Community members gathered Saturday, March 1st at the Northwest Washington Fairgrounds for the 9th annual Whatcom Farm Expo, put on by the Whatcom Conservation District.

Aneka Sweeney, the conservation district's Outreach & Education Manager, joins Dillon early Saturday morning ahead of the event with details on what attendees can expect.

Whatcom Conservation District Hosts 9th Annual Whatcom Farm Expo

A major breakdown in behind-the-scenes talks is plunging the future of Whatcom farmers and other water users into even deeper turmoil and uncertainty, underscoring the need for a collaborative process as the only way to save salmon and local farming.

Fred Likkel, Whatcom Family Farmers Executive Director, joins Dillon with the behind-the-scenes details, and what they mean for Whatcom County's future.

Local Water Talks Collapse, Underscoring Need For Negotiations

As the court fight to protect thousands of acres of Skagit County farmland threatened by federal agencies' refusal to OK tidegate repair continues, a national farm group is throwing its weight behind the Skagit farmers' case.

Norm Semanko, attorney for Family Farm Alliance, joins Dillon with the latest on the Skagit drainage district's lawsuit, and why his organization has filed a court brief in support of the suit.

National Farm Group Joins Fight to Protect Skagit Tidegates, Farmland

Thousands of Whatcom County residents were perplexed in the past week after being asked to sign as they received a piece of certified mail--a mailing they quickly discovered was a packet of legal paperwork notifying them they are being sued by the State of Washington to prove their water rights in court.

Fred Likkel, Whatcom Family Farmers' Executive Director, talks with Dillon as they explain what people need to know about receiving the court summons, and what they should and shouldn't do with the water rights claim form it asks them to submit.


Whatcom Water Rights Court Summons Arrive In Mail

Proponents of removing Lower Snake River dams have pushed a massive disinformation campaign for decades.

Adam Ratliff, an engineer, social media influencer and marketing guru joins Dillon to share how he and a group of farmers have teamed up to push back with the truth about dams and agriculture.

WA Dam Expert, Farmers Gear Up to Counter 'Well-Funded Assault'

The farming community in the Lower Yakima Valley and across Washington state is mourning the loss of multigenerational family dairy Cow Palace, after the US Environmental Protection Agency's unrelenting attacks forced its closure.

Amanda McKinney, Yakima County Commissioner, talks with Dillon about the EPA's war on farming, saying it's time for the agency's vicious bureaucrats to be held accountable for the harm they're causing.

"Built for War": Yakima County Commissioner Slams EPA Over Cow Palace Closure

It's no secret that the over-50 year-old Endangered Species Act (ESA) has become anti-farm activists' favorite tool to litigate and regulate farms out of business.

What most people don't know is that while killing farms and bringing in untold millions for the environmental litigation industry, the landmark law has largely failed to save the endangered species it claims to protect.

Dan Keppen, Family Farm Alliance's Executive Director, joins Dillon with details on a new effort in Congress to reform the ESA, to modernize the measure and re-focus it on actually restoring endangered species rather than enabling costly, farm-killing litigation.



Farm-Killing Lawsuits, Regulations Target of Endangered Species Act Reform Effort

"Uncertainty right now is the name of the game," says Jason Hoekstra, CEO of Sumas-based EPL Feed. The company provides feed for dairies and other farms all over Washington state.

Hoekstra joined Dillon to talk about many of the challenges facing the local farming community, including the unknowns that the Trump administration's new tariffs present--impacts that could potentially either harm or help farms.

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