No one ever said farming is easy

DAYTON-John Laib is a third-generation Columbia County farmer. He and his wife Carolyn farm the 2,500 original acres on his grandfather, Albert Laib's, home place, and they lease and farm an additional 2,500 acres, growing mainly dry land wheat and alfalfa. They also raise cattle.

Laib said the challenges facing farmers today are many, but the biggest frustration for him is that the state legislature is setting policies without understanding how rural communities in eastern Washington live.

"It's a big struggle," Laib said. "There's lots of regulations that come down that people don't realize we have to deal with. There's a lot that come down that we don't seem to have a say in."

Laib pointed to the sheer number of regulations regarding chemical, water, and land use that farmers are dealing with.

He said some of these regulations may have unintended consequences.

Take for instance glyphosate, which is the active ingredient in the herbicide Roundup. If it is banned, farmers may have to return to full tillage, Laib said.

"We don't have a back-up. In my view, we go back to full tillage again. That's not exactly environmentally friendly, either," he said.

Laib said the economy is strong and the dollar is strong, but commodity prices sometimes don't make the break-even point.

"We have good years and bad years. It's a way of life for us. It's not for profit and to get rich from it," Laib said.

And while he hasn't yet seen drastic effects due to the tariffs, Laib said there could be in the future.

"In a year or two, it could, if we lose our business to other countries. You don't just gain that back overnight," Laib said, about vital infrastructure.

Another challenge is the rising cost of labor.

"When labor costs go up it doesn't necessarily mean the business owners' profit margins go up to match," he said.

Laib pointed to the fact that his wages didn't go up with the last minimum wage hike.

"Those things we have to absorb. We can't pass them on to consumers like other businesses," he said.

Also, a labor shortage is hurting farmers. Laib said seasonal workers are not as available as in former years.

"It's hard to hire teenagers because of the way labor laws are, and equipment has gotten bigger, more technical, and more expensive, and you can't take that chance, anymore," he said.

"If it's your own kid you can work 'em. If it's somebody else's you can't," he said with a chuckle.

Laib said he worries about losing generations of farmers. He said farm operations are getting bigger, but young people are not pursuing agriculture.

"It's a large investment. To get started now, you have to have almost a million dollars. You either marry into it, or you inherit it. If neither one of those is an opportunity, it's pretty hard for somebody to come into it," he said.

The Laibs are luckier than some.

Their son, Levi, is well acquainted with farming, and he has a great tool kit at his disposal, having just finished at Walla Walla Community College, where he received degrees in Diesel Mechanics, Agribusiness, and Crop Science. He also received a pesticide license, and Commercial Driving License, while there, said his father.

His will be the fourth generation of Laib on the home place.

"The land is in our blood. You either have it, or you don't," said his father.