Noted author and sustainable agriculture authority Joel Salatin will be the featured speaker at a day-long seminar devoted to sustainable agriculture and pastured-based livestock systems on Saturday, April 25th at the Padilla Bay Foundation in Skagit County. This event is co-sponsored with Skagit Farmers Supply.

NABC project manager Maryon Attwood said, “NABC and Skagit Farmers Supply are delighted to bring such a highly regarded sustainable agriculture expert to Western Washington in time for spring planning and planting.” Over the past 20 years, Salatin has emerged as a leader in the sustainable-food movement. His 500-acre Polyface Farm in Swoope, Virginia, is legendary for its robustly flavored beef, pork, chicken, and eggs. Among farmers, Salatin has won status for his innovations in multi-species, pasture-based animal husbandry. He is author of Pastured Poultry, Salad Bar Beef, You Can Farm Family Friendly Farming, Holy Cows and Hog Heaven, Everything I Want To Do Is Illegal.

Visit the link on the NABC website for details.
 

Skagit Fresh Sparkling Juices are now available to students at the Skagit Valley College cafeteria. According to Chef Instructor Suzanne Butler, the product has been very well received; students are purchasing several cases per week of this tasty beverage.

Because the juices are naturally sweetened with apple and berry juice and contain no added sugar or chemicals they fit the profile of a healthy alternative to soft drinks. Additionally, purchases help local apple farmers since the juices contain 40% apple juice squeezed from Jonagold apples grown in the Skagit Valley. We are excited about this new potential market for Skagit Fresh and the opportunity to showcase Northwest Washington agriculture.

Skagit Fresh is now sold at Haggen and Top Food, Town and Country and Central Markets, Metropolitan Markets, PCC, Whole Foods, Skagit Valley Coop, Mount Vernon Red Apple and many other independent retail and foodservice locations. For the month of April, Skagit Fresh juices can also be found at Tulip Town during the Tulip Festival. If you can’t find it in the store where you shop, please ask the manager to stock it and join in the effort to save Skagit Valley apple trees.

Special Offer for the Months of April and May: Stop by the NABC office to say hello and receive up to 3 coupons for 50 cents off the purchase of a 4-pack of Skagit Fresh Sparkling Juices. Coupons are valid through June 30th, 2009.
 

Preserving farmland requires farmers and active farming. That describes what is happening at the new Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Training Center at Greenbank Farm on Whidbey Island initiated by NABC with collaboration from community partners.

Anza Muenchow, Coordinator for the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Project at Greenbank Farm has been teaching and working side-by-side with seven new farmer trainees, who began their training in late January in the cold and wind. Students range in age and experience but share a common enthusiasm for working the land and learning how to utilize the Community Supported Agriculture model to grow food.

The CSA Training Center at Greenbank Farm, the first of its kind in western Washington, is an innovative community response to what is an alarming reality across our nation: the steady decrease in farmland, a food system dangerously dependent on fossil fuel, and an impersonal food chain that transports food items an average of 1,500 miles from the farm to our dining tables. The purpose of the new Whidbey Island CSA Training Center is to instruct farmer-trainees in the diverse crop production of vegetables and fruits and provide consistent training with optimal success. The CSA Training Center at historic Greenbank Farm is already putting acres of land back into food production, creating new momentum for a ‘eat local’ program, increasing food production, and delighting consumers who are purchasing shares of food from the farmer trainees. Best of all, the center demonstrates innovation in utilizing local resources by developing working relationships between community groups and farmers.

CSA students include: Chris Dillard from Bellingham; Landon Primrose, Langley; Katie Shapiro from Freeland; John Burkes from Coupeville; Todd Peterson and Erik Swanson, Clinton; and Aracely Knox from Greenbank. Jim Patton, Director of the Port of Coupeville was an enthusiastic interviewer of candidates. “I became a more committed supporter of this program as each interview took place, because of the amazing interest and excitement expressed by these potential new farmers,” stated Patton. Under Muenchow’s direction, students have already started planting seeds, built a new hoop house, started classes, and selling shares in the new CSA.

Todd Peterson has been gardening and keeping bees on Whidbey Island for 30 years and recently graduated from WSU’s Master Gardner Training program. Like many of today’s well educated farmers, Todd holds a Bachelors degree from Dartmouth College and a Master’s degree from Stanford University. He is currently serving as a board member of the Whidbey Camano Land Trust. In the new CSA program, he is learning from local mentor farmers and acquiring hands-on field experience.

John Burks of Coupeville was born and raised in Southeastern Oklahoma. He has a PhD in Organic Chemistry. He is newly retired and is interested in winemaking and viticulture and sees the CSA program as a way to fast-track his learning about organic farming in this region.

Aracely Knox is a new transplant from the San Francisco Bay area and has been trained in the Culinary Arts. She already has a product in mind - pickled carrots and has generously provided the new farmer trainees with some of her home cooking after long hours in the field. Erik Swanson was born and raised on Whidbey Island and has recently return from Oregon. He’s interested in green energy and in learning about farming and how to put his land to work.

The NABC received a $40,000 grant from the Washington State Department of Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program to allow the program to be launched last fall. Additional support has been received from Farm Aid, the Titcomb Foundation, the local Whidbey Island Rotary and, the Freeland Unitarian Church congregation. According the Maryon Attwood, NABC’s Project Director for the CSA, “We could not have made an innovative ‘home-grown’ project like this happen without the help of the local community and primary collaborators like WSU Extension, The Greenbank Management Group, South Whidbey Tilth, and the Port of Coupeville.”

Because of committed local engagement, NABC has been able to assist in developing and training of new farmers, increase local food production, as well as put farmland in production on Whidbey Island. You can support NABC and the new CSA program by purchasing a CSA Food Share. The CSA project also has a list of other needs like a storage shed, a tractor, fencing and more.

Visit the NABC website at www.agbizcenter.org, or contact CSA Coordinator, Anza Muenchow at the CSA Training Center Office at 360-222-3171, Greenbank Farm.
 

NABC has been very active researching and developing the fundamental building blocks of the Puget Sound Food Network (PSFN), with the mission of increasing the production, distribution, and consumption of regionally produced food.

During this research phase we have already connected producers, buyers, distributors, and consumers together by sharing information about who has or needs regional food products. PSFN is accomplishing this work by creating relationships between the producers, buyers, consumers, and logistics providers that sell, buy, and move regional food.

NABC is actively developing appropriate staff and web-based technologies to support this work. As we continue development PSFN will launch a website this summer that allows people to connect directly to each other, view a searchable map of the food system players and retail outlets, see available products and requests, read the latest research related to regional markets, and connect to social network websites like Facebook. Later this year the website will assist online buying and selling, offer templates for producers and others to create their own websites, and include more ways for the whole Puget Sound community to assist the success of our region’s food system.

NABC has hired its communication partner, Bellingham-based Baron and Company , as lead developers for the web platform and marketing materials. A research and communications development staff position is currently under development. Advisors and other strategic partners are being contacted to elicit their feedback regarding the next steps that will enable PSFN to become a valuable market force. “This project has made great strides over the last couple of weeks,” said the network’s coordinator, Tim Crosby. “We look forward to this spring and summer when we have the first phases online and ready to use by our partners.”

PSFN has launched a research blog that can be found online at www.psfn.org . Check the blog for updates as development picks up speed this spring.
 

Several farms in Arlington, Washington have banded together to form the Red Rooster Route Farm Tour.  Included are Biringer Farm, Garden Treasures, Lavender Hills Farm, Foster’s Produce and Corn Maze and Ninety Farms. The farms are encouraging families to visit throughout the growing season from June to late October. The Red Rooster Route Farm Tour Map will be published in late May to guide visitors to all participating farm locations.

Advertising space will be available in the tour map giving local businesses the opportunity to make a connection with agri-tourists and show their support of agriculture in their communities.  Maps will be distributed through North King County Visitor Centers, regional Chambers of Commerce, farm co-ops and hardware stores.

Interested? Please contact Carolyn Eslick at 425-327-2093 to learn more.
 

The NABC wants to thank the Western Center for Risk Management Education (WRME) for their continued support of the successful “Transitioning to Value-Added Products” course. The producers enrolled in the 2008-2009 course are currently completing the final stages which focus on developing a value-added product or service along with the business planning activities that are associated with the new enterprise.

WRME article text:

Transitioning to Value-Added Products in NW Washington

Impact: Producers from Northwestern Washington’s agricultural industry sectors were led through a low risk learning process to identify and evaluate value-added products.

Capturing a new perspective is what Northwestern Washington producers endeavored to do as they engaged in a comprehensive program launching new and innovative value-added products. A team led by the Northwest Agriculture Business Center in Mount Vernon, mentored willing farmers evaluating these opportunities. Success potential was maximized through a series of workshops that included technical production and market development assistance. A diverse project team supported participants both in and out of the classroom and also provided a final structured networking session to help facilitate solutions for optimal product development.

Thirty six producers utilized business development tools relevant to the four participating industry sectors that included food crops, small scale poultry, livestock and nursery plant production. Each producer conducted an enterprise analysis for products of their choice with 18 investing in production of a value-added product and six going on to complete a business and/or marketing plan.

Anecdotal evidence validated the risk management improvements experienced by participants. For some it was a launching point that gave them the necessary tools and confidence to explore new product potential – for others an opportunity to assess the potential risks and benefits associated with product diversification and development, and for a few, a chance to create and implement a complete branding and marketing strategy for a new product or enterprise. Producers stretching to meet an increased demand for local value-added products have found the low risk learning environment, created through this project, has contributed to their ability to manage financial risk during a time when business support programs are integral to the success of farming operations.
 

An exemption in Washington State regulations allowing smaller-scale meat bird producers to escape the processing requirements imposed on huge commercial operations had opened a door to market, but only for producers of pastured chickens. A new bill (WA 5350) signed into law recently by Governor Gregoire now expands this exemption to include producers of all poultry, including turkeys and ducks. Producers of up to 1000 birds per year may apply for a temporary permit to legally raise, process on-farm and sell direct to the consumer without the use of WSDA licensed facilities as required for processors of 1,000 birds or more.

Northwest Washington poultry producers including Hidden Meadow Farm’s Laura Faley, along with NABC Project Manager Jake Fowler, testified on behalf of this bill before legislators in Olympia. Said Fowler, “It’s satisfying to see this bill passed and know we helped raise awareness in Olympia of its importance to the small-scale producer.” Sponsored by Senator Mary Margaret Haugen, this bill provides new revenue opportunities for the small farm businesses, lowers a barrier to entry into the industry for new farmers, and will foster greater availability of fresh nutritious food for Northwest Washington.
 

On February 3rd, 2009 the NABC staff rounded up a van-full of clients and headed down to Olympia for a legislative open house. The event was well attended and appreciated by legislators and their staff. This was a great opportunity for the NABC & clients to interact with the lawmakers and discuss the importance for their continued support.

The reception featured refreshments from the NABC’s grocery retail program such as pickled vegetables, dairy products, all natural survival bars, and the new age carbonated soft drink “Skagit Fresh”. Law makers interacted with staff and clients who discussed the miscellaneous business development services provided by the center and how impactful the assistance has been to their businesses.
Thanks again to those clients able to make the journey!
 

The Northwest Agriculture Business Center (NABC) is working to develop facilities to serve the product development and food processing needs of farms in the Puget Sound Region of Washington.  The NABC has just completed a collaborative effort to examine the feasibility of establishing this multi-purpose agricultural processing facility - a strategy to ensure a safe, fresh, local food supply while contributing to efforts to preserve farmland in Northwest Washington. This processing facility would serve farmers in the Puget Sound Region as they meet the growing demand for locally grown and processed food products while creating new jobs and positive economic impacts for the region.

NABC, Washington State University (WSU) and the Cascade Harvest Coalition (CHC) collaborated on the feasibility study for a regional processing facility. Funding and/or technical support for the project were provided by the Port of Skagit County, Washington State Department of Community Trade and Economic Development, the Carolyn Foundation, USDA Rural Development and the U.S. Small Business Administration. This study identified the next steps for this project, which will require additional time and financial support to complete.

The feasibility for the Regional Food Processing Center was examined in four parts: 1) Market Feasibility; 2) Technical Feasibility; 3) Financial Feasibility: and 4) Organizational Feasibility.

Existing facilities throughout the United States were identified and evaluated as potential models for the Center. Potential clients were identified that would use the Center. Compatible products were included as part of the planning and feasibility process to create a larger potential customer base. These specific clients were used to design the size and design of the facility, as well as the source of revenue for the project. Capital costs and operating costs were estimated using these initial clients. A market study was completed for the Puget Sound region to indentify market opportunities for future clients of the Center.

Results of the study include:

• This project would be most successful as a part of regional food system strategies
• There are clients with a sufficient volume of processing to provide the required revenue for the project
• It is technically feasible to provide the services needed by the clients identified
• Sufficient revenues could be generated to make the project financially sustainable
• Organizational structures were identified that could be implemented as equity partners
• Next steps for the project are identified

This new regional processing facility would include co-packing facilities that could be used by local farms and related businesses throughout the Puget Sound region. The proposed facility would support the start-up and expansion of new and existing food products. It would create a corner stone for a rejuvenated regional food system for metro-Seattle and the counties that surround Seattle.

NABC and the project team have identified the following action items for moving this project forward:

• Meet with farms and other producers throughout the region to further identify potential co-packing, product development, and commercial kitchen clients
• Work with the “Initial Clients” identified to further refine sales volumes and processing needs
• Identify potential equity partners for the Center
• Develop a proposed business structure for the Center
• Prepare a written business plan for the Center
• Identify specific sources of capital for the Center
• Conduct site analysis
• Continue to develop market opportunities for “Initial Clients”
• Continue to develop the Puget Sound Food Network project

The successful implementation of this project will support the future of agriculture in the Puget Sound region, improve the reliability and diversity of the regional food system, while preserving and improving the quality-of-life and health throughout our communities. The goal of this innovative agricultural infra-structure project is that it will be a farmer-owned and controlled facility, which is the most profitable for farmers and most reliable for consumers and a regionally-based food system.

For more information, please see the NABC web site.

Skagit Valley Organics has recently completed the construction of a new agricultural processing facility. This facility will be used to make products like pickles and jellies for retail sale to the public. These products will be made using fruits and vegetables grown on the small organic farm.

Skagit Valley Organics, owned and operated by Ryan and Nel Haldane, is a 15 acre organic vegetable farm located 7 miles east of Sedro-Woolley, WA. on SR 20. The new processing facility is approximately 800 square feet. Although relatively small the facilities equipment is top of the line. “We plan to begin producing our initial products in the spring of ’09”, said Haldane. He added, “Access to a facility like this is often the main obstacle that stands in the way of a small farmer growing produce (i.e. cucumbers) and making it into a product (i.e. pickles) that can be legally sold to the consumer”.
 
There is currently a shortage of these types facilities available to farmers in the Puget Sound area as recent studies have concluded. This facility is unique in the Skagit Valley. Skagit Valley Organics intends to make their facility available for rent to local farmers who wish to do value-added food processing. Interested parties should contact Ryan for more details at ryan@skagitvalleyorganics.com .