BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Farm-labor advocacy groups are furious after a District Court judge in Bellingham slashed the fine to $36,500 on Tuesday for a blueberry farm accused of unsafe working conditions, after a worker there collapsed and died last August.

The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries previously found Sarbanand Farms not liable for the death of Honesto Silva Ibarra, a 28-year-old father of two, but it found the company failed to offer enough rest and dinner breaks.

Rosalinda Guillen, executive director of the nonprofit Community2Community Development, said the farm had people working 12- to 14-hour days, despite thick smoke from a nearby wildfire. She charged that managers ignored Ibarra's request for medical help until it was too late.

"He did have diabetes, but his death was caused by overwork, by not enough food, but also extreme dehydration and overwork outside in the fields, during a time when that smoke was covering all of Whatcom County," said Guillen.

The state originally considered a fine of $145,000, but settled on $73,000. Then the district court cut it in half. However, state law allows the district court to charge an assessment, which could bring the final number up to almost $75,000. The company did not accept responsibility for Ibarra's death and argued the fine should be lowered because managers kept good records and cooperated with investigators.

Ibarra was hired in Mexico to come to Washington on an H2A visa held by the company, not the worker. Guillen said that means workers can't flee to another job if working conditions are unsafe.

"For us it's immoral, the fact that the life of a farm worker has been negotiated down to $35,000. And the reason they bring in these H2-A workers is because they are exploitable," she said. "It's like slavery. It's like the value of a worker is actually being calculated. It's disgusting."

She said she's convinced that farm work should be done by union workers with proper breaks, salaries and benefits, and said her group will continue to protest working conditions on farms in Whatcom County.


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SPRINGDALE, Ark. -- New efforts are underway to help small-scale farms in Arkansas expand their business.

The Food Conservancy, a northwest Arkansas nonprofit helping farmers with distribution, is supporting the first group of small farms in the state through the Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification, a voluntary audit of a farm's food-safety practices by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

After completing the audit, farms can sell their products wholesale, with The Food Conservancy, to schools, hospitals and grocery stores.

Diana Endicott, founder and director of The Food Conservancy, called the audit an "investment" in the regional food system.

"You know, I think the overall importance to the general public is, what do they want their landscape to look like?" Endicott remarked. "I think that this particular program, and having small farms and diversified farms and some orchards, along with some vegetable production and some green spaces, is very important."

She pointed out grant funding from the Walton Family Foundation offsets the certification costs for farmers. In Benton and Washington counties, the number of farms growing fruits, nuts and vegetables has increased 45% since 2012, according to the Conservancy.

John Aselage, owns A and A Orchard in Green Forest in Carroll County, where a small team raises apples, nectarines, peaches and pears. They primarily sell their produce through local farmers markets and community-supported agriculture (CSA).

Aselage said they will be audited in November. As he gets closer to retirement and deals with a farm labor shortage, he explained moving to wholesale is a logical next step.

"It takes a lot of people, a lot of coordination and a lot of work to do these farmers' markets," Aselage emphasized. "Working with the Food Conservancy, they come pick up the product and distribute it; it's just a lot less work. We're not getting up at 2:30 in the morning on a Saturday to, you know, do farmers' markets."

Four farms in the region have completed GAP certification so far. The Food Conservancy said about 30 others have expressed interest.

JAMESTOWN, N.D. -- Actions continue in Washington, DC, to address longstanding market fairness issues within agriculture, but those behind a new campaign do not want progress derailed in helping smaller farmers in North Dakota and elsewhere.

The National Farmer's Union is out with its new Fairness for Farmers campaign, which aims to keep market concentration issues out in the open.

A main area of concern has been cattle, with four companies able to purchase and process roughly 80% of beef in America.

Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., said many farmers west of the Mississippi River are still reeling from drought conditions, and policymakers cannot leave them behind right now.

"By taking a bite out of consolidation, then the meatpacking industry hopefully can start on moving towards addressing other anticompetitive behavior that has come to dominate every sector of the ag industry and give an advantage back to the family farmers and ranchers of this nation," Tester stated.

In July, President Joe Biden signed an executive order calling on many levels of government to better enforce laws against anticompetitive behavior, including ag consolidation.

Congress is considering several bills, such as one that deals with truth in labeling. There is also an ongoing class-action lawsuit against the "Big Four" meatpacking companies.

A key industry group has pushed back against the efforts, saying they will lead to unintended consequences for customers and producers.

Mark Watne, president of the North Dakota Farmers Union, said collectively, the actions could eventually force some of the firms who have long dominated the beef industry to loosen some of their grip.

"I think there is a potential that they'll be forced to sell off some plants because they have just a little bit too much control," Watne asserted.

Among other things, the campaign renews calls for more small, local meat plants. Watne acknowledged forcing the main companies to minimize their presence is still some time from happening, noting follow-through from policymakers is needed, for it to reach a realistic outcome.

GERING, Neb. -- With school back in session, many Nebraska students will be fueled by fresh beef, fruits and vegetables sourced from local farms.

Mary Carman, director of food services for the Gering public school district, has spent the past three years developing a farm-to-school program. Instead of using processed food shipped in from out of state, her team now uses locally-produced, nutrient-rich foods and prepares meals from scratch.

Carman recently added local organic honey for cafeteria recipes.

"The whole point is to get the freshest food to the kids, and also use it as an educational tool for teachers to teach kids about where food comes from, how it's grown," Carman explained.

Nebraska students also are selling garden harvests at farmers markets, and some local farmers help students grow seedlings in their greenhouses. More school cafeterias soon could be transformed into both the largest classrooms and restaurants in Nebraska.

During the last legislative session, senators created a state farm-to-school program, and this month the initiative added its first full-time employee.

In June, the University of Nebraska Extension and other partners hosted the first statewide Farm-to-School Institute, designed to help schools procure local food and teach kids how it's grown.

Justin Carter, project associate at the Center for Rural Affairs, said farm-to-school is a good investment for local economies. When schools buy directly from local farmers, the money goes right back into communities.

"For each dollar invested in farm-to-school, it stimulates an additional 60 cents to $2.16 in local economic activity," Carter reported.

For school food directors interested in launching their own program, Carman encouraged patience and getting out into the community. She suggested farmers markets are a good place to start, and noted most producers are very interested in exploring additional revenue streams.

"It's a win for the farmers," Carman asserted. "A school district in any rural town, or anywhere, is usually your biggest restaurant. We're feeding thousands of kids a day."