Thank goodness for farmers

How about some good news heading into the holidays? It comes from our nation’s farmers and ranchers.

Agriculture is an economic sector where America has not lost its edge. In fact, it is a bright spot in a persistently glum economy.

The U.S. Agriculture Department expects our nation’s agricultural exports to reach a record $137 billion this year and grow by another $2.3 billion in 2012. While our nation has an overall trade deficit, our agricultural sector has a trade surplus, expected to top $42 billion in 2011.

That is good news for our state, as well. Washington’s Agriculture Department est...