What are the major challenges facing agriculture in Washington state?

KUOW recently produced a series called "Sweet Earth: Lessons From the Land" that aimed to open up discussion about the pros and cons with local food.

From the website:
"Soaring gasoline prices, climate change, health consciousness. They're all factors in the growing movement to eat locally. It's a great slogan, but is it possible to eat locally in the Central Puget Sound region? What kinds of challenges face our local farmers? What can state and local government do to help? From King County's efforts to protect farmlands from encroaching development, to programs that try to find aspiring farmers to make that land productive, we'll hear about public and private initiatives to boost farming. We'll also learn how direct marketing can take farmers beyond the traditional farmers markets. And we'll explore the bond between farmers and the land they steward."

In one edition, two of our friends, Andrew Stout and Anne Schwartz, answer questions about current problems facing farmers in Washington. View their discussion!

Mark