Tilth Conference

Conference Schedule

Conference Schedule

Know Before You Grow: A Legal & Regulatory Roadmap for Washington Direct Farm Businesses

  • Date: Wednesday, November 18
  • Time: 10:45-12:00 p.m.
  • Speaker: Cara McNab, Ranch Park Consulting
  • Track: Track 4

Direct farm businesses in Washington must navigate federal and state regulations covering business structure, permits, labeling, taxation, labor, and product-specific rules. This session draws on the Washington Direct Farm Business Guide — forthcoming from the National Agricultural Law Center (summer 2026) — to give farmers a practical overview of the regulatory landscape: what agencies to know, what rules apply, and how to set their operation up for success. Attendees will leave with key resources for staying informed as regulations evolve. General educational information only; not a substitute for attorney advice

About the Speaker

  • Cara McNab

    Ranch Park Consulting

    Cara McNab is an attorney and the CEO of Ranch Park Consulting, LLC, where she develops state-specific guides for direct farm businesses and provides expertise in agricultural policies and programs. She holds an LL.M. in Agricultural and Food Law from the University of Arkansas School of Law and a J.D. from Wayne State University Law School. Cara is the author of the Washington Direct Farm Business Guide, a comprehensive legal and regulatory resource for direct-to-consumer farm operations in Washington State. Prior to founding Ranch Park Consulting, Cara spent over a decade at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, where she led the USDA Departmentwide Beginning Farmer and Rancher Working Group, coordinating interagency efforts to improve program delivery for new and beginning producers. She also served on interagency working groups focused on Tribal affairs and represented USDA on advisory committees addressing local and regional food systems. Her USDA work included outreach to beginning farmers and ranchers, managing multi-million-dollar federal grants, and overseeing legal compliance and appeals. She is licensed to practice law in Washington, D.C.