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.
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