Washington state is known for its cherries. We produce more sweet cherries than any other state in the country, and we export them all over the world.

But to supply the world with cherries, Washington farmers need a lot of workers to show up for a very short harvesting window. Usually they do, but not this year. High profile ICE raids are keeping migrant workers from the fields.

Today, how a culture of fear is pushing Washington cherry growers to the brink.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes. 

Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg.

Washington state is known for its cherries. We produce more sweet cherries than any other state in the country, and we export them all over the world.
But to supply the world with cherries, Washington farmers need a lot of workers to show up for a very short harvesting window. Usually they do, but not this year. High profile ICE raids are keeping migrant workers from the fields.
Today, how a culture of fear is pushing Washington cherry growers to the brink.
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kuow.org/donate/booming">kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes.</a>&nbsp;
Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/carol-smith">Carol Smith</a>. Our producers are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/lucy-soucek">Lucy Soucek</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/alec-cowan">Alec Cowan</a>. Our hosts are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/joshua-mcnichols">Joshua McNichols</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/monica-nickelsburg">Monica Nickelsburg</a>.

Booming is a weekly podcast about the economic forces shaping our lives here in the Pacific Northwest. The Seattle area's been home to many booms over the years. It’s brought jobs, people, and wealth to the region, but also real growing pains that people here feel every day. In Booming, KUOW economy reporters Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg help listeners make sense of our ever-changing economy. We'll dig into what people are seeing or feeling and unpack the story behind it.

Booming is a weekly podcast about the economic forces shaping our lives here in the Pacific Northwest. The Seattle area's been home to many booms over the years. It&rsquo;s brought jobs, people, and wealth to the region, but also real growing pains that people here feel every day. In&nbsp;Booming, KUOW economy reporters Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg help listeners make sense of our ever-changing economy. We'll dig into what people are seeing or feeling and unpack the story behind it.

Booming

To supply the world with cherries, Washington farmers need a lot of workers to show up for a very short harvesting window. Usually they do, but not this year. Today, how a culture of fear is pushing Washington cherry growers to the brink.

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