Half-Time Farmers Pt 1

With today’s Fruit Grower Report, I’m Bob Larson. The word out of a public records request, made by the Washington Policy Center, is that talking points, used by legislators to justify the governor’s plan to tax farm families, read, in short, ‘farmers earn over $250,000 every year working just half time.’

The WPC’s Pam Lewison says she couldn’t believe her eyes …

LEWISON … “I stumbled over that little nugget in that records request and I was just flabbergasted that anyone would consider putting out that kind of information.”

Lewison says if you want to cherry pick, harvest season doesn’t take all year, but come on …

LEWISON … “By necessity, you put off all of your “desk” things to do. You know, farming is a business and so you still have paperwork to do, you still have payroll things to take care of, and you have continuing education pieces as well. So, that’s what happens in the winter months. And, it’s still work, so you’re not just putting your feet up and doing nothing.”

Lewison says some legislators have no clue …

LEWISON … “You know, when you start looking at talking points like that, the concerning part about it is just that it further highlights how far from food production and how far from the farm some of our legislators are.”

Tune in tomorrow for more on this legislative perception of farming and what this tax means.