Ag Advocacy Has An Impact Newhouse Notes

Perhaps Congress is recognizing the many challenges farm country is facing today.  Central Washington representative Dan Newhouse, a member of the House Ag Committee, pointed to the recent changes made to the way the Adverse Effect Wage Rate is calculated.  And while Newhouse said this should help address the rising cost of labor, he pointed out the changes didn’t happen by chance.

"I want to make sure I say this as often as I can to encourage more of it," Newhouse said.  "Growers around the country have been reaching out to their members of Congress to let them know that this is still a very big part of the reason that farmers are having a hard time finding profitable situations on their farms. The high cost of labor or the unavailability of labor to begin with is a huge issue.”

And that, Newhouse said, comes with a lot of influence from knowledgeable individuals in Washington D.C. 

“We have been making some progress, too, as I think we’ve talked about before," Newhouse said.  "Chairman of the Agriculture Committee, GT Thompson, has been very good about putting together ideas from different members of Congress on what we should be doing in legislation.”

Newhouse’s message to Northwest farmers, keep up the advocacy and reach out to lawmakers, whether that’s in D.C., or the state capital.  He added those advocacy efforts do have an impact.

If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail glenn.vaagen@townsquaremedia.com