The Future of Farming

Strategic Plan for Washington Agriculture, 2020 and Beyond

The Future of Farming is a statewide strategic plan for Washington agriculture submitted to the Legislature and the Governor in February 2009.

The plan was prepared by the Washington State Department of Agriculture in 2008 with guidance from an industry steering committee and input from about 2,000 participants from the industry's many segments. The project found wide agreement on the industry's key priorities.

The Future of Farming plan identifies five broad strategies for keeping agriculture viable:

1. Make agriculture a priority. Farming needs to be a priority for the state's citizens and lawmakers.
2. Eliminating regulatory barriers. Complex local, state, and federal regulations that threaten the competitiveness need to be assessed and reformed.
3. Protect resources. The availability of productive and affordable land, water, labor and energy resources is essential.
4. Strengthen support services. Future competitiveness requires strong support services in education, transportation, research and development, processing, marketing, and more.
5. Harness emerging opportunities. Agriculture must recognize and tap into emerging opportunities.

The Future of Farming plan includes detailed justifications for its recommendations and proposals for potential future actions. The plan is meant to be a tool for education, a launching point for discussions, and a seed for future actions benefiting the social, environmental, and economic future of Washington and its agricultural industry.

Read the Executive Summary
Read the full 100-page report "Washington Agriculture - Strategic Plan 2020 and Beyond" (PDF 9.2MB)

Input from many organizations and specific information gathered to prepare the plan are found in Appendix documents.