Save Family Farming

Coming from schools all over Whatcom County, nearly 1,000 third grade students are slated to descend on the Northwest Washington Fairgrounds in Lynden in early November to hear from farmers about local farming. Ellie Corbin, Whatcom Family Farmers’ Education Coordinator, joins Dillon with details on the 11th annual Whatcom Farm Circle and how local businesses and others can support the important educational event with sponsorships and more.

As the public’s concern about higher food prices–especially beef–is getting headlines and political attention from President Trump, farmers and ranchers are again pushing back against his move to incentivize more beef imports from foreign countries. Austin Allred, a beef producer and dairy farmer based near Royal City, WA joins Dillon with an inside look at the differences between what grocery shoppers and farmers face, and what the real long-term solution to high food prices needs to be particularly in Washington state.

Taking aim at the ‘Big 4’ meat processors, President Trump pledged in a social media post Friday to reduce red tape for farmers and ranchers and allow them to “PROCESS THEIR OWN FOOD.” Chelcie Cargill, an eastern Oregon rancher, joins Dillon with reaction to the comments, as well as Trump’s previously-announced plan to temporarily drop tariffs on imported ground beef that’s angered many American beef producers.

The biggest beef packing house in the Pacific Northwest has been put up for sale by its owner, multinational food giant Tyson Foods. Jack Fields, Executive Director of the Washington Cattle Feeders Association, joins Dillon to explain why the news has beef producers in the region on edge, and how the high cost of farming in Washington state contributes to their uncertain future.

Speaking out to protect Washington’s family farming community through advocacy, outreach, and education is what Save Family Farming is all about–but what specific areas is the advocacy group focused on right now? Ben Tindall, Executive Director of Save Family Farming, joins Dillon with a roundup of hot topics and issues the organization is working on currently.

As massive wildfires continue to burn across hundreds of thousands of acres of timber and grazing land in Washington state, the former longtime stewards of those lands are crying foul, pointing out how ideology-driven land management decisions have set the stage for the disaster now unfolding. Scott Vejraska, an Okanogan County Public Utility District Commissioner, rancher and lineman for the Nespelem Valley Electric Cooperative, joins Dillon with an update on the fires and deeper insight into how a shift in land management philosophy by state and federal agencies created a recipe for disaster.

Wildfire is again wreaking havoc across parts of Washington state, devastating farms and ranches as well as homes and entire communities. While many have been led to believe that climate change is to blame for this destructive new trend of massive fire storms, state mismanagement of forests and rangeland are a major part of this recipe for disaster that’s almost never talked about. Rancher Rod Haeberle has grazed cattle in the high country near Okanogan, WA for decades, and joins Dillon to explain the harmful changes he’s seen in the state’s approach to land management that primed these critical areas for the havoc that’s unfolding now.

Whatcom County water users sued by the State of Washington now have less than a year to file their claim in the state Department of Ecology’s water rights adjudication in the Nooksack River Basin. Fred Likkel, Executive Director of Whatcom Family Farmers, joins Dillon with an update on the court case, as well as details on a new resource available for water users struggling to prepare their paperwork and court claim.

The annual Northwest Raspberry Festival--known to many as Razz Fest--again took over downtown Lynden to celebrate local raspberries and the people who grow them. Gary Vis, Lynden Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, and Stacey Beier, Washington Red Raspberry Commission Associate Director, both check in with Dillon from the bustling 2026 edition of the longtime event.

A Yakima-based anti-farm activist group's propaganda film raised eyebrows last year after its promotional clips displayed a Washington State Department of Health logo, prompting questions about state funding for its false accusations against farmers. The anti-farm group, We Are ELLA, lied to Department of Health officials investigating the group's violation of DOH logo use policy to create the appearance of state endorsement of its false claims against farming in the Lower Yakima Valley. Ben Tindall, Executive Director of Save Family Farming, joins Dillon with the latest details in the ongoing saga to hold the state and the activist group accountable for their use of taxpayer dollars to deceive the public.

A Whatcom County government advisory committee falsely accused some farmers in the county of breaking federal labor rules in a recent official report. Enrique Gastelum, Worker and Farmer Labor Association CEO, joins Dillon with a closer look at the false claims and the truth about the federal H-2A guest worker program.

Farmers in Skagit County are fighting a proposal to spend tens of millions of dollars to buy up fertile farmland on the Skagit River delta and turn it into fish habitat with questionable benefits. Jenna Freibel, Executive Director of the Skagit Drainage and Irrigation Districts Consortium, joins Dillon to explain why farmers are opposed to the idea.

