The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Washington State Department of Agriculture will hold listening sessions in February to get feedback from specialty crop growers on the effectiveness of the crop insurance programs available to growers. Judy Olson, director of the USDA’s Farm Service Agency in Washington, said as the federal safety net for farmers moves more towards crop insurance, they want to ensure that the needs of Washington farmers are being met. The federal government subsidizes crop insurance, which is offered through private insurance agents and managed by the USDA’s Risk Management Agency. The Farm Service Agency provides protection […]