Respect for Agriculture Pt 2
With today’s Fruit Grower Report, I’m Bob Larson. Washington legislators should invite more ag voices to Olympia to teach them what is actually going on in the food production business.
That’s the opinion of the Washington Policy Center’s Pam
Lewison who says the lack of regard for agriculture could have devastating results …
LEWISON … “If you legislate the agricultural community out of existence in the state, what do you have? You’re undercutting and removing the second largest industry of this state. That’s jobs, that’s money, and most importantly, that is food.”
Legislators, Lewison says need to talk with farmers …
LEWISON … “Don’t get into the weeds about activists’ stances, but have a real understanding of on-farm, boots on the ground, hands in the dirt, people who are doing this every single day.”
That includes, Lewison says, farmers from across the state …
LEWISON … “Because ultimately, when you go to Olympia, no matter what district you represent, you’re making decisions for every single person in this state.”
There’s so much, Lewison says farmers don’t get credit for …
LEWISON … “We have learned, as a community, to produce more food with less land. We’ve learned to be more efficient in how we use that land and the water that’s available to us, and feed more people because we’ve had to.”
Lewison says many legislators seem oblivious to where their food really comes from.
