Many people, including news reporters, have been confused by recent layoff notices from Washington farms creating suspicion of major farm closures.

But what most don’t realize is that the layoffs are the routine annual conclusion of seasonal farm jobs that haven’t required such notices until state lawmakers changed the rules this spring.

Erik Zavala, Director of Field Staff for Wenatchee-based cooperative Blue Bird, tells Dillon even though the layoffs are routine and expected by the affected employees, the new reporting requirement has caught many people–even within the farming community–completely off guard.