More than a year ago, a group of Enumclaw Plateau farmers met with King County agriculture officials to share their views on the future of farming. The meeting was one of several information-gathering stops that the King County Agriculture Commission made to hear directly from farmers.

Now the Agriculture Commission is returning to the Plateau Tuesday to share with farmers and the broader community what they have learned – and to discuss challenges facing farmers, plus new opportunities. The meeting is set for 7 p.m. at Enumclaw High School.

While opportunities are increasing for many food producers, such as the beef, pork, poultry and lamb produced on the Plateau, agricultural operations related to the Plateau’s dairy and equestrian businesses are stressed.

Agriculture commissioners have heard farmers express concerns about the cost and availability of farmland, taxes, the lack of processing facilities for vegetables and meats, drainage and regulations, markets, and who will farm in the future.

The commission’s recommendations for addressing those issues are contained in a report, available on King County’s agriculture website, www.kingcounty.gov/environment/waterandland/agriculture.aspx.