“I never thought it was such a bad little tree.”
A Charlie Brown Christmas is an annual must-watch for me. My mom will tell you with light-hearted humor that she raised a Lucy Van Pelt – acerbic, argumentative, and bossy – and maybe my mom is right. But I like Linus Van Pelt. While I am not like Linus, I aspire to be, and his scene-stealing moments throughout the iconic Peanuts special seem apropos when I think of the state of agricultural policy in our state.
Washington state is a remarkable place. Our farmers and ranchers are remarkable people.
Collectively our agricultural community produces more than 300 unique commodities, making us among the most agriculturally diverse states in the country. We keep pace with states that have vastly longer growing seasons and far less political headwinds while feeding not just ourselves but people on the other side of the world. Our apples are prized in countries like India and our cherries in several parts of Asia. Our forage crops are shipped to the Middle East, and our grain products are the stuff French pastry chefs dream of at night.
If you’ve ever seen A Charlie Brown Christmas, you know the call for a “great big, shiny aluminum Christmas tree.” And, from afar, that is what our proud agricultural community brings to the proverbial table. The hard work of each year is showcased in internationally revered wines, bountiful potato crops, and beautiful berries from both sides of the Cascades.
Yet, when we look closer, perhaps the tree isn’t so shiny as it seems.
Farmers and ranchers in our state pay 462 percent more in labor than any other state in the country. In 2025, our tree fruit growers paid 108 percent of their gross income on labor alone. We lose two farms and 451 cultivated acres every day according to the most recent U.S. Department of Agriculture data.
Our “little tree” is looking a little worse for wear.
There are a lot of contributors, not just labor expenses, though both contribute significantly, to be sure. There are a host of other regulations that our farmers and ranchers face each day that make the tree a little less glamorous.
Our state’s monopoly on Labor & Industries insurance represents an annual operating cost increase of 8-12 percent on most agricultural operations. The 2026 operating year will be no different for most agricultural employers.
Washington is one of only two states in the U.S. to assess a sales tax on the purchase of new and used farm equipment. It is a barrier for many of our farmers and ranchers when it comes to upgrading to more environmentally friendly equipment or retrofitting pre-existing equipment to better suit the needs of modern operations. Between state and local sales taxes, most farmers and ranchers can expect to pay approximately 10 percent of the purchase price in sales tax. For a new combine, the purchase price tips the scale at a cool $1 million, making the sales tax $100,000.
Predators continue to ravage livestock in the Northeast region of our state. With “at least 230” gray wolves residing in Washington state in 43 confirmed packs, the predators have become a topic of ongoing discussion amongst our cattle, sheep, and goat producers. More specifically, the change observed changes in pack behavior in some instances has become a concern for ranchers who are living within regions heavily saturated by wolf populations.
In A Charlie Brown Christmas Linus goes on to say, “It’s not bad at all really. Maybe it just needs a little love.”
Maybe the agricultural community just needs a little policy love.
Our state must consider ways to make farm labor expenses more affordable this coming session. There are several solutions that are workable including a seasonal approach to overtime and allowing farms and ranches to shop for labor and industries insurance coverage outside the state for a more competitive rate. Our ranchers in the Northeast region of the state also need a reprieve from predator attacks on their livestock. Developing a cooperative system of management that allows state and local officials to work collaboratively with ranchers and conservationists may provide a pathway for better overall recovery of gray wolves into the future. Finally, our agricultural community is continually asked to upgrade equipment to become more environmentally conscious. To make upgrades more economically feasible, the state could repeal the tax on new and used farm equipment.
At the conclusion of A Charlie Brown Christmas, Linus wraps his beloved blue blanket around the base of the bedraggled tree chosen by his friend and the rest of the Peanuts gang festoons it with garland and decorations from Snoopy’s prize-winning doghouse decor. The tree Lucy deems as “poor” from the start needs a “little bit of love” to become a showstopper worthy of being a Christmas carol centerpiece at the end.
While Washington state’s agricultural community is no “poor tree” now, it is certainly bedraggled after years of weathering various economic and regulatory burdens. But, with “a little bit of love,” our farmers and ranchers can wrap up in a proverbial blue blanket this holiday season and be transformed into a “great big, shiny aluminum Christmas tree” (or a lovely evergreen – we grow those here, too, you know).
From my farm to your family, I wish you the very best this holiday season has to offer. I hope your home is filled with joy and your heart full of happy anticipation for a brighter year to come. – Pam Lewison