In the News

Ninety-five percent of the world’s mouths to feed live outside the United States, and 160,000 people in Washington are gainfully employed in feeding them, yet the state’s $40 billion agricultural export trade is threatened by Congress’ prolonged failure to write a new farm bill.

The farm bill stalemate is another Tea Party-caused breakdown of business in Washington, D.C., that is hurting Washington state.

The defining program for American agriculture expired on Sept. 30.  It should have been renewed by Congress last year.  The Senate passed a bipartisan bill by a 68-32 vote earlier this year.  The House Agriculture Committee cooperated and produced a bill.  But it was stalled by a revolt in the House Republican Caucus by members demanding deep cuts in food stamps.

“Those are the same people who wanted to shut down the government,” Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said in disgust Thursday.

Cantwell and Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., who sits on the House Agriculture Committee, held a briefing in a cold Seattle warehouse to discuss the consequences.

The host, the 79-year-old F.C. Bloxom Company, markets produce — lots of potatoes — to more than 30 countries.  The farm bill contains something called the Market Access Program (MAP) which brings foreign buyers to Seattle for meetings with exporters.  F.C. Bloxom has acquired five new export customers as a result of MAP-supported meetings.

“The meetings I’ve talked about would be very difficult (without a farm bill): Nobody would show up,” said Bill Bloxom, the owner and operator.

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