Take the Climate Resilience Producer Survey

Kim Vaughn
Communications

Navigating climate challenges in Washington's agricultural landscape

Rich soils, diverse climates, and large-scale irrigation infrastructure make Washington one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world. Washington farmlands and farmers are of global importance, moving more than $17 billion per year in food and agricultural products through Washington's ports, producing over 300 different crops, and generating $12.8 billion per year in agricultural production value for the state economy.

These activities are critical to urban and rural communities alike, providing food security, nutrition, and thriving livelihoods in Washington and beyond.

Extreme weather, invasive pests and disease, and declining water availability are daily impacting agricultural production in Washington. Managing the wide range of potential climate risks and costs moving forward has made livestock and crop production—already challenging and volatile industries—even more challenging. However, with the right support and innovation, Washington farmers are poised to lead the way in building a more economically viable and climate-resilient future. 

The Washington State Department of Agriculture, Climate Resilience Plan, is one important step towards that goal. 

Climate Resilience Plan

To support the continued viability and vitality of Washington agriculture, WSDA has launched an 18-month climate resilience planning process, in partnership with Washington State University. The Climate Resilience Plan will summarize recent climate science, identify vulnerabilities, highlight opportunities, and include newly developed resources. We intend for this work to be informed by the needs and experiences of Washington producers. It is essential that your voice is heard.

Take the survey

Your responses will help us understand the on-farm impacts of climate change, resources in use, and current agricultural needs.

We want to hear from small and large producers from every crop and animal operation in every part of the state.

This information will help us communicate the nuances of climate change in agriculture to industry stakeholders and policymakers, and to build programs that are in direct response to your feedback. Your input is valued and appreciated.

Survey participants will be entered into a drawing to win a $100 VISA gift card.

The survey is available in English and Spanish. 

Please take a few minutes to fill out this short, anonymous survey by February 23, 2024.

We thank you for your participation in this effort.

WSDA joins UW and WSU to learn more about COVID-19 impacts to agriculture

Hector Castro
Communications

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only taken a toll in lives, but has also led to significant economic hardship for many in our state, including those working in agriculture. Now, WSDA has joined with the University of Washington and Washington State University in an effort to survey Washington’s farms and ranches to learn how they have been weathering this deadly pandemic.

The hope is to learn more about the economic resiliency of our state’s farm operations and how they adapt, or recover, from an unforeseen event like the COVID-19 pandemic. Some farm businesses have seen little disruption to their operations, but others have suffered greatly during these past several months.

The Washington Farm COVID-19 End-of-Season Survey is open until Dec. 31 and is available in both English and Spanish. Any farm or ranch is invited to take part in the survey and all participants will remain anonymous.

There are about 80 questions in the survey, covering the type of agriculture operation as well as questions about finances before the pandemic and during this past year, including questions about how the two years compare to one another.  

Raspberry harvesting.

The survey questions are an effort to understand:

• What the major impacts were.
• Whether farms or ranches were able to adapt or transform their farm practices, and how.
• Which adaptations were the most successful.
• Why specific decisions were made.
• What barriers were encountered.
• What are the hopes and concerns of farmers and ranchers for the coming year.

The information WSDA, UW and WSU learn through the survey will help provide information for academic research and to government decision makers as they strive to develop policies to help businesses, including those in agriculture, recover from this crisis. 

The survey results will also be available to the public, though participants will remain anonymous. Visit the UW’s Center for Public Health Nutrition at nutr.uw.edu/cphn/wafarm to learn more about the survey project.