Signing on the Dotted Line

By Jennie Dickinson
Manager, Port of Columbia

Entrepreneurs go through a lot in preparation of starting a new business: market research, business planning, cash flow projections, etc. I’m always impressed by the courage and enthusiasm shown by businesses that are willing to make the commitment to move forward with a new idea.

The Port of Columbia has had the honor of working with many artisan food entrepreneurs over the past couple of years, and we are excited to announce that six businesses have been offered letters of commitment to locate in Blue Mountain Station’s first building, the Artisan Food Center. Now comes the scary part…making the decision to sign on the dotted line.

Today I’d like to tell you about one business that has already done just that: Gypsy Girl Granola has accepted the commitment offer and is ready to locate at the Artisan Food Center!

Some of the products Gypsy Girl Granola will be making at Blue Mountain Station

Gypsy Girl Granola creates gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free vegan granola products that have been sold primarily at regional farmers markets up to this point. The granola has been produced at the Pasco Commercial Kitchen, but owner Suzi Tasker is ready to take the business to the next level and believes Blue Mountain Station will help her business grow. She plans to expand products and grow both the wholesale and retail sectors of her business. Suzi most recently sold products at the Historic Train Depot during Dayton’s Christmas Kickoff event, and her products are currently available at the Village Shoppes in downtown Dayton.

Suzi, her husband Duane, and son Noa moved to Dayton recently and are getting settled into the community. Noa started kindergarten last week, and in the typical close-knit manner of rural communities, I’ve already heard from my own great-nephew Will about his “new friend Noa” from kindergarten that he loves to play with. Gotta love small-town life!

The Port of Columbia and Dayton welcome Suzi, her family, and her business to town. Read more about Gypsy Girl Granola on her Facebook page and in an article featured in the Walla Walla Union Bulletin last weekend.

BMS at the Tilth Producers Conference

By Dennis Miller (Dennis@Artmil.com),
President/Creative Director, Artmil

Blue Mountain Station had the opportunity to man a booth at the 2012 Tilth Producers of Washington Conference, held this year at Fort Worden State Park in Port Townsend. It was a great site for the conference. I was interested to find out that “An Officer and a Gentleman” had been filmed there. It was refreshing being around so many people involved in the local foods market. Compared to last year at Tilth, there seemed to be much more awareness and interest in what we are doing at Blue Mountain Station. Many are working to build similar value-added industries in their areas, and were much impressed with our vision and progress. I think they were especially impressed that we have land and a first building going up. It puts us ahead of where most of these small farmers are.

I was able to stop by the Port Townsend Food Co-op and visit with their produce buyer. He told me that they would be very interested in stocking products from Blue Mountain Station. I got the feeling from him that many of the co-ops and whole foods markets would be interested in products like ours that can be sourced locally. Gail from GoodFood World (we talked with her last year) also showed renewed interest in Blue Mountain Station. She remembered us and wanted to find out more about us. I am hoping we can get GoodFood World to run an article about Blue Mountain Station.

Dennis at the Tilth Producers Conference.

Although most of the people there were small farmers or interns on small farms, I met many people who were working both to develop farmers and to make their commodities more profitable. As far as this goes, it seemed to me that Blue Mountain Station, specifically our vision of value-added agriculture and a food processing center, was being looked at as a model of what is possible for a new generation of farmers. I met Sarita Schaffer, director of Viva Farms in the Skagit Valley. The Viva Farms Incubator Program was launched in June 2009 to provide new farmers affordable access to education, training, and technical assistance; capital and credit; and land and markets. We appear to be gaining a reputation as innovators in small artisan food production! Programs like Viva Farms and WSU CSANR small foods programs are looking to develop sustainable and organic farmers for the future of Washington. At BMS, we are developing a new model that will localize food processing more, get these products to market, and help farmers and small food processors realize their dream of transforming agriculture and food production for the 21st century. This is a goal well worth pursuing. Sustainable agriculture, non GMO products, traceability of products for the consumer, and organics. All of these are possible within the vision of Blue Mountain Station!

I recently was in Seattle and ate at 360 Local. It reminded me of an episode of Portlandia. On a chalk board, they had written where in Washington their chicken and beef had been sourced. We are going to be able to provide similar traceability for those using BMS products. It is exciting to be a part of this!

The Latest Developments.

By Dennis Miller (Dennis@Artmil.com),
President/Creative Director, Artmil
There has been much activity around Blue Mountain Station in the last month. If you’ve been to our Facebook site, you can see that the landscaping is in the process of being completed. This newsletter has a landscape drawing of the site which locates the first building, “The Artisan Food Center.” Construction on that building, which will house a number of small food processors and a commercial kitchen, is set to begin early next year.

When talking with possible tenants for Blue Mountain Station, a common question is, “Are any processors located in Blue Mountain Station?” To this point the answer has been, “Not yet.” All of that is about to change, as there are many tenants lining up to be a part of “The Artisan Food Center.” Space is limited in this first building and it is filling up quickly. Once it’s built, we are hoping that it will already be full and that we’ll be looking to put up another. If you are interested but have been waiting to see if this project is really going to make it, contact us now while there is still room available.

A commercial kitchen and a small store to sell locally grown and processed food has been part of the planning for this first building. Interest in forming a Food Co-op or Food Hub at Blue Mountain Station has been discussed. With this in mind, some of us attended the 2012 “Farm to Table” event in Richland, sponsored by the Richland Food Hub. The keynote speakers were Sheri & Daniel Salatin of Polyface Farm. Their farm is featured in Michael Pollan’s book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, and services more than 3,000 families, 10 retail outlets, and 50 restaurants through on-farm sales and metropolitan buying clubs. This is a great example of value-added agriculture—farmers increasing revenue on what they are already producing.

Our hope is that Dayton can join with the Richland Food Hub and the local foods movement in this area. Blue Mountain Station’s involvement in the growing local foods movement is strategically important for the community of Dayton and the farm community surrounding it. There is a large market in our area for locally grown and processed food, and we plan to help food processors located in BMS to market to our region.

Tilth Producers of Washington’s 38th Annual Conference is going to be held November 9th–11th at Fort Worden State Park in Port Townsend, Washington. Blue Mountain Station will have a booth at the conference and will continue networking with this group of Washington farmers and processors. If you are at the conference, please stop by our booth and we’ll talk about Blue Mountain Station and how we can work together.

If you have any questions about the project and how you can be a part of this agriculture and tourism center being built in Dayton Washington, please give me a call at 509-551-1913 or email me at dennis@artmil.com.

Building #1 and Counting

By Jennie Dickinson
Manager, Port of Columbia

Design of the first building at Blue Mountain Station is in full swing. An application for site plan approval will be submitted to the county planning department in early September, and a building permit will be applied for by the end of the calendar year.

The railroad theme of the food park will be evident in the look of the first building, which is being constructed to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards. Here are some details on the building so far:

• The building is currently about 7,000 square feet. It may grow in size as the final budget is worked out. The building is designed for easy future expansion to the west.
• Solar panels will be located on the roof, and a rainwater collection system is being explored.
• A large overhanging porch will surround three sides of the building, and the profile will be reminiscent of a railroad depot.
• Planter boxes with an efficient watering system will be located in the front of the building to grow herbs and other food items for use by tenants.
• Public restroom will be available during business hours.
• An 1,100 square foot rental kitchen is included in the design. This certified kitchen can be used by tenants in the building; by small food processors who want to use a certified kitchen for limited processing; caterers; residents of the region interested in testing food products; and more!
• 1,100 square feet is already committed for lease by processing tenants.
• About 4,000 square feet is  still available for lease.
• A small accessory use retail area is included in the design. Products made on site and in the rental kitchen and grown on the site can be sold here. We are interested in hearing other ideas for this space. More local foods? Natural foods? Bulk foods? What does the community want to see here?

LEED certification is obtained by “earning” points through building standards, building location and orientation, amenities, efficiencies, etc., and one of the most challenging, yet enjoyable, aspects of attempting to earn points is through the reuse of existing materials. I suspect I’ll be on a large-scale scavenger hunt over the next few weeks!

The port has held design meetings with two tenants that have already committed to locating in our first building. One of the benefits of committing early is the opportunity to design your own business space. These tenants have met with the building architect multiple times and have given us very important feedback. If you are interested in locating in the building and have not yet contacted me, please do so ASAP so you can be included in the process. I can be reached at 509-382-2577 or jennie@portofcolumbia.org .

The flour mill concept is still being fleshed out. Research into size, scale, volume, and demand continues. I am grateful to our executive committee for their continued work and enthusiasm on Blue Mountain Station. Big ideas are sometimes scary, but I have a strong support group in this committee that I appreciate very much.

Meanwhile, the Request for Quotes for preliminary landscaping at the site was advertised in regional newspapers over the past couple of weeks. Bids are due September 5th. If you know a landscape firm interested in submitting a price quote, have them visit the port’s website at www.portofcolumbia.org for a description of the project and instructions on how to participate in the bidding process.

Who’s on First?

By Dennis Miller (Dennis@Artmil.com),
President/Creative Director, Artmil

Those who have been following this project for a while may think, “What’s happening? Are there any changes?” There is a lot going on behind the scenes. With funding for a first building in place, activity around and interest in Blue Mountain Station continues to grow. A number of small regional food processors are working with the Port of Columbia to see if locating in Blue Mountain Station will work for them. Square footage needed, special improvements for each type of business, storage and warehouse space required— those details are being worked through. We are also finalizing building design plans with the architect so that work on the first building at Blue Mountain Station can begin early next year. We are planning for buildings on the site to be LEED Certified, a system for evaluating building sustainability.

In addition, a number of national food companies have expressed interest in locating on the site. In order for these companies to locate at Blue Mountain Station, additional buildings will need to be built. Those with whom we have been in negotiations confirm the concept of a natural and organic food processing cluster being right for them. If a company has milling, packing or baking equipment, the existence of other food companies sharing time on their equipment will better utilize their capital investment.

(Click for larger view)

With Dayton and Blue Mountain Station being located in the heart of some of the best wheat land in the US, an abundant supply of sustainable local wheat is readily available. But wheat is not the half of it! Blue Mountain Station is surrounded by the most agriculturally prosperous farmland in Washington. In a state where agriculture is a cornerstone of the economy, food production at Blue Mountain Station will take advantage of Washington’s bountiful crops.

I’ll have the Blue Mountain Station booth at the TILTH Producers Trade Show in Port Townsend, Washington November 9-11, 2012 to increase awareness of the project among Washington’s natural and organic farmers, seeking more potential tenants and suppliers. Be sure to look us up if you come to the show. If you are interested in learning more about this innovative food production and tourism project, email dennis@artmil.com or call me at 509 551-1913.

By Jennie Dickinson
Manager, Port of Columbia

The design and development approval process has begun for the first building at Blue Mountain Station. A multi-use, multi-tenant building with individually-rentable food processing spaces, a commercial kitchen, a small flour mill, and a shared retail area will be constructed by the Port to accommodate artisan food processing businesses. Preconstruction work is likely to continue through the end of 2012, with construction completed in 2013.

In the meantime, we have a couple of other things going on. First, we want to include potential tenants in the design phase of the building. This will start this month! If you are interested in locating in the building and have not yet contacted me, please do so ASAP so you can be included in the process. I can be reached at 509-382-2577 or jennie@portofcolumbia.org .

Second, the Port and the SouthEast Washington Economic Development Association (SEWEDA) will be offering business classes starting in the fall of 2012. The Port is coordinating two classes directly related to value-added agriculture that will be taught by local value-added expert Clive Kaiser. The first will showcase a successful value-added business cluster that Clive helped develop in South Africa and offer a tutorial on using his website that has all the tools needed for an emerging value-added business. The second, also taught by Clive, will focus on grant writing with an emphasis on successfully tapping into USDA grant funds that are available to producers. Input is needed on what time of day and what days of the week would work best for you to attend these classes. Please provide that input to me at the contact information above.

Lastly, initial landscaping at the site will move forward this summer. Native, low water-use grasses and plants will be used to beautify the area near the location of the first building. The project will go out for bid this summer and plants will start going in the ground this fall.

Lots going on at Blue Mountain Station! Please contact me if you are interested in participating in the building design process and/or the business classes. Hope to hear from many of you soon!

By Dennis Miller (Dennis@Artmil.com),
President/Creative Director, Artmil

2012 looks to be a great year for Blue Mountain Station, the world’s first natural and organic food park. With our property now ready for development, there is growing interest in the project. Food product trade shows are beginning for the year. Next week we will be attending the Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim. We are also exploring some other new options to help get the ball rolling.

The magazine, Brand Packaging, ran an article (click here to read the article on Brand Magazine’s website) in their November issue about Peter Van Stolk, who founded Jones Soda Co. in 1996. Jones Soda made, “waves with irreverent branding and unique, grass roots marketing. He has now moved on to start  Sustainable Produce Urban Delivery, or SPUD, an online organic grocer with locations across Canada, and in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Seattle.” Stolk sees that there is a trend with consumers wanting more locally grown, natural and organic products. He is developing an online CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) a website to purchases local organic and natural produce.

What does this have to do with Blue Mountain Station? As we look forward to 2012, the vision of Blue Mountain Station is expanding. Local interest is growing. People are wanting to see something happen on the site. More and more individuals and businesses are contacting the Port of Columbia expressing interest in locating their businesses at BMS. Most of these are regional businesses that are just getting started. At this point most of them don’t have the capital to build their own building. However, they are from the area and are part of a growing entrepreneurial and local agriculture movement. Their products could be distributed to the Seattle area by people like SPUD.

I have talked with an investor that is interested in investing in BMS. The next step is to find some established natural and organic businesses to lease a building or part of a building. Then we can begin the process of putting up our first building, possibly in 2012. I have a friend who has updated an old, 3500 sq. ft. railroad building in Hermiston (pictured here). This might be a design option in keeping with the BMS railroad theme.

Jennie and the Port of Columbia have been looking into purchasing a flour mill to locate at the site. The mill would offer shared usage to local farmers and businesses for milling of local grains. This would open a range of opportunities for products made from local grains. Farmers and businesses could mill and packaged all natural flours, stone ground grits and corn meal along with a wide range of mixes.

We are also exploring ways to get crops growing on the property. The land is not certified as organic at this point but we can begin moving in that direction. To that end, we are getting water for irrigating produce on-site and watering landscaping.

If you are interested in discussing the Blue Mountain Station business opportunity for processors and co-packers contact me at 509-551-1913 or dennis@artmil.com to set up a meeting during Natural Products Expo West. I would enjoy discussing Blue Mountain Station with you. I am waiting to hear from you!