Grant County, Wash., farmer Ron Fode finally presented his case to the state Supreme Court, more than nine years after being fined for irrigating hay, alfalfa and potatoes without a […]

You have probably heard Whatcom Family Farmers mention a partnership with a new collaborative group called Water for Whatcom. We thought it was a good time to explain a little more about this new effort and why we are urging your support. Launched in 2024, Water for Whatcom is a broad-based coalition dedicated to collaborative solutions

Email from Whatcom Family Farmers Updates on the court process, state budget woes, local efforts, and collaborative discussions View as Webpage Water Rights Watch: Updates for Farmers AUGUST 2

A message from Whatcom Family Farmers' Executive Director, Fred Likkel. Taken from Whatcom Family Farmers' Summer 2026 newsletter. As I write this letter, it’s late summer, and for many farmers the harvest season is either finishing up or fast approaching, depending on your crops. What will the harvest bring us? For most this is the time for

As massive wildfires continue to burn across hundreds of thousands of acres of timber and grazing land in Washington state, the former longtime stewards of those lands are crying foul, pointing out ho...

New rule will increase costs for farmers drilling wells or otherwise changing water withdrawals The Washington Department of Ecology abruptly told water conservancy boards it will reject changes to wa...

Being Frank is a column by Chairman Ed Johnstone of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission. As a statement from the…

Farmers in Skagit County are fighting a proposal to spend tens of millions of dollars to buy up fertile farmland on the Skagit River delta and turn it into fish habitat with questionable benefits. Je...

Despite surging costs and some market headwinds, farmers in Whatcom and Skagit counties have one reason for optimism: the 2026 planting season featured outstanding weather, helping crops get off to a ...

Time after time, Washington state agencies have abused their authority and taken steps to harm the farming community. Charlie Rankin, an independent journalist based in North Carolina, has taken noti...

Slapping farmers with huge fines for how they're using water has become common practice for the Washington State Department of Ecology in recent years, putting some farms out of business and even goin...

Government data showed Washington state losing an average of two farms a day even before farmers in the state sank to last in the nation for profitability, losing nearly $400M in 2024, with 2025 numbe...

Lynden Lynden Tractor Trot Run - June June 14th, 2025 5k, 10k Run

Fred Likkel, Executive Director of Whatcom Family Farmers, issues the following statement regarding the announcement of the Washington State Department of Ecology’s new water supply initiative “Our co...

Farming in Washington is seeing a decline not paralleled in any other state, putting the blame for the downfall squarely on policy decisions in Olympia. Pam Lewison, Director of the Center for Agricu...

Drawing from 2024 USDA data, Washington now ranks 50th in the nation in net farm revenue

Fred Likkel, Executive Director of Whatcom Family Farmers, issues the following statement regarding the Whatcom County Council’s unanimous vote on adding clear support for a collaborative water manage...

Local farmers have been clear from the beginning: the only way Whatcom County's water crisis will be solved is through a collaborative process, despite the Washington State Department of Ecology's wat...

A Whatcom County farmer says immigration enforcement actions are hitting just as Washington’s planting season gets underway, leaving farms scrambling to fill labor gaps.

Myriad issues are at play in the state's timber industry, which largely depends on private players.

STATE OF WASHINGTONWHATCOM COUNTY SUPERIOR COURTNo. 24-2-80000-37IN THE MATTER OF THE DETERMINATION OF THE RIGHTS TO THE USE OF THE SURFACE AND GROUND WATER ...

What do Washington farmers and the Las Vegas Raiders have in common? Right now, we’re both in last place. For sports fans, finishing at the bottom of the standings can be frustrating—but it’s still p...

Attendance doubled this year as more than 200 students explored careers in farming, trades, and the industries that support our local communities.

YouTube video by Whatcom Family Farmers

Work Session:

ADVOCACY Securing Your Water Rights What's Next February 24, 2026 | Water Rights Workshop Farmers, have you filed to protect your water rights? The deadline is fast approaching, and we ha...

YouTube video by Save Family Farming

Ben Tindall, Executive Director of Save Family Farming, issued a statement regarding the Washington State Department of Ecology’s lack of transparency in its ongoing effort to punish 85-year-old small family farmer Bob Greiff over a water rights legal technicality. “Someone isn’t telling the truth. Ecology claims it’s tried to work with Mr. Greiff to resolve

Hundreds of Whatcom County high school students will get to learn more about what their futures could look like at Whatcom Family Farmers' upcoming career fair focusing on agriculture and the trades. ...

For generations of Whatcom County farm families, increased flooding raises the question of how to keep their legacy from being washed away. For the third time since the Super Bowl flood of 2020, Whatcom County has suffered devastating flooding. The Nooksack River reached a record peak of 150.49 feet at the Cedarville gauge,