Bartel v. Employment Security Department

This is an appeal from a judgment in which the trial court, reversing a decision of the Commissioner of the Employment Security Department, held respondent to be “unemployed” within the meaning of RCW 50.04.310.

Respondent and his wife own and operate a small dairy farm in the vicinity of Everson, Washington. They own 120 acres of land, about half of which is cleared. Even the cleared portion is hilly and produces so little grass that respondent finds it necessary to buy hay for feeding his cattle eight months of the year.

At the time that this case was before the Appeal Tribunal of the…