Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
WSDA describes one-time overtime reimbursement grants that covered 24 farms, highlights lessons for future programs
Summary
At a work session, WSDA officials described a one-time 2024 proviso that reimbursed eligible Washington farms up to $20,000 for overtime wages; 24 farms received nearly $214,000 overall. WSDA said targeted outreach and streamlined applications reduced administrative barriers and that findings will inform future programs.
Katie Raines, director of food systems initiatives at the Washington State Department of Agriculture, briefed the Senate Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee on a one-time grant program funded by a 2024 legislative proviso to reimburse eligible farmers for overtime wages paid during peak harvest.
Raines described the program purpose and eligibility: reimbursements of up to $20,000 were available to Washington-based farms that hand-harvested specialty vegetables sold to local markets or schools; farms needed to have paid overtime wages to domestic workers in the 2024 season, be owned…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
