Washington Ag Community Wraps Up Legislative Tour

Officials across the agriculture spectrum gathered with a handful of state lawmakers in the Skagit Valley Tuesday for a new Legislative Tour.  Chris Voigt, executive Director with the Washington state Potato Commission said they wanted to show lawmakers the challenges farmers face in the Evergreen state and how lawmakers decision, or indecision in Olympia impact daily life.  He said they were pleasantly surprised with Tuesday’s turnout.  He told the Washington Ag Network the 20 lawmakers that attended in the Skagit Valley may not be well versed in agriculture, but they showed a willingness to learn.

“They went to Olympia to represent their constituents and to do the right things for the state, and I’ve got to applaud them.  They went out of their way to really utilize that; you know, I’m lacking a bit in some of these natural resource issues.  I’m going to take this opportunity, and I want to learn the story about food and farming.”

Voigt said the lawmakers learned about drainage, water useage, regulations and much more than day-to-day operation.

“We called it actually the food and farm tour, because that’s what we’re about.  We didn’t want to just make it an agriculture tour.  So we really brought in food.  We’re handing out food at all of the stops we did and then finished the tour up with a great Washington meal.”

This week’s event included members of the dairy, wheat, beer and wine industries and others.  Voigt said after the success of this year’s Food and Farm Tour, the plan is to have another Legislative Tour next year, on the eastside of the state.

If you have a story idea for the Washington Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail gvaagen@cherrycreekradio.com