Commissioners went forward with approval of hiring an architect and planning consultant to analyze the requirements and process necessary to move forward with planning and implementation of the project. Yet another step forward for us!

Carla Rowe wrote the article, which appeared in the May 16th issue; the Dayton Chronicle is a print publication and also has a presence on Facebook.

By Jennie Dickinson

Big news for our project!

The Washington State legislature, as part of a “jobs bill,” has awarded $750,000 to the Port of Columbia for construction of the first building at Blue Mountain Station!

Many smaller processors that can’t afford to build their own facilities have expressed interest in our site. It was determined that grant funding would be needed to keep rents low enough for these entrepreneurial businesses, but no source of grant funds for this type of construction was found during an extensive search. So, a proposal was made to the legislature for funding to construct a multi-use building that will create jobs in the community.

This type of building was proposed for a later phase of the project as a “roundhouse” style building, so we may continue with that idea but locate the building in the first phase of the project. The Port of Columbia will contribute $200,000 to the cost of the building, and it is estimated businesses will invest $50,000 in equipment and fixtures for a total project cost of $1,000,000.

The building will house a commercial kitchen, a small flour mill, a shared retail area, and several small processing spaces. Please have a look at Dennis’ article for more elaboration on the building concept.

Kudos to the Washington Public Ports Association and our local legislators, Representatives Terry Nealey and Maureen Walsh and Senator Mike Hewitt, for championing this and other Port job-creation projects and getting much needed funding into our communities. And special thanks to the citizens of Columbia County who contacted our legislators to let them know how important this project is to our community.

We look forward to working directly with the businesses interested in locating in this new building as we work on design. Please contact me if you or someone you know would like to learn more about leasing space at Blue Mountain Station.

All aboard!

Looking Good in Sunny California

By Gary A. White (gary@pchelle.com)
President, P’Chelle International

Warm, sunny weather, blue skies and a light Pacific breeze welcomed over 60,000 attendees (I felt like I bumped elbows with every one of them, at least 59,999) and 3,000 exhibitors to the 30^th annual Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, California March 9 – 11, 2012. The 2012 event was the largest yet, occupying more than 1,000,000 square feet. Retail attendance was up 13 percent, which accounted for all of the smiling faces in the exhibitor booths.

Dennis Miller, President, Artmil

According to Gourmet News (April, 2012) popular trends at the show were gluten free (still big and getting bigger), raw foods, chia, kale chips made from beans or lentils, coconut (oil, water or as a flavoring) and thicker Greek-style yogurt products. The world of natural sweeteners continued to expand from agave to xylitol and, believe it or not, something called monkfruit. Indian cuisine proved to be the category of choice followed by heathier versions of Hispanic delicacies.

Gary A. White, President, P'Chelle International

Area Development Magazine recently published its 26^th Annual Corporate Survey featuring the factors that are important in selecting sites for corporate expansion:

Not surprisingly, Blue Mountain Station competes well in just about every category. Not only does it present a very unique marketing opportunity in the specialty food processing industry, but it just flat out makes sense as a business location! It will be my pleasure to go over the above, line item by line item to discuss where Blue Mountain Station blows the socks off other locations or is maybe just highly competitive. Give me a call at 509-539-3575 or send me an email with your questions to gary@pchelle.com. I am looking forward to hearing from you.

The train is leaving the station.

As I said in the last newsletter, 2012 looks to be a great year for Blue Mountain Station. We have somegreat opportunities developing.

The first question we get from people we talk to about locating their food processing business in Blue Mountain Station is, “do you have anybody there right now or do you have a building up yet?”

In the very near future the answer to both of those questions will be yes. Jennie’s article explains about the $750,000 we now have to go forward with our first building. Our vision has always been to form a cluster of natural and organic artisan food processors. We have wanted to have a way to help smaller local entrepreneurs become established in this growing market. This grant is going to set Blue Mountain Station in motion. We will be able to have a multi-tenant building that offers smaller spaces from 500 sq. ft. and up. This building may look similar to a old railroad roundhouse.

Roundhouse multi-tenant building concept*

With the interest that has already been generated, this building will fill up fast. If you have been thinking about getting more information about Blue Mountain Station, or have been waiting to see if this was really going to happen, now would be a good time to check us out. Leases will be very affordable and if you commit soon you will be able to have input into the direction of the project and first choice for space.

Our location enables us to supply local foods to the Portland, Seattle, Spokane,  Tri-Cities and Yakima markets. Located in the Walla Walla valley and Washington’s best agricultural region, Blue Mountain Station is a great home for natural and organic food processing.

If you are interested in discussing the Blue Mountain Station business opportunity for artisan food processors and co-packers, contact me at 509-551-1913 or dennis@artmil.com. I would enjoy discussing Blue Mountain Station, and am waiting to hear from you!

* This is an initial conceptual image; the final building may be different in both size and design.

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!

By Gary A. White (gary@pchelle.com)
President, P’Chelle International

This time of the year – cold, blustery,wet, slick, gloomy – inspires one’s industry research to travel no further than the end of one’s arm. Since we have ceremoniously departed one year and are eagerly embracing the next, I thought it would be appropriate to explore the current batch of trade magazines to see what the experts have to say about the past and the future.

Kathie Canning, Editorial Director, Progressive Grocer, Store Brands (January, 2012) reports that in a Pollock Communications survey of more than 200 registered dietitians, 72 percent predicted that consumers will continue to demand more local, organic, sustainable, fresh and minimally processed foods in 2012. One hundred forty-four dietitians can’t be wrong! In the same magazine edition, Helen Eddy, assistant vice president, health and wellness, Hy-Vee, Inc. states the health department is the fastest-growing department in her stores, with increasing demand for natural and organic products continuing to grow, especially in the gluten-free segment.

Gourmet News (February, 2012) announces that the 37th Winter Fancy Food Show, January 15 – 17, 2012, Moscone Center, San Francisco was a rousing success with over 80,000 products from 1,300 exhibitors, representing more than 35 countries. Show organizers claim this was the largest West Coast show ever in terms of floor space, with renewals higher than they were at this time last year. Also, according to Gourmet News, retail coffee keeps percolating up the sales charts, reaching $7.3 billion in 2011, an increase of nearly 17% over 2010 while the U.S. market for tea sold at retail was projected to reach $6.5 billion in 2011, up 5.2%. Haven’t people heard the economy stinks?

The fine folks at Food Business News (January 31, 2012) write that the Bossa Nova Superfruit Company LLC is introducing a reduced calorie superfruit beverage. The new product has only 90 calories per 10 ounce serving and comes in four flavors: organic acai original, organic acai blueberry, organic acai pomegranate and acerola red peach. Let me see if I have this right. This company, Bossa Nova Superfruit Company LLC, has developed a low fat beverage with flavors that flat out sound delicious, it’s organic with none of that nasty stuff and it’s made of superfruits so it has to be super healthy. Makes me want to do the………well you know!

When you really want to know what is going on in the organic industry, where do you go? Of course, Organic Processing magazine. In the January/February, 2012 edition, Miles McEvoy and Soo Kim write about the international organic market. Miles McEvoy is the deputy administrator of the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) and an Advisory Team member of Blue Mountain Station. A few of the highlights of the article are:

• U.S. organic exports are estimated at $1.8 billion annually
• 41 of the 93 organic certification agents are foreign-based to ensure that USDA operating systems in other countries receive the same degree of oversight as those based in the U.S.
• Domestic sales of organic products in China are expected to be as high as $3.6 – $8.7 million by 2015
• Chinese organic production covers approximately 3.8 million hectares with much of the production dedicated to export markets in North America, Europe and Asia
• From 1995 to 2006, the Chinese export value of organic foods rose from $300,000 to $350 million, representing an annual growth rate of 30%
• Canada is the largest export market for U.S. organic products, with sales accounting for $1.4 billion in 2010
• U.S. exports to Korea in 2010 were approximately $13 million compared to $10.5 million in 2009

A little closer to home, the Tri-City Herald (Tri-Cities, Washington…..February 07, 2012) announced that Yoke’s Fresh Markets (Spokane, Washington) is planning on building a fourth store in the area. Yoke’s is a great operation. Another store will be a fantastic addition to the community. Did I mention that John Bole, Yoke’s President/CEO is also on the Blue Mountain Station Advisory Team?

We just burned our last Duraflame, the family dog wants outside more, the squirrels are climbing the cottonwoods with a little more zest and Natural Products Expo West is just around the corner. These are all signs of more sunshine, bluer skies and warmer temperatures, all positive and good. Speaking of which, it appears that 2012 is looking all positive and good, especially for Blue Mountain Station, the world’s first natural and organic food park! It you are interested in discussing the Blue Mountain Station West Coast business opportunity for processors and co-packers contact me at 509-539-3575 or gary@pchelle.com to set up a meeting during Natural Products Expo West. Let’s grow your business together. I am waiting to hear from you!

“Economic circumstances are prompting more than the usual degree of change in the highly adaptable Food and beverage business, with higher Food costs and budget-minded consumers driving innovation,” says Steve Bryant, president of Publicis Consultants USA, who also pointed to digital influences. “The table setting has changed,” adds Bryant. “It’s now knife, fork, spoon and smartphone.”

Top 12 Food & Nutrition Trends for 2012

1. Perpetual Snacking
Smaller portions and mini-bites will invade restaurant menus and grocery stores.

2. Global Food Mash-Up
Millennials will “travel the world” through eating and drinking inexpensive culturally mixed Foods.

3. The Connected Table
Geo-targeting apps, recipe commenting, crowd-sourced restaurant reviews and tweets between bites will mean you’re never alone.

4. Wine Cred
Desiring fresh value-priced experiences, consumers will discover and share wines from lesser known growing regions.

5. Pop-ular Popcorn
Popcorn is healthful, convenient, natural, versatile and affordable.

6. In-Your-Face Nutrition
Front-of-pack labeling, nutrition disclosure on menus and calorie counting mobile apps will make nutrition messaging hard to escape.

7. Grow-it, Raise-it, Pick-it, Eat-it
From backyard beehives, chicken coops and heirloom veggie gardens to home brewing and at-home canning, hyper-local will come home.

By Jennie Dickinson (Jennie@PortOfColumbia.org), 

I recently had the honor of attending the Tilth Producers of Washington conference in Yakima.  What an inspirational group of people!

Word has it there were 550 organic farmers from across the State of Washington in attendance at the conference, with workshops provided throughout the day on relevant topics such as All About the Organic Certification Process, Farm Paperwork and Business Management, and Ecological Weed Management.

While Blue Mountain Station is focused on providing a location for artisan food processors, it was wonderful to talk with the many regional farmers who grow the products to be processed.  It is inspiring to hear about the innovations being made in the way we grow food.

In fact, we’ve been inspired so far as to decide we need to start farming differently at the Blue Mountain Station site!  While we’re working on the long-term process of locating food processors there, we’re developing a plan to encourage the transition of the land for use in growing fruits and vegetables that can be sold on site and regionally.

We also heard from several conference attendees about the need for a flour mill in the region to accommodate the milling of small quantities of locally-produced grains.  This is also an initiative we will work towards in 2012.

Congratulations to the Tilth Producers of Washington organization for their well-organized, exciting conference!  We look forward to learning more from them as we move forward with our project.

By Gary A. White (gary@pchelle.com)
President, P’Chelle International

He walks until his feet ache, his legs wobble like rubber bands and his back grows  tighter as the day gets shorter. He learns from his journey. He is persistent and continues while others grow weary and fail. His vision becomes crystal clear and his path forever straight. Finally, his shovel strikes receptive soil and he meets the object of his quest. -Anonymous

Okay, walking a trade show floor for two days straight, talking with hundreds of food processors, some friendly, some not so much, may not exactly be like prospecting, but there are similarities. Believe me, by the end of the day my feet ache, my legs wobble and my back starts to tighten up. I have definitely learned from my journey. Good teachers were the Winter Fancy Food Show  (January) and Natural Products Expo West (March).

It was confirmed, again, that Blue Mountain Station is a ground breaking model for the specialty food industry. There is nothing else like it and it makes perfect sense. Not bad in an un-perfect world where little seems to make sense.  I learned that our market is East Coast and Mid-West food companies looking for West Coast co-packers to tap into an existing or expanding West Coast and Asian market. So, being persistent and continuing when others grow weary and fail (or some might say get smart and move on to other things) off I went to Washington D.C. and the Summer Fancy Food Show in July, looking for co-packers. It was very successful with a handful of companies saying, “let’s talk” or “keep in touch”.

The trade show season concluded in November with PLMA’s 2011 Private Label Trade Show in Chicago. Talk about focus. This is a show of co-packers with the natural and organic guys prominently identified. PLMA  stands for the Private Label Manufacturers Association. It boasts of 3,200 members worldwide.  Its U.S. show (it also has a European and Asian show) featured more than 2,000 exhibitors promoting food, snacks and beverages, kitchen and household products, health and beauty and general merchandise. Fortunately for me, the vast majority of companies exhibiting were food and beverage manufacturers.

The PLMA Show was a great way to end the year. Actually it was a great way to begin 2012.  Like the Prospector, my vision has become clear and my path forever straight. We have the right concept. The market is receptive. We will meet the object of our quest…..food processing tenants in Blue Mountain Station.

Wishing Everyone a Very Happy New Year!

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

Claudia Nassau, executive director of the Dayton Chamber of Commerce, introduced me to The Town That Food Saved by Ben Hewitt. Hewitt writes about a renewal of local agriculture around Hardwick in Northern Vermont. Numerous food-based businesses began locating in the Hardwick area and they “embarked on a quest to create the most comprehensive, functional, and downright vibrant local food system in North America.”

In many ways the book parallels the agricultural growth that’s taking place here in the Walla Walla and Touchet Valley. Wineries, micro-breweries, restaurants, bakeries, organic apples, blueberries and goat cheese all contribute to an expanding agricultural climate in the area. Many local farmers are beginning to process, package and distribute their own produce­—thus adding value to what they grow.

The Tilth Producers of Washington Conference in Yakima this fall brought us in contact with many natural and organic farmers from around the state. Many of these farmers are involved in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), a popular way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer. Utilizing Blue Mountain Station (BMS) for an organic CSA may be one way to get the ball rolling on the BMS site’s 28 acres.

The purpose of BMS is to generate economic agricultural development in the Columbia County area. Besides bringing artisan food processors to the area, we also want to encourage existing local food-based businesses. Many local residents have already expressed interest in being involved in BMS. A good way to involve local residents in this project is by starting to actually use some of the land for organic farming. As we continue our search for the first processor to locate on the property, we look forward to 2012 as a ground-breaking year for activity on the site.