A great many farmers and ranchers identify with Paul Harvey’s iconic poem, “So God Made a Farmer,” but this time of year, I prefer the editorial from Francis B. Church, “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.” Whether you read Paul Harvey’s...

It is Sunshine Week–a national observance of transparency in government. It is fitting, then, that I got the first installment of public records requested from the Governor’s office regarding the buffer bills of the last two years late last wee...

Ever since gray wolves returned to Washington state, they have been a lightning rod for ranchers, environmentalists, and the Governor. No matter what your thoughts are on the apex predators, they are a fully entrenched species in our state now. The...

Forest health, climate change, and a plan that got almost no input before being announced is at the heart of the “carbon project” announced by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources last week. The project, developed by Finite Car...

Have you seen the advertisement in which a Labrador turns into a wolf? A narrator tells the viewer, “All dogs, no matter what breed, are descended from wolves …” The trouble with advertisements like that is the implication that wolves are appro...

Gray wolves are thriving in Washington state and their numbers have consistently increased year-over-year. Yet, we are continuing to have discussions about the need to preserve their growth. The Washington State Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW)...

Today ends national Agriculture Week. For a large part of Washington state, that means a great deal. In Washington state, agriculture generates more than $20 billion in revenue for the state annually and employed an estimated 200,000 people in 2020....

Food security is often thought of as a national topic, but food security starts locally. Washington state is part of what the U.S. Department of Agriculture has dubbed the “Fruitful Rim.” Yet, we are also home to numerous “food deserts” where f...

In recognition of the drought gripping much of our state, a burn ban was issued today that will remain in effect until Sept. 30. Ironic given the ignored pleas of the agricultural community to have a drought emergency declared in 14 counties in...

Washington state pays the highest Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) in the country, $16.34 an hour. The AEWR acts as a de facto minimum wage for the federal H-2A temporary worker visa program. The H-2A program allows farmers and ranchers all over the...

WASHINGTON STATE–Imagine paying off the mortgage to your home in full and on time. Then, a month later, receiving a letter from the bank outlining an additional three years of payments owed because the bank decided your interest rate changed after yo...

The Washington State Department of Agriculture announced Monday they would begin the annual “hunt for pests” by placing thousands of traps around the state without notifying landowners in advance. WSDA has chosen to avoid contacting landowners in...

If you search Google Scholar for the phrase “decision making process,” nearly 1.3 million academic articles will show up – and that’s just since 2016. Decision-making habits are critically important for all sorts of reasons, particularly in sales....