Hearing spotlights bill to boost Washington-grown food, help small farms and shift cannabis oversight

A wide-ranging agriculture bill cleared its first hearing Tuesday, with sponsors and industry representatives saying it would strengthen food security and shore up struggling family farms.

Christine Reeves, the bill's Democratic prime sponsor, told the House Consumer Protection and Business Committee that Washington has lost roughly 3,700 farms in the past five years and that regulatory burdens and market pressures are forcing many small operators to seek outside investors. "These are small businesses in our state that are struggling to stay afloat," she said.

Reeves and backers described House Bill 2616 as a package to increase state agency purchases of Washington-grown food, create grants to help farmers during severe weather or market swings, and fund upgrades to cold-storage equipment. The measure would also continue certain climate-law exemptions for farm fuel, exclude some lubricants and refrigeration equipment from emissions rules, and transfer licensing and regulation of cannabis production and testing from the Liquor and Cannabis Board to the Department of Agriculture.

Jonathan Quigley, a small-orchard owner who testified in support, described the pressures on family farms: "I'm in the process of buying the orchard from the retiring owner, and I'm being forced to get investors from the outside because there's no way you can really keep up," he said, arguing the bill would help preserve multigenerational operations.

No members of the public testified in opposition during the hearing, according to the program's report. The committee heard testimony and proposals; the bill will proceed through the committee process for further review and possible amendments.