Here in the Pacific Northwest, the recent closure of processing facilities like the Cargill feed mill in Ferndale, Washington, has left farmers scrambling. With only one feed mill left in the region, what used to be a local trip now requires long hauls across the state or even into Idaho. That’s more fuel, more time, and more strain on already thin margins.
Layered on top of this is the weight of tariffs. A 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico—two of our biggest trading partners—has sparked retaliatory tariffs that target what we grow best: apples, cherries, dairy, and potatoes. Our family farm exports cherries every summer, so I know firsthand the anxiety of watching prices get squeezed from both ends—here at home and in foreign markets.
Meanwhile, in Oregon, farmers face a different kind of squeeze: the state’s new overtime laws, which drop the threshold to 48 hours this year and to 40 by 2027. In theory, fair wages for farm workers are a good thing. But the unintended consequence is fewer hours and paychecks for those who want to work, and even more paperwork and cost for those of us trying to keep the farm afloat.
