If you’ve walked through a supermarket lately, you’ve probably noticed produce prices that feel too high. Meanwhile, farmers like me are getting paid prices that are too low — often far below the cost of growing the food in the first place.

The family farm remains the backbone of this nation’s food system. If we lose that connection between the land and the people who love it, we won’t just lose farms. We’ll lose the foundation of rural America itself.

Farmers need predictable access to open markets, fair pricing that reflects the real cost of production, and policies that respect the work of both farm owners and the laborers who keep operations running. Subsidies are a Band-Aid, not a cure.

When politicians promise to “make China pay,” it sounds tough. It sounds patriotic. But here’s the truth no one likes to admit: China doesn’t pay these tariffs. America does.

Not that long ago—within the lifetime of folks still living in Wasco and Sherman Counties—the farm fields echoed with the steady clop of draft horses. Harness jingled at dawn, sweat darkened their hides by noon, and at day’s end the team pulled the wagon home. It was the rhythm of farm life.

Every year, the county fair reminds us where we come from. It’s where we learn to show up and take pride in what we raise, build, bake, or grow. It’s late nights in the barn and early mornings in the wash rack. It’s kids learning that blue ribbons are earned—but blue jeans are lived in.

Just days ago, I stood at the edge of our orchard here in Wasco County, looking out over a sea of sweet cherries—blushing, full, and ready. The weather lined up. The quality is excellent. We should be celebrating a strong year. But instead, we’re fielding phone calls from neighbors and fellow growers asking: Where are the workers?

After decades in the orchard, one thing’s clear: American agriculture isn’t failing. It’s being held back, stalled in a system built to benefit everyone but the people growing the food.

When the U.S. government slapped tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum in 2018—25% on steel and 10% on aluminum—it didn’t take long for the blowback to hit American farmers.

Some of my earliest friendships were with kids who traveled each year to pick alongside their parents. We’d race through the orchard rows after chores, share snacks, and swap stories in Spanglish long before I even realized what that was. Their families were, and still are, essential to this place. They bring the hands that harvest and the heart that keeps the tradition going.