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CapitalPress.com
Friday, March 19, 2021
People & Places
Farm lobbyist sees deeper blues, reds
By DON JENKINS
Capital Press
OLYMPIA — Mark
Streuli, a farm lobbyist who
grew up on a dairy and was
once deputy director of the
Washington State Depart-
ment of Agriculture, has a
side hustle — auctioneer.
His on-stage exuberance
has earned him a nickname,
“Mark the Spark.” Motto:
“Licensed, bonded and
ready to go!”
Streuli, 57, brings the
same outgoing style to lob-
bying for the Washington
Cattlemen’s
Association,
the Washington State Potato
Commission and the Wash-
ington Potato and Onion
Association.
These days, however, are
not the best for the extro-
verted lobbyist.
The Capitol is fenced off.
Hearings are conducted by
video. Streuli testifies from
his house, a blank gray wall
behind him. He talks into a
computer screen showing
the disembodied heads of
legislators.
“You just don’t know
what they’re looking at. At
me? Another screen? Their
phone? I assume they’re
looking at me,” Streuli said.
“I am more confident testi-
fying in person.”
Streuli says he has rarely
seen anyone in person
during the pandemic. He
misses being on the capitol
campus and seeing who lob-
byists on the other side of
an issue are talking to. “I’m
sure they like to see who I’m
talking to, too,” he said.
“It’s challenging. I miss
the people. To me, it’s really
a people business, at the end
of the day,” he said.
Started on a farm
There’s a straight line,
more or less, from Streu-
li’s boyhood to what he does
now.
Streuli’s father, Herb
Streuli, was a dairy farmer in
Enumclaw, about 40 miles
southeast of Seattle, and
state president of the Farm
Bureau, testifying in front of
government panels on farm
issues.
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Mark Streuli has worked in and around the Washington legislature for 29 years.
Herb Streuli sold the
dairy in the 1980s when the
USDA was buying out pro-
ducers. At 90, he lives in
Edmonds with his wife, Ryn.
Mark Streuli spent Sat-
urdays at an auction barn,
admiring the auctioneers.
After graduating from high
school in 1981, he went
through Central Washing-
ton University, not briskly.
He worked, started a family
and graduated in 1990 with
a degree in political science.
He broke into state pol-
itics that year managing
the re-election campaign
of Frank “Tub” Hansen, a
retired Moses Lake farmer.
When Hansen died the
following year, The Seattle
Times called him “a spirited
defender of farmers,” prone
to folksy sayings like, “By
damn, I’ll show ‘em where
the bear run though the
buckwheat.”
Hansen also was the last
Democrat to represent the
now thoroughly Republican
13th Legislative District in
Central Washington. “Parti-
sanship was not as extreme
as today,” Streuli said.
Wide divide
In sizing up the 2021
Legislature, Streuli notes the
widening partisan divide.
The 2020 elections didn’t
change the numbers —
Democrats didn’t add or
subtract from their major-
ities in the House or Sen-
ate. Both parties, however,
added new members.
“The blue got bluer, and
the red got a little redder,”
Streuli said. “I think we’re
seeing proposals that may
not have moved before and
now they’re moving this
session and may make it to
the governor’s desk.”
He listed a capital gains
tax, a low-carbon fuel stan-
dard and a carbon tax as
three policies with improved
chances of passing.
Farm groups are on the
defensive on all three issues.
It’s not unusual for agricul-
ture to be on the defensive
in Olympia. But the usual
channels for showing up and
going on the offensive are
not there.
Normally, the agricul-
ture industry raises its pro-
file with annual events, such
as dairy day, potato day
and beef day — enjoyed
by all. Last year, farm-
ers drove tractors around
the Capitol on the first day
of the session, trying to set
a tone.
Between last session
and this one, the pandemic
shut down farm tours, a
favorite way for lobbyists
to introduce lawmakers to
agriculture.
“We missed all our
tours. We didn’t have dairy
day, potato day, beef day,”
Streuli said. “Combined,
all of that is important.”
The innovation this year
has been to rally supporters
to sign in remotely “pro” or
“con” on bills that are being
heard by committees. (You
can also sign in “other,” for
what it’s worth).
Most people don’t tes-
tify, but for those who do,
there’s no need to leave
home. The result has been
more people saying some-
thing and less time to say
it. “I think it’s good in
some way and watered
it down in some way,”
Streuli said.
Inside the legislature
Streuli learned the inner
workings of the Legislature
by working as a policy ana-
lyst for Senate Democrats
between 1991 to 2008.
He moved to the agri-
culture department while
Dan Newhouse, now a
U.S. House member, was
the director. Streuli rose to
become Newhouse’s deputy
director.
After a stint lobbying
for the Washington Farm
Bureau, he went into busi-
ness for himself — Streuli
Public Affairs.
Roughly halfway through
the session, the big issues
remain unsettled. The big-
gest, Streuli said, is how a
bill on overtime wages for
farmworkers comes out.
Streuli said lawmak-
ers have been good about
responding to phone calls,
texts and emails. The remote
hearings bring in testimony
from all parts of the state.
But there’s no substitute
for meeting in person with
the people casting votes, he
said.
“Transparency
has
decreased,” he said. “I don’t
see how it couldn’t have
some effect on the outcome.”
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California Wool Growers Association hosts annual ram sale
The California Wool
Growers Association will
host the 101st Annual
California Ram Sale on
April 10 at the Interna-
tional Agri-Center in
Tulare, Calif.
More than 500 rams
including
Crossbred,
Hampshire, Oxford, Suf-
folk and White-Faced
rams will be offered
from California, Colo-
rado, Nevada, Idaho and
Utah.
Ultrasound
carcass
measurements and a
Range Ram Index will
be provided on all sale
rams, according to an
association news release.
The Range Ram Index
utilizes ultrasound car-
cass data collected at
the sale and will help
to identify the poten-
tial genetic merit of
those rams in passing
superior genetic traits
such as larger loin eye
area or heavier carcass
weights into producer
flocks.
This year’s Ram Sale
Trade Show will feature
a variety of sheep health
SALE SCHEDULE
9 a.m. Buyer check-in and
ram preview.
2 years U.S. ........................................$100
1 year Canada .....................................$275
1 year other countries ...........call for quote
1 year Internet only .........................$49.99
1 year 4-H, FFA students/teachers .......$30
9 months 4-H, FFA students/teachers ..$25
Visa and Mastercard accepted
9:30 a.m. Trade show.
11:30 a.m. Compli-
mentary buyer barbecue
lamb luncheon.
1 p.m. Ram sale auction.
Location: International
Agri-Center, 4500 S.
Laspina St, Tulare, Calif.
93274
Contributions and the
proceeds from the Cali-
fornia Ram Sale support
CWGA in its continued
efforts to deliver lasting
value to support and
grow all segments of the
California Sheep Industry.
Capital Press File
For questions, contact
the CWGA office at
(916) 444-8122 or info@
woolgrowers.org, Wes
Patton at (530) 514-7250
or John Olagaray at (209)
663-7322.
The 101st California Wool Growers Association Ram Sale will be April 10 in Tulare.
and equipment compa-
nies showcasing prod-
ucts developed to address
sheep production, nutri-
tional and health needs.
Ram sale information,
including the sale catalog,
schedule, lodging infor-
mation and directions are
is available on the CWGA
website at www.califor-
niawoolgrowers.org. To
To get information published
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News: Contact the main office
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Include a contact telephone number.
Letters to the Editor: Send your
comments on agriculture-related public
issues to opinions@capitalpress.com, or
mail your letter to “Opinion,” c/o Capital
Press. Letters should be limited to
300 words. Deadline: Noon Monday.
Capital Press ag media
CapitalPress.com
request a Ram Sale Cat-
alog, contact the CWGA
office at 916-444-8122 or
info@woolgrowers.org.
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CALENDAR
Submit upcoming ag-related
events on www.capitalpress.com
or by email to newsroom@capital-
press.com.
TUESDAY-
THURSDAY,
MARCH 23-25
Public Lands Council 2021
Legislative Conference (virtual):
The conference will focus on legis-
lative strategies to advocate for the
livestock industry in the nation’s
capital. Website: http://www.publi-
clandscouncil.org
TUESDAY, MARCH 30
Practical Sensory Programs
for Factories and Quality Manag-
ers (online): 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
The Practical Sensory Program
course is designed around a learn-
and-apply model. Each partici-
pant will get a kit to have hands-on
activities to reinforce the concepts
learned. He or she will walk away
with practical skills that can be
applied immediately. The course fee
is $285/each individual. Contact:
Catherine Cantley, 208-426-2181,
catherinecantley@techhelp.org
SATURDAY APRIL 10
101st Annual California Ram
Sale: 9 a.m. International Agri-Cen-
ter, 4500 S. Laspina St., Tulare, Calif.
The California Wool Growers Associ-
ation will host the 101st Annual Cal-
ifornia Ram Sale on Saturday, April
10, at the International Agri-Cen-
ter in Tulare, Calif. Ram sale infor-
mation, including the sale cata-
log, schedule, lodging information
and directions are is available on
the CWGA website at www.cali-
forniawoolgrowers.org. To request
a Ram Sale Catalog, contact the
CWGA office at 916-444-8122 o
info@woolgrowers.org.
FRIDAY, APRIL 16
AgForestry Leadership Class
41 Graduation: 5 p.m. Red Lion
Hotel, Wenatchee, Wash. Celebrate
the graduation of AgForestry Lead-
ership Class 41. This celebration was
rescheduled from its origination
April 10 date. Table sponsorships
are available. Cost: $60/adults, $20/
child. Website: http://agforestry.
org/graduation-class-41/
FRIDAY-SUNDAY
APRIL 23-25
Oregon Ag Fest (drive-thru):
11 a.m.-5 p.m. Clackamas County
Event Center, 694 NE Fourth Ave.,
Canby, Ore. Join us for the Drive Thru
Ag Fest to experience the incred-
ible world of Oregon agriculture,
in a fun-filled, drive thru environ-
ment, and leave our event with an
“Ag-venture” kit filled with activities,
seedlings and more to continue the
fun at home. The three-day event,
aimed to help families better under-
stand where their food, fiber and
flora come from, is a unique learning
experience, where drive-by exhibits
make learning about Oregon’s vast
agricultural industry educational
and entertaining. Tickets are $22 per
vehicle and are available online at
https://oragfest.com/
FRIDAY-SUNDAY
MAY 14-16
California FFA’s 93rd State
Leadership Conference (online):
This year California FFA members
from all corners of the state will
have access to the premier leader-
ship event offered by our associa-
tion as it will be delivered through
a multi-faceted online platform.
The conference will be three days
jam packed with learning, growth
and inspiration. Website: www.cal-
aged.org
Index
Dairy .......................................................9
Markets .................................................12
Opinion ...................................................6
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