Unique State of Mind

From Washington Grown, December 18, 2025

As we wrap up another year, it’s hard not to feel a deep sense of gratitude for the land, the people, and the work that make Washington what it is. As a native Washington farm kid, I’ll admit my perspective comes with a little bias — but it’s the kind shaped by dirt under fingernails, early mornings, and seasons that dictate both livelihood and life. I am in love with this state, from its misty rainforests and glacial peaks to its wide-open grasslands and deserts where sagebrush and prickly pears thrive. Few places in the world hold such striking contrasts so close together, and fewer still turn those contrasts into abundance.

Washington is a land of remarkable contrasts and abundant bounty, where dramatic landscapes and dynamic climates converge to create one of the most unique and agriculturally rich regions in the United States. From the rugged, rain-washed forests of the Olympic Peninsula to the sun-drenched valleys of Eastern Washington, the state’s extraordinary diversity shapes not only its natural beauty, but also its role as a national agricultural powerhouse and cultural touchstone. This land has never promised perfection — only possibility.

Perfection wasn’t on my family’s mind when my dad’s grandparents left the mines of Montana in 1887 and settled on the open grasslands near Wilbur. It wasn’t a consideration when my mom’s great-grandmother, newly widowed in Texas, loaded her two young boys onto a stagecoach in the 1880s and headed north to the plains of Lincoln County in search of a future. Like so many farm families, they came to Washington not because it was easy, but because it offered a chance at survival, resilience, and something better for the next generation. Our little corner of the state is a patchwork of stories like theirs — shaped by Germans, Dutch, Scots, Irish, Slavs, and countless others who put down roots and learned to work with the land they settled.

That shared history is reflected in Washington agriculture today. What sustains my family and our farm may not look the same for my neighbor and hers, but agriculture teaches a powerful truth: diversity isn’t a weakness, it’s a strength. Just as Washington’s varied climates, soils, and growing conditions allow hundreds of crops to flourish, our differences in background, tradition, and approach help our communities endure. Whether it’s wheat fields nourished by Eastern Washington sunshine, orchards shaped by careful irrigation, or coastal potatoes thriving in a maritime climate, every region — and every family — contributes something essential to the whole.

Washington’s climate and soils are central to a thriving agricultural sector that produces more than 300 different commercial crops, ranging from apples and cherries to grapes, hops, wheat, and an astonishing variety of fruits and vegetables. The state’s agricultural output is both economically vital and globally significant — contributing billions of dollars annually and supplying food products across the nation and around the world. This agricultural success is no accident. It stems from a unique combination of rich soils, abundant sunshine, reliable irrigation systems, and agricultural innovation, which together have made Washington one of the most productive farming regions in the country.

At its core, Washington agriculture is about community. It’s about neighbors helping during harvest, sharing water, trading knowledge, and showing up when someone needs a hand. Most of us are trying our best to care for the land while supporting one another — because farming makes it clear that no one succeeds alone. An unknown author once wrote, “Our similarities bring us to a common ground; our differences allow us to be fascinated by each other,” and that sentiment feels especially true in our state. Our shared reliance on the land connects us, while the variety of ways we work it makes Washington endlessly compelling.

This balance — between rugged geography and human ingenuity, between independence and interdependence — is what makes Washington not just productive, but meaningful. It’s a place where climate and culture intersect, where agriculture reflects both the character of the land and the people who steward it, and where community often rises above difference. That, to me, is what makes Washington truly unique.