KLICKITAT COUNTY, Wash. – Andy Juris, a fourth-generation wheat and hay farmer in Klickitat County, discussed the increasing challenges faced by farmers. While his family keeps the hay local, they export wheat across the nation and world.
“Our input costs, the materials and the supplies that we need every year to grow the crop are at all-time highs,” Juris said. “They have been increasing for years and show no signs of stopping.”
Juris expressed the uncertainty farmers are currently facing.
“You’re at the mercy of geopolitical tensions. Policy shifts, the weather. Just about everything,” Juris said. “We’re price takers. We’re offered a price for what we grow and produce. So the risk for farmers is enormous.”
President Trump’s $12 billion funding package for farmers includes $1 billion earmarked for specialty crops. The Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) program will handle $11 billion to provide relief to U.S. row crop farmers producing staples like barley, chickpeas and corn.
Colleen Donovan, executive director of the Washington State Farmers Market Association, noted the impact of tariffs and inflation on farmers’ input costs.
“The farmers that we work with, the farmers markets absolutely are impacted by tariffs as well as the inflation at large in terms of their input costs, whether it’s feed or fuel or their equipment or their own health care,” Donovan said.
Donovan mentioned that farmers selling at farmers markets may not benefit from federal funding if they aren’t exporters.
“They most likely won’t tick the box of being a commodity farmer that exports. And so it’s very, very unlikely that any of these billion dollars or any of this federal money will reach them and help them directly,” Donovan said.
She is awaiting clarity on the allocation of funds.
“There’s real questions in terms of how that funding will be allocated geographically to what types of specialty crops,” Donovan said.
Jack Field, executive director of the Washington State Cattle Feeders Association, shared insights on the beef industry. Despite rising costs, beef producers are still making money due to strong consumer demand. However, they are not part of the funding from President Trump.
“What drove the Trump administration to take a look and unveil tariff relief that they’re talking about rolling out to farmers and ranchers across the country to try to help assist those different commodities that haven’t been fortunate,” Field said.
