Gov. Gregoire to lead �Feeding Washington� tour of Eastern Washington

For Immediate Release: June 29, 2010

OLYMPIA � Gov. Chris Gregoire this week will lead an economic development tour through Eastern Washington, meeