Washington state farmers are surrounded by challenges to their way of life and the state's economy

This story first appeared in the Washington State Standard.

W hen organic wheat farmer Joel Huesby was growing up in the 1960s and 1970s in southeast Washington, many teens sought jobs in the region's vegetable canneries. He, his wife, his sister-in-law and many friends all worked in a cannery and then each June joined other teens around Walla Walla picking strawberries.

"It was kind of like a rite of passage," recalls Huesby. But while he enjoys reminiscing, he also acknowledges that it would be impractical for today's farmers to depend on teens and other amateurs to pick their crops.

It was nearly as impractical back in the 1960s when Congress canceled the guest worker program to make room for more American workers. The temporary worker program was established during World War I as