Public policy hasn’t always been my frame of reference, but agriculture has. As the legislative session drew to a close and emergency funds were allocated, I began to check legislation that will affect agriculture long past sine die. Here are the highs and lows from Olympia:

New pesticide restrictions. Legislators voted to require the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) to develop control measures for the pesticide Chlorpyrifos “to reduce emissions sufficiently so the public is not subject to levels of exposure that may cause or contribute to significant adverse health effects” by January 2022. Washington State University will also look to find alternatives to Chlorpyrifos for pest control. Funding was also designated to create a training program for the Washington Pesticide Application Act.

Drought preparedness. As water continues to be a restricted commodity throughout parts of Washington state, annual drought declarations become a preoccupation for us all. Legislation now lays out how water resources will be managed in the short- and long-term, if the need arises, to ensure the viability of irrigated crops, fisheries, and small communities. 

Newest crop in Washington: Carbon. The legislature created a grant program to encourage a sustainable farms and fields program that would incentivize “carbon farming.” The idea isn’t new, but it is not prevalent in our state. By offering farmers an incentive to change how they care for their soil, it may provide regenerative benefits to their overall operations. A win-win that pulls CO2 emissions totals out of the air and trades them for better soil content in the ground.

Farm internships to increase interest in agricultural pursuits. Legislation giving farms and ranches in our state the chance to hire up to three interns a season to teach them about farm work might change that. The internship legislation reminds people that, like any other business, agriculture is a profession that has complexity and a learning curve. By offering internships to motivated individuals, farms and ranches can give people to chance to determine if the agricultural life is really a pursuit for them.

This legislative session was largely gracious to agriculture – with nods to maintaining access to water when its needed most, creating means by which to help soils, and offering the potential for a new crop of farmers and ranchers.