A government advisory committee in  Whatcom County last week attacked local farming with false claims in the committee's annual report to the Whatcom County Council, falsely accusing local farmers of breaking federal labor rules. Dillon explains the significance of the false narrative, and digs into the backstory to show how a Bellingham-based anti-farming activist, Rosalinda Guillen, is "laundering" false information through an advocacy group and this government committee in an attempt to make her false claims appear legitimate.

"Plowing Blind" reads the headline on dairy markets columnist Lee Mielke's latest article, which quotes Save Family Farming Executive Director Ben Tindall. Mielke joins Dillon to discuss the struggle and give an update on dairy markets.

Much has been made about the struggles facing Washington state farmers right now, with overbearing regulation causing massive cost spikes that are driving farmer take-home pay $400M into the red. But just complaining won't solve the problem. Ben Tindall, Executive Director of Save Family Farming, joins Dillon with a focus on moving toward real, actionable solutions for the growing WA farming viability crisis.

Slapping farmers with huge fines for how they're using water has become common practice for the Washington State Department of Ecology in recent years, putting some farms out of business and even going so far as to threatening to take one Spokane-area farmer's land. But, John Stuhlmiller, Executive Director of the Washington State Water Resources Association, tells Dillon that Ecology's punishing actions appear to break a state law--a law that Stuhlmiller helped write.

It's not just the farmworker community that's worried about the ongoing federal immigration crackdown. Farmers face the possibility of immigration enforcement activity and the fear of raids and arrests interfering with critical harvest seasons. Eamonn Roach, a Pasco, WA-based immigration attorney, and Enrique Gastelum, CEO of the WA-based Worker And Farmer Labor Association (WAFLA) joined Save Family Farming Executive Director Ben Tindall on a recent online live stream sharing important background on why immigration enforcement poses a threat to farms, and how they can prepare. Dillon shares a portion of that conversation on The Farming Show, and the full recording of the live stream is available here.

Farmland is a precious, dwindling resource that contributes many positive things to the environment, to the economy and even the culture of our communities and our nation. But unfortunately, many people's understanding of how to protect it is mistaken. Addie Candib, American Farmland Trust PNW Regional Director & Western Managing Director, joins Dillon to explain the real challenges of protecting farmland and farmers, especially with the growing viability crisis for farming here in Washington state.

Washington state's farmers are among the first to worry when the "D" word is used--will drought limit the amount of water they have available to grow their crops? Cliff Mass, prominent meteorologist, blogger and University of Washington professor joins Dillon to explain why he's skeptical of the Washington State Department of Ecology's recent drought declarations, and says there's reason for optimism for farmers and others worried about the state's water supply.

Most dairy farms raise the famous Holstein or Jersey breed of cattle for strong milk production. So why are many of those dairy cows giving birth to calves that are Black Angus--a breed famed for top-notch beef? Lynne Wheeler, a partner at Acme, WA-area Coldstream Farms, joins Dillon with details on the growing "Beef on Dairy" phenomenon, and how it's even helped keep many dairies afloat financially through seasons of low milk prices.

Farming in Washington is seeing a decline not paralleled in any other state, putting the blame for the downfall squarely on policy decisions in Olympia. Pam Lewison, Director of the Center for Agriculture at the Washington Policy Center, tells Dillon several specific data points confirm state-level policies are largely behind Washington state's nosedive to last place in the nation for farmers' take-home pay.

Filling up in Washington state right now is even more painful thanks to the Climate Commitment Act surcharges on top of already-high fuel prices. But most people don't know that some of the extra cash they're paying for fuel is going to activist groups using it for "community storytelling," including at least one anti-farm group that's producing political propaganda films rife with false accusations against WA farmers. Todd Myers, Director of the Center for the Environment at the Washington Policy Center, joins Dillon with details.

Local farmers have been clear from the beginning: the only way Whatcom County's water crisis will be solved is through a collaborative process, despite the Washington State Department of Ecology's water rights litigation in the Nooksack River Basin known as an adjudication. Fred Likkel, Executive Director of Whatcom Family Farmers, tells Dillon the Whatcom County Council recently gave that perspective a nod with a unanimous vote on a set of changes to the local growth plan acknowledging the importance of community collaboration.

Pundits and social media commenters from both the political left and right are criticizing WA farmers over labor issues, as farmers sound the alarm about worker shortages, Olympia's costly labor regulations, and now the added pressure of the federal immigration crackdown. Scott Dilley, Public Affairs Director at the Worker And Farmer Labor Association joins Dillon to counter a few of the myths that the keyboard warriors and armchair quarterbacks are using to build their flawed critiques.

Government data showed Washington state losing an average of two farms a day even before farmers in the state sank to last in the nation for profitability, losing nearly $400M in 2024, with 2025 numbers not expected to be any better. Brian Reisinger, a Wisconsin farmer, farming advocate and author of Land Rich, Cash Poor joins Dillon with a perspective on Washington's farming struggles from afar, with the vantage point of another state that's also seen devastating farm loss.

Farming is struggling in Washington state, and Save Family Farming has joined other leading advocates calling attention to the the region's troubling loss of food and farming infrastructure contributing to local farmers' dim outlook. Bill Briggs, U.S. Small Business Administration Deputy Administrator, joins Dillon to talk about his recent visit to Western Washington, where he promoted his agency's resources available to help farms and farming support businesses wanting to grow or recover from flooding.

While farmers aren't excited about higher fuel and fertilizer bills resulting from the recent conflict in Iran, the additional cost wouldn't be as big of a threat to farms in Washington state if it weren't for the costly decisions in Olympia that have already pushed many farms across the state to the brink of insolvency. Jason Vander Kooy, a Mount Vernon-area multigenerational family dairy farmer and Save Family Farming's Vice President, joins Dillon with details on the impacts he's seeing, and why pundits who only focus on the Iran conflict's affects are missing the bigger picture for farming here in Washington.

A Whatcom County berry farmer is opening up about the recent ICE arrest of two of his key employees, voicing concern about the impact federal immigration enforcement activity is having on local farming. Randy Kraght, who owns and runs Barbie's Berries with his wife Barb, tells Dillon he's worried about the upcoming harvest season, as reports of ICE arrests of farmworkers in northwest Washington have increased significantly within the last couple of months.

As word spreads of the farming viability crisis unfolding here in Washington state, leaders are beginning to talk more about efforts that could help the farming community. WA State Rep. Kristine Reeves, D-Federal Way, joins Dillon to share her perspective as House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee Chair on the growing crisis and what's being done about it, including her work on the so-called "Washington Farm Bill."

Big news for water users in Whatcom County preparing to file their court claims in the state's water rights adjudication lawsuit: a court ruling has pushed back the filing deadline for many people, creating a single due date of June 1, 2027 for everyone. Fred Likkel, Whatcom Family Farmers' Executive Director, and Gavin Willis, Administrator of the Ag Water Board of Whatcom County, join Dillon with details on the March 9th decision from Whatcom County Superior Court Judge David Freeman, as well as more on how the filing process works.

The Whatcom County Dairy Ambassador and her alternate are about to wrap up their term and pass on the torch. Ambassador Maddie DeLange and Alternate Sarah Van Berkum join Dillon to share what it's like to advocate for dairy farming and dairy products in schools and at events all over the local community.

Five to 10 years in prison was the penalty lawmakers in Olympia considered enacting for people who break certain water or air quality laws in Washington state. Farmers feared a mistake on the farm could be mischaracterized as a deliberate criminal act under the proposed change. Thankfully, the misguided proposal failed to move forward in Olympia's current session, and John Stuhlmiller, Washington State Water Resources Association Executive Director, joins Dillon with details.

For 10 years, the Whatcom Conservation District has been hosting the Whatcom Farm Expo. Alexi Guddal, District Outreach & Education Specialist, joins Dillon with details on the annual local event that's grown bigger than ever.

The State of Washington's false accusations and abusive tactics against King Ranch caught the eye of top federal officials, including U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, and other state attacks on farming are also getting the attention of leading national authorities. Shad Sullivan, a 5-th generation Texas rancher and farming advocate with the Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund United Stockgrowers of America, or R-CALF USA, joins Dillon with an outside take on Washington State's anti-farming actions, and how farmers and ranchers can fight back.

With the political controversies and community conflict that have too often surrounded the issue of salmon recovery, many in the Washington farming community want to know: what do salmon actually need to recover and thrive? Scott Schuyler, a tribal elder and the Natural & Cultural Resources Policy Representative for the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe, joins Dillon to explain how many issues affect salmon recovery, including some that rarely make the headlines like harbor seal predation, ocean warming and overfishing in international waters. Schuyler says good relationships between tribes, farming, and other parts of the community are crucial to a holistic approach to recovering salmon--one that doesn't get high-centered on a single controversial issue that drives conflict and takes away from other important aspects of recovery.

