EDITORIAL: Washington's specialty crops deserve attention
May 29-It is no surprise that Washington ranks first in the United States in apple production. But even longtime residents might not be aware that our state also is first in blueberries, hops and sweet cherries; second in potatoes and raspberries; and 13th in overall agricultural production.
According to state officials, Washington is second in agricultural diversity, with more than 300 crops grown across 15 million acres of farmland. Because of those unique agricultural needs, a proposal in the federal farm bill is particularly notable. A version of the legislation that passed the U.S. House of Representatives last month includes $1 billion in assistance for specialty crops - the kind of farming that is prevalent in Washington but often overlooked at the federal level.
The public - and officials in Washington, D.C. - typically considers farms to be flat, massive, amber waves of grain. Our state's fruited plains often are overlooked when it comes to federal policy and financial assistance.
As Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Sunnyside and a third-generation farmer, told The Seattle Times: "We, a lot of times, get forgotten. We - as in specialty crops - aren't top of mind when people are writing the farm bill. I've been working my whole time here to increase the research and promotion budgets, and we've been able to do that."
The Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026, which passed 224-200 (Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Skamania, was one of 14 Democrats to vote in favor), would define farm policy and funding for the next five years.
It faces a contentious vote in the Senate and further uncertainty when it returns to the House, but for now the focus is on specialty crops such as tree fruit, tree nuts and dried fruits. Funding in the bill includes support for crop research, expanding global markets, and protecting crops from pests and disease.
John Paul Driver, vice president of the Washington State Farm Bureau, told The Seattle Times: "This is much more about long-term stability, a five-year time horizon for things like conservation and trade and nutrition programs and rural development and university research."
That is important. It also points out how a dysfunctional Washington, D.C., often works against average Americans.
During Donald Trump's two terms as president, for example, the federal government has approved $40 billion for farmers to mitigate the damage caused by Trump's tariff policies; the vast majority of that has gone toward cash crops rather than specialty crops. And this year, Trump's war on Iran has driven up the price of diesel and fertilizer, greatly impacting growers large and small.
Meanwhile, Congresses led by both parties have ignored their duty to renew the farm bill every five years, instead opting to simply renew current legislation. That remains a possibility this time around for legislation that has not been renegotiated since 2018.
All of that adds to growing stressors on farmers. State officials say approximately 11 percent of Washington farms closed between 2017 and 2022.
The issues are complex. Perez, for instance, recently introduced legislation to protect family farms, saying, "The health of our nation is married to the wealth of our soil and generational stewardship." And the package of legislation that comprises the farm bill includes controversial items regarding food assistance and pesticide controls.
But among the many items involved, attention to specialty crops is particularly beneficial in Washington.
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