Washington Business Spring 2018 | Washington Business | Page 53

business backgrounder | economy the coalition notes, and include agriculture research, healthcare, broadband, housing, energy and more. He also said rural communities need bipartisan support for a strong, sound Farm Bill in 2018. This legislation covers everything from rural development to nutrition, trade and crop insurance to help farmers in tough times. “There are few things more important than that for our rural areas,” McGregor said. McGregor touched on international trade, highlighting that about 90 percent of what is grown on his farm is exported. The United States should work on bilateral trade agreements with other countries, if we’re not going to participate in the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Washington is a trade-driven state, he noted, and he urged listeners to pull together to share that mes sage. Finally, jobs for rural America need to be a top priority at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. reach out to rural communities like never before Many towns are losing population, and the quality of life and local services suffer. This has an impact on recruiting young people to fill the good jobs that are available, he noted. Challenges include limited access to childcare, healthcare, school quality, and more. help fill job openings in agricultural counties On the farm, the average age is over 58, he noted, and it’s the same in the farm supply industry. McGregor said his company offers excellent benefits and career opportunities. They advertise widely, visit with colleges, but like most ag companies, many jobs go unfilled. rural jobs summit covers range of topics Later in the day, lawmakers and employers mingled and attended breakout sessions on topics including exports, housing, rural airports, infrastructure, access to capital, broadband and the Legislature. There were 52 speakers at the October summit, demonstrating the breadth and diversity of voices working to help rural Washington thrive. “AWB is committed, and serious, about removing barriers to success and helping our rural communities create jobs and reinvest in small towns today,” said Mike Ennis, AWB government affairs director. “We’re fortunate to have such a strong group of manufacturers, farmers, business leaders and policymakers working together as a team under Alex McGregor’s leadership. We’re in this for the long haul, and we encourage our rural communities to get involved.” There’s clearly much work to do, but McGregor set the tone at the end of his opening remarks: “What a great opportunity for us to develop a cohesive strategy to help foster a rebound in the natural resource world, vital to us all and to our futures.” For more information on the Rural Jobs Task Force, contact Ennis at [email protected] or 360.943.1600. spring 2018 53