YAKIMA, Wash. -- Farm and fruit-packing workers are considered essential. And in Washington state, they're roiled in struggles for better working conditions.

Yakima County is the biggest hotspot for coronavirus cases on the West Coast, and the fruit-packing warehouses in the area have been a vector for the disease. Last week, workers at seven companies went on strike against unsafe conditions.

Marciano Sanchez, organizer with the Washington state farmworkers' union Familias Unidas por la Justicia, has been at protests alongside workers.

"They end up being really afraid because they're out there working without protections knowing that if they end up getting the coronavirus, it's pretty dangerous," Sanchez said. "And on top of that, they have to go back home where they have families and they don't want those families to get infected either."

Earlier this month, Familias Unidas, United Farmworkers of America and Community to Community Development sued state agencies to get transportation and workplace safety rules in place for farmworkers. Last week, a Skagit County judge decided to wait to order the state to implement rules because the state's attorney said they are coming soon. But the judge says he's continuing to monitor the situation.

Andrea Schmidt is an attorney with Columbia Legal Services representing the plaintiffs and said they're making progress.

"We feel like the lawsuit has been successful in that when we started pushing for these protections, the state had no plans to put out rules to protect farmworkers in this situation," Schmidt said.

But Schmidt said workers still are struggling for safe conditions, especially in Yakima Valley. She said workers are being called greedy for asking for hazard pay, even though other industries already are doing this.

"It's astounding that workers who are putting their lives on the line to produce our food would be vilified for asking for a way to have a little more in the bank for a time when they get sick," she said.

The companies involved say they have been working to implement safety standards as new guidelines emerge. The general manager at one facility, Monson Fruit Company, said they purchased 500 gallons of sanitizer and hired a sanitation team to clean the warehouse.


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State grants could bring high-speed internet access to nearly 15,000 Washingtonians.

The State Broadband Office is awarding $121 million to 19 projects largely designed to ensure broadband for rural communities.

Director of the Washington State Broadband Office Mark Vasconi said an even greater number of communities will need to be served after this round of grants.

"We received over $300 million worth of requests," said Vasconi. "So, I think that shows the need that's out there and, frankly, we were glad that we were able to award the projects that we did."

The state has a goal of ensuring every Washingtonian has access to 150 megabits per second speed internet by 2028.

According to the latest Federal Communications Commission broadband map, 93% of Washingtonians have access to internet with speeds of at least 100 megabits per second.

Vasconi said internet availability will equalize access to services for the people who live in Washington.

"You have access to services, access to information that you otherwise would not have," said Vasconi. "It's really essential in order to conduct your daily life, whether that be health care information, educational information, banking information."

Funds are going to counties and electric co-ops - as well as the Spokane Tribe, which is receiving about $3.4 million. The state is funding the project with investments from the federal Coronavirus Capital Project Fund.




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Young farmers in the United States face extensive structural barriers affecting their mental health, according to a new survey from the National Young Farmers Coalition.

A lack of affordable health care and housing as well as access to land is taking a toll on farmers just starting their career, as well as farmers of color.

Jac Wypler, farmer mental-health director for the National Young Farmers Coalition, said mental decline can lead to poor decision-making and higher risk of injury.

"Farmer mental health truly can lead to farms being less viable," Wypler pointed out. "Farmers being less capable to do the work of the farm, as well as leaving the farming profession."

Wypler noted low pay for farmworkers and even food insecurity are also leading to farmer burnout. Advocates have created a bilingual mental health hotline for farmers at 1-800-FARM-AID and are cultivating a growing network of young farmer leaders working to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health.

The 2018 Farm Bill was the first to direct funding toward farmers' mental health and advocates are hoping the 2023 Farm Bill will offer even more.

Wypler acknowledged Americans' appreciation for farmers and the challenges they face grew during the pandemic, but stressed continued support is needed.

"A functioning healthy food system requires healthy farmers and farmworkers, and that includes their mental health," Wypler contended.

Cultivemos, a network for farmer and farmworker well-being in the Northeast, has regranted federal dollars to more than ninety organizations working to improve farmers' mental health through training and peer mentoring.


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Congress is gathering input as it looks to reauthorize the Farm Bill. Voices from Minnesota's agricultural sector hope independent family farms get a fair shake.

The Farm Bill covers a range of components tied to the nation's food system. It's updated every five years, and the current plan expires this fall.

Southeastern Minnesota dairy farmer Bonnie Haugen recently traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with lawmakers about what she and other advocates want to see in the funding package. She said Congress needs to shift more support to smaller operations, noting that too many monopolies have eroded the presence of family farms, including in her area.

"When we bought these acres, 30 years ago this year, there was about 12 dairy farms within about a three-mile radius," she said. "As of last March, we are the last ones."

The Minnesota-based Land Stewardship Project said a big help would be keeping provisions about enforcing antitrust laws. Small farmers also want full funding of conservation programs, arguing that those dollars shouldn't go to factory farms that may not be as motivated to preserve soil health. Some elements of the emerging plan have bipartisan support, but there are still political differences within the debate.

Sarah Goldman, policy organizer for the Land Stewardship Project, said more Minnesota farmers are nearing retirement age, and predicted a huge generational transfer of land in the coming years. She said Congress has an opportunity to create a better path for those who want to carry on the spirit of family farms.

"If we aren't able to facilitate land access for beginning farmers," she said, "then there aren't going to be folks who are able to continue on and support their communities, and feed their communities."

Her organization believes there should be more support for incubators and cooperative farms. It has said that could boost access to infrastructure, equipment and training for aspiring producers, and also create more opportunities for farmers of color.


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