Senator Murray: “Agriculture is a huge industry for Washington state—and what grows in Washington state goes all over the world.”
***PHOTOS AND B-ROLL OF THE EVENT HERE***
Wenatchee, WA – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, hosted a roundtable discussion with growers, producers, and agricultural representatives in Central Washington on the upcoming reauthorization of the Farm Bill, which takes place every five years. Attendees at the roundtable represented a wide array of Washington state agricultural interests and included the Washington State Executive Director of the USDA Farm Service Agency, officials from the Washington State Department of Agriculture, and representatives from the Washington Apple Commission, Washington State Potato Commission, Washington Hop Growers, Washington State Wine Growers, Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission, Northwest Horticultural Council, and more—in addition to local family farmers and producers.
At the roundtable, Murray heard from agricultural representatives and producers about their priorities for the Farm Bill, the federal support they need, and the challenges they are facing, especially as climate change increases the frequency and severity of extreme weather events.
“Agriculture is a crucial part of our state’s economy, especially in our rural communities. It’s not just a way to make a living for people—it’s a way of life,” Senator Murray said. “And what grows in Washington state goes all over the world. Every day, people down in Mexico, up in Canada, and across the Pacific Ocean, choose to buy our products and put money in our farmers’ pockets. Agriculture supports jobs across our state and spurs billions of dollars in economic activity—to say nothing of how many people it feeds!”
“The Farm Bill Congress is working to reauthorize directly affects the work all of you do. So, I want to hear directly from folks on the ground about the challenges you are facing, and what Congress can do to support the farmers who keep our nation fed,” Murray continued.
Murray spoke about her top priorities on the upcoming reauthorization of the Farm Bill from robust support for the trade programs growers rely on—as Washington state is one of the most trade-dependent states in the nation—to investments in conservation programs that are widely utilized in Washington state, critical nutrition assistance programs including SNAP, and essential agriculture research—much of which takes place in Washington state.
“We need to make sure we are strengthening our trade relationships and ensuring you all have a fair playing field to get your goods to customers across the world,” Murray said. “We need to support robust voluntary conservation programs that preserve our local ecosystems and the sustainable practices already happening on farms across Washington. We need a strong rural development title that will support so many of the rural communities represented at this table. And then, there is the need for ag research on pressing challenges like protecting crops from wildfire smoke, insects, viruses, fungi, and other threats, mitigating herbicide resistance, developing new fruit varieties that allow us to reduce cost and increase quantity and quality, and more.”
Washington state has over 35,000 farms producing approximately 300 commodities—including specialty crops like apples, cherries, onions, potatoes, pears, berries, wine grapes, and hops—across the state. According to the Washington State Department of Agriculture, 95% of these farms are family owned. Washington state is the number-one U.S. producer of apples, blueberries, hops, pears, spearmint oil, and sweet cherries. Washington state is the number-two U.S. producer of apricots, asparagus, grapes, potatoes, and raspberries; and the number-three U.S. producer of dried peas, lentils, onions, and peppermint oil. According to the Washington State Department of Agriculture, the food processing and agriculture industries are responsible for more than 164,000 jobs across Washington state.
Yesterday, Senator Murray spoke at the groundbreaking for a brand-new Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Plant Sciences Building on Washington State University’s campus, which will provide cutting-edge facilities for scientists working to address critical challenges facing national and global agriculture. Senator Murray led the fight to secure $125 million in federal funding for the building through the appropriations process over many years.
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