The Washington State Department of Agriculture is working with producers that have been impacted by the significant drought this season, including where to find assistance and advocating with the federal government. The WSDA’s Amber Betts said this has been one of, if not the worst droughts in recent memory.

“Our message to our producers in Washington state is to keep a good record of your loss and reporting that to Ecology and the Farm Service Agency."

There are, she noted,  a wide variety of assistance programs through the FSA depending on the operation. Betts said one of the most impacted areas is the dryland farmers.

"We're seeing reduced crop yields, and not enough hay to feed our animals. For the hay, they're getting a lot less cuttings this year. There's also a concern, because of how dry it is, that we're not going to have enough moisture in the spring to plant."

Betts said that not only are the producers impacted, but that ripples throughout many of these Ag-based communities who will be hurting if the farm economy continues to struggle under the weight of the drought.

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