A troubling proposal for "card check" farmworker unionization and collective bargaining--that would harm farms as well as farmworkers--is still alive and moving in the 2026 legislative session currently underway in Olympia. Scott Dilley, the WA-based Worker and Farmer Labor Association's Public Affairs Director, joins Dillon with an update on the process and more details on how the flawed plan would put farms' futures at risk and leave farmworkers vulnerable to coercion.

Farmers are asking questions after Seattle's mayor has abruptly replaced Skagit River dam operator Seattle City Light's leader with anti-agriculture lawyer Dennis McLerran, who boasts connections with a laundry list of manipulative and unethical attacks on farming in Washington state. Jay Gordon with the Washington State Dairy Federation joins Dillon to detail McLerran's troubling history with farming in the state, including the widely-criticized What's Upstream campaign, the EPA's falsified-science attack on Lower Yakima Valley dairies, and other anti-farm actions. The farming community is expressing its deep distrust of McLerran as Seattle City Light, the 9th largest public utility in the U.S. that he now leads, attempts to federally re-license its major hydroelectric dams on the Skagit River while avoiding costly fish-passage upgrades by instead converting farmland to fish habitat.

Not only does her legal declaration against Washington dairy farms have major scientific problems, but new documents show University of Wisconsin-Madison environmental professor Rebecca Larson was paid over $200,000 to produce the flawed testimony for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s lawsuit. Ben Tindall, Save Family Farming’s Executive Director, joins Dillon with a look at how the troubling revelations were revealed through public records requests, and what the exorbitant sum of taxpayer dollars means for the credibility of the EPA’s case.

In a bizarre turn of events, a Yakima, WA-based anti-farming activist nonprofit required attendees to a recent screening of their propaganda film to disclose their occupation, subsequently charging anyone listing themself as a dairy farmer $535.38 for a ticket, while all others could get a ticket for free. Ben Tindall, Executive Director of Save Family Farming, joins Dillon with details on the apparent attempt to block dairy farmers from attending the Nov. 7 film screening at Sunnyside’s Grand Cinemas Yakima Valley, asking what the activist group may be trying to hide with the puzzling move.

Recent news coverage of regionally-based dairy cooperative Darigold's current financial challenges has highlighted the struggles that the situation is causing for Washington dairy farms. Jason Vander Kooy, a Skagit County multigenerational dairy farmer and cooperative member joins Dillon with more details on what's happening at Darigold, and how its affecting his farm and many others.

Tide gates protecting hundreds of acres of Skagit Valley farmland continue to teeter on the brink of failure, after a federal Judge in Seattle ruled against allowing routine maintenance on the decades-old infrastructure. Will Honea, attorney for Skagit County, joins Dillon with an update on the continuing saga of local drainage districts fighting to protect farmland, and more on why county government is also worried about the situation.

Activist groups claim a new Washington state measure to bring collective bargaining to the ranks of 'agricultural cannabis workers' claim the bill is limited in scope, but Hispanic state Representative Alex Ybarra from Quincy begs to differ. Ybarra, a former farmworker himself who now represents a region that's home to tens of thousands of farmworkers, joins Dillon to call out the measure, saying state House Bill 1141 is really a 'Trojan horse' to eventually bring collective bargaining to all farmworkers--even though a vast majority of those workers don't want it.

Are officials in the Trump EPA colluding with a high-powered lawyer to suffocate family farms here in Washington state? Ben Tindall, Executive Director of Save Family Farming, joins Dillon to discuss the newly-obtained public records leading them to question what's really going on with the EPA's continued lawsuits against dairies in the Lower Yakima Valley.

A prominent--and sometimes controversial--local environmentalist is changing his tune on the massive water rights lawsuit the state has launched in Whatcom County. "It is completely unable to deal with the kinds of issues we're talking about," said Eric Hirst, joining with Fred Likkel, Executive Director of Whatcom Family Farmers to talk with Dillon on The Farming Show about the water rights adjudication now underway in Whatcom County Superior Court.

"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.

Evidence of the Washington Department of Ecology bullying the WA Department of Natural Resources to unfairly target King Ranch has exposed a disturbing abuse of power and raised serious concerns about the true motives behind these actions. Toni Meacham and Jamie Grifo, attorneys for the Kings, join Dillon to explain how the case has highlighted glaring issues of fairness, due process, and the proper balance between environmental protection and agricultural practices.

In an extreme example of government overreach, the WA Department of Ecology is seeking harsh penalties and even possible criminal charges against a ranch that had used a common practice to provide water for their animals. John Stuhlmiller, farming advocate and consultant to the ranch, joins Dillon with the stunning details.