Agriculture

Agriculture and family farms are an important part of the economy and character of Northwest Washington. Agriculture and food processing provide more than 164,000 jobs and produce nearly $9.5 billion in economic output each year in Washington state (Washington State University), and there are more than 3,300 farms in our region (USDA Census of Agriculture). Whether it’s dairy operations in Snohomish County, berries in Whatcom County, seed farms in Skagit Valley, or a farmers market in San Juan County, agriculture is an economic engine of Northwest Washington.

As a former member of the House Agriculture Committee, I know that increasing prices, labor shortages and unpredictable markets are hurting producers. I am fighting for grant funding, access to overseas markets, specialty crop research and insurance programs to protect and strengthen Northwest Washington farmers and producers.

Accomplishments & Priorities

Supporting Farmers

• I am fighting to make sure specialty crop farmers get the assistance they deserve from aid programs that help offset losses from Trump’s tariffs.
• I helped create the Specialty Crop Research Initiative and Special Crop Block Grants, which fund projects to advance the unique the berry, fruit, seed and vegetable industries in Washington state.
• I introduced bipartisan legislation with Reps. Kim Schrier (WA-08) and Dan Newhouse (WA-04) to expand access to the Specialty Crop Research Initiative by creating a waiver to the matching funds requirement.
• I support agriculture conservation and helping farmers and ranchers protect environmental resources on their private land through programs like the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) and Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).
• I support bipartisan legislation to increase funding for agriculture export programs that Washington farmers use to sell their products overseas – the Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development Program (FMDP).
• I support funding at land-grant universities in Washington state, including Tribal Colleges and Universities like Northwest Indian College.
• I support funding at the Northwest Center for Small Fruits Research, which enhances the sustainability and profitability of berry, grape and wine industries.

• I voted against the Big Ugly Law, which slashed roughly $186 billion from SNAP – the largest cut in the program’s history – all to pay for a tax break for the richest Americans and biggest corporations.
• I am cosponsoring legislation to help hard-working families afford food by repealing all of the SNAP cuts in the Big Ugly Law – the Restoring Food Security for American Families and Farmers Act.
• I introduced legislation to expand and strengthen our nation’s major summer nutrition programs and allow meal sites to operate year-round – the Summer Meals Act.
• I opposed the Trump administration’s cancelation of funding from nutrition programs that hurt local producers, foods banks, and schools.
• I consistently request the highest funding possible to support school nutrition programs, food banks, and SNAP.