CMR helps district

Agriculture is vitally important to Eastern Washington. We grow over 250 different crops, from wine grapes to potatoes. Farming creates more than 170,000 jobs and generates $49 billion every year. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers understands the importance of agriculture because she grew up in a farming family, and worked in her family’s orchard.

I was pleased to see Cathy offering her support for WSU’s plant growth facility, which opened in 2015. Cathy was present at the facility’s opening, and she played a major role in securing the necessary funding.

The new plant growth facility will allow researchers to develop even more efficient strains of wheat, potentially boosting incomes for farmers across the nation. The new building also adds 7,200 square feet of greenhouse space, a seed storage area and a specialized room for herbicide studies.

Cathy’s support for WSU’s new building is part of her long-term commitment toward investing in cutting edge research that keeps Washington’s farmland productive and allows our farmers to continue to feed the world.

This is an example of one of the many ways Cathy’s efforts in Washington, D.C. benefit those of us who live in Eastern Washington.

Linda Casimir

Spokane