Washblog

If I-933 passes, an almost certain result will be extensive, intensive, and punishing litigation from many directions and players.  Depending on the outcome of that litigation, we will likely see  a substantial increase in sprawling development across the state.  American Farmland Trust tells us that such sprawling development is losing us our best farmland in Washington.  It is unfortunate that, somehow, Washington State Farm Bureau (WSFB) has become the main in-state defender of this initiative.

Does WSFB represent the best interests of farmers in WA on this matter?  Let's hear from another organization representing farmers, Washington State Grange.  We learn from Washington's history encyclopedia, Historylink that, nationally, The Grange was "an important political force through much of rural America through the first half of the twentieth century and (was) responsible for a number of progressive agricultural and political reforms."  Nowadays, The Grange is sometimes associated more with conservatism than progressivism.   Throughout the decades and all the political and cultural shifts they bring, however, the Grange retains its authority as a champion of the interests of farmers. It is clear from a quote on I-933 from the May, 2006 Washington State Grange News that this organization is, at the least, expressing caution: "In an in-depth analysis of this language, the Grange found cause for concern to agricultural lands and some property owners."