© Molly McIlquham
How the State Climate Resilience Strategy Supports Agricultural Viability
The new strategy outlines targeted actions to support agriculture, water management, and climate resilience.
December 11, 2024
Author: Dani Gelardi
The Washington State Climate Resilience Strategy has officially been released, replacing the 2012 version with the latest science and with specific, measurable actions that state agencies are committed to taking. This updated Strategy was created by subject matter experts from ten agencies, required to work together by the Washington legislature (70A.05 RCW) to prepare for climate impacts across topics as diverse as human health, transportation, and the environment. Over 40 hours of meetings and one year later, the final plan mentions the words agriculture, farmer, and producer over 60 times (ctrl + f to search the document and see for yourself!).
Agricultural interests were represented by myself from Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) and Karen Hills and Jon Culp from the State Conservation Commission (SCC). Read on to learn how we collaborated across sectors to highlight both the challenges farmers face and the opportunities that exist for building resilience on the land.
Water management
One overarching strategy is dedicated exclusively to addressing water issues in our state: Implement innovative water conservation and management initiatives to ensure reliable and sufficient water for people, farms, ecosystems, wildlife, and fish (pg. 57). The unpredictability of our water supply—fluctuating between too little and too much—presents ongoing challenges for farmers. The strategy contains various actions, such as enhancing drought preparation, improving data collection, increasing on-farm irrigation efficiency, and strengthening state water storage. A combination of technical assistance, policy reform, and financial assistance is suggested to accomplish these actions.
Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery
The Strategy addresses the growing threat of extreme events and their impact on rural and agricultural communities (pg. 30). Suggested actions to mitigate impacts on the agricultural sector include: increased surveillance of weeds, pests, and animal-to-human disease transmission; permanent funding for the distribution of locally grown food during emergencies; animal composting infrastructure to accommodate offal after mass mortality events; worker heat and air quality protections; and grants and technical assistance for on-farm infrastructure upgrades. There is also a focus on ensuring that state transportation and power infrastructure can withstand climate pressures and support uninterrupted crop production, processing, and distribution.
Conservation
Another emphasis is on protecting and enhancing agricultural lands through farmland preservation and the implementation of on-farm conservation practices (pg. 45). The plan underscores that practices like cover cropping and reducing tillage can boost farm resilience by increasing organic matter and mitigating the effects of extreme weather. Actions under this strategy have a heavy emphasis on increasing the quantity and quality of technical assistance and grants that are available to farmers, both from WSDA and SCC, as well as from partners at Washington State University (WSU), Ecology, Commerce, Natural Resources, and Fish and Wildlife. While I may be biased, I was incredibly proud to showcase the work of the Washington Soil Health Initiative (pg. 46)—including our Soil Health Ambassador Program—in this area.
Research, Innovation, and Workforce Development
Scientific research, data, and training are integral to the Strategy. Throughout the document, there are actions related to additional research for agricultural topics as diverse as water supply, pest surveillance, barriers to conservation practice adoption, impact of conservation practices, climate resilience crop species, and life cycle assessments of crop production. By investing in field trials and modeling studies, Washington aims to provide farmers with actionable insights. The state also intends to address historic agricultural workforce challenges—worsened by climate change impacts—by funding training programs related to climate-resilience career paths, including green job development, agricultural technology training (e.g., precision agriculture, conservation agronomy), workforce diversification, rural job security, and agricultural leadership.
The Road Ahead, and How to Stay Informed
The Strategy’s collaborative approach reflects the need for ongoing partnerships between agencies, conservation groups, and the agricultural community. As such, a new coordinating council is under development to oversee Strategy implementation, progress tracking, and updates every 4 years. To read more about this council, as well as all other actions, see Strategy Appendix B for the details of each agency’s proposals.
Did you know you can search for what state agencies are proposing to the Legislature in the upcoming session? Visit abr.ofm.wa.gov/, select the 2025-27 budget session, and choose agencies of interest. By selecting “Department of Agriculture” and “State Conservation Commission,” for example, you can read about proposed expansions to Sustainable Farms and Fields (A9), a WSDA/WSU Climate Resilience Hub Proposal (AC), and many other important pitches to improve agricultural viability.
Wish us all luck for the upcoming legislative session, and stay tuned in the meantime. As always, we’ll be here to report on how these statewide activities may impact a farm near you.
Dani Gelardi is the Senior Soil Scientist and Climate Coordinator at the Washington Department of Agriculture where she leads soil and climate efforts for the agency including the Washington Soil Health Initiative.
This article was published by the Washington Soil Health Initiative. For more information, visit wasoilhealth.org. To have these posts delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe to the WaSHI newsletter. To find a soil science technical service provider, visit the Washington State University Extension website or the Washington State Conservation District website.