Gluesenkamp Perez Visits Lewis County Farms

Earlier this week, Southwest Washington’s Marie Gluesenkamp Perez joined the Lewis County Farm Bureau for their Tour of Agriculture to hear from local growers.

The tour kicked off with a visit to the Southwest Washington Food Hub in Chehalis, where they discussed the hub’s work with farmers to strengthen economic development and food security in their community.  After that, the group visited: Hop Frog Farm, a grower of microgreens in Onalaska; Raintree Nursery, which grows edible plants in Morton; and Pan-American Berry Growers in Mossyrock.  

During the visits, Gluesenkamp Perez spoke with producers about farm consolidation, ways to support healthy, high-quality food, and how Southwest Washington growers serve as a model for agricultural success.

“As small, family farms face worsening consolidation and extreme weather events, we need to fight for a level playing field so they can succeed for generations to come. Southwest Washington growers don’t just farm to make a living, they do it because they love it and it’s a part of their heritage,” Gluesenkamp Perez noted. “Small farms drive our rural economies – and at a time when we import 40 percent of our fresh fruits and vegetables, family farms are ensuring we have a resilient food supply chain here at home. It’s important that local farmers have a seat at the table, so I enjoyed speaking with them about how I can best continue to provide support and bring back federal resources to invest in our agricultural communities.”

Gluesenkamp Perez introduced the PACA Act to help ensure local farmers can stay competitive and protect their operations through investments in soil health and extreme weather resilience. She also introduced the bipartisan Farmland Security Act to increase transparency and oversight of foreign ownership of American farmland, so local farmers don’t get squeezed out.

Gluesenkamp Perez is a member of the House Committee on Agriculture.

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