KISM Harvest Week: Highlighting the farming community of Northwest Washington

Each year, almost 263 tons of local produce is donated to Whatcom County food banks.

My Bellingham NowSam Kristofferson

WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – The region’s leading rock station, 92.9 KISM, found a unique way to honor the farming community of Northwest Washington.

As one of the nation’s top producers of produce and dairy products, Whatcom County is home to many farmers who have made a state-wide and nationwide impact. What may not be known about the local farmers, though, is their continuous donations and support to food banks around the region.

By teaming up with farming advocate Dillon Honcoop, the team at KISM was able to connect with these farmers and educate listeners about what it is like to be a farmer and how much they support these local food banks.

“We’ve had farmers [on-air] for the entire week who have different crops and things that they do,” said Scott Less, program director of KISM. “Having Dillon on was essential to how this whole thing worked.”

After a week’s worth of shows from the KISM studio in Bellingham, morning show hosts Brad Cash and John Reynolds ventured north to Eagle Mill Dairy Farm in Lynden to broadcast live from a working dairy farm. With the help of Honcoop, the broadcast culminated in a showcase of some of the best local farmers and folks who work in the agriculture industry.

“What we really wanted to do was to get the farmer’s story,” Reynolds said. “You know, what the farmers really go through and shine a spotlight on all of the food these local farmers bring to local food banks.”

What both Reynolds and Less emphasized was the importance of teaching KISM listeners about the local agriculture industry. Reynolds grew up in Wisconsin, right in the heart of “America’s Dairyland,” and says he learned more about agriculture in the week of broadcasts they produced than ever before.

“This was the greatest education I ever got,” Reynolds said. “Just dealing with the farmers of Whatcom County, I learned far more about it in the last few weeks than I ever did living in Wisconsin.”

According to Less, Harvest Week on KISM will most likely return next fall to highlight even more farmers in Northwest Washington.

Photos by Sam Kristofferson