins Dillon to share his frustration with the committee’s handling of the situation, and its apparent inappropriate overlap with the private, activist-led “Whatcom Food Network” group.

A new Washington State University study surveyed hundreds of farmworkers across the state, and found that most are losing income thanks to Olympia’s overtime law for farming.

Maia Espinoza, Executive Director of the Center for Latino Leadership, joins Dillon to talk about the survey’s results, and how her organization assisted the WSU research effort.