WA Farmers: It’s Time For Olympia To Fix The Problems It’s Caused

Ignorant Political Decisions A Problem For WA Dairy Farmers: Columnist

“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.

WA Farmers: It’s Time For Olympia To Fix The Problems It’s Caused

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.

Excellent Planting Season Weather Bodes Well For Whatcom, Skagit Farmers

Despite surging costs and some market headwinds, farmers in Whatcom and Skagit counties have one reason for optimism: the 2026 planting season featured outstanding weather, helping crops get off to a great start. Blake TeVelde, a local agronomist, joins Dillon with a report “from the field” on how this year’s growing season is shaping up for dairy, potato and berry farmers in the area.

“Some Of The Craziest Cases”: Independent Journalist Tackles WA Gov’t Mistreatment Of Farmers

Time after time, Washington state agencies have abused their authority and taken steps to harm the farming community. Charlie Rankin, an independent journalist based in North Carolina, has taken notice of the problem, and joins Dillon to talk about what he sees from his vantage point, particularly in the Washington State Department of Ecology’s heavy-handed and potentially illegal actions against farming.

Why These Farmers Are Headed To WA Supreme Court

Without following its own rules, the state of Washington nearly a decade ago fined a Moses Lake-area family crop farm more than a half-million dollars over a water technicality and arbitrary missed deadline. Although it’s cost them most of their farm and almost put them out of business, the the farmers wrongly targeted by the Washington State Department of Ecology have fought back, and now their case will officially go to the highest court in the state. Ron and Robin Fode, along with attorney Luke Wake of the Pacific Legal Foundation, join Dillon to explain how they were able to get their appeal accepted to be heard by the Supreme Court of Washington, and just what’s at stake for not only their family, but everyone in the state.