By Jennie Dickinson (Jennie@PortOfColumbia.org), 
Manager, Port of Columbia

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 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.