Yakima County, Washington — The sudden shutdown of Cow Palace Dairy Farm in Granger has put over 100 employees in limbo. Local politicians have reacted to the shutdown, citing strict laws that affect farms throughout Washington state.
“Farm closures in Washington state are increasing significantly each year. “And it’s not because they don’t want a farm; it’s because they can’t afford to keep going,” said Yakima County Commissioner Amanda McKinney. “It is so litigiously untenable to be in agriculture right now in Washington State that the State Department of Agriculture is practically imploring our state legislators to listen to the voice of our farmers when they say farming is no longer sustainable in Washington state. Someone in Olympia needs to listen.”
The farm cited an ongoing legal dispute with the Environmental Protection Agency as the primary cause of its shutdown. The fate of the farm animals remains unknown.