To:
Hon Brian Hatfield, Chair
Senate Agriculture, Water, and Rural Economic Development Committee
Hon Brian Blake, Chair
House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee
Olympia
Dear Brian and Brian,
Your friends in Grays River Grange tonight voted to support a resolution to you in favor of the Small Farms and Current Use legislation, introduced originally as HB 1437 and SB 5327; and in particular, the substitute language currently proposed.
As you know, small farms comprise an important part of our modest Wahkiakum County economy, supporting a significant number of our families. Now that we stand to lose most or all of our gillnetting jobs, we must support other aspects of our working rural economy in every way we can. Agriculture is poised to regain something of its former importance in this county, but it will do so only if conditions are favorable for small family farms and innovative niche agriculture. The proposed legislation will bring fairness to our farm tax picture, which currently penalizes the small farmer by taxing the immediate farmstead at a higher rate. Small farmers often depend on the acre surrounding their homes for actual, meaningful production; therefore the proposed reform to the tax code involving small farms seems both appropriate and just. The substitute language addresses the problem of abuses with so-called "hobby farms," restricting the tax advantage to actual crop-production farms. Any tax losses to the counties should be more than made up by additional vigor in the local rural economies that will benefit from this reform.
This small farms legislation is right in line with Grange philosophy throughout its history, whereby the producers of our food deserve our thoughtful protection and encouragement. Both the Washington State Grange and Farm Bureau have lent their support to these bills. Our Grange now adds its vigorous local support, and we respectfully ask you to do the same when the bills come before committees you sit on, and when you vote on the floor. Your personal support, as Senate and House Agriculture Chairmen, will clearly be crucial to the success of both bills.
Thank you very much for considering our resolution of support for these bills, which we take very seriously as bellwethers for the future of our rural communities' well-being.
Sincerely,
Robert M. Pyle, Lecturer
(for Grays River Grange # 124)
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