The WPC brought prominent tree fruit farmers, as well as researchers and policymakers to speak Tuesday night to a group of 40 attentive citizens. 

"Farm Hall is a series we bring each Fall to the area," said Pamela Lewison, the Agriculture Policy Research Director for WPC, "it is a great way to make these issues feel personal for the citizens." 

Bringing together this group seemed to echo discontent with the current labor market squeeze and growing costs, simply because it is harder for them to eat these additional costs. 

"Many other markets can pass their labor and production increases onto the price for the consumer," said Scott McDougall, the president of McDougall and Sons, a Washington orchard business, "but with agriculture, they cannot because the retailers are facing their own labor increases, and therefore our cost reduction has to come most often in labor hours decreasing and automation.

You can learn more about what the WPC and specifically our Agriculture department are doing to bring free-market policy changes by reading our website and following our social media (linked on this page). 

Our third and final Farm Hall of 2019 will be next month in Tri-Cities. We hope to see you there!

This event was featured on the Lens here: https://thelens.news/2019/10/18/labor-trade-issues-continue-to-hurt-washington-farmers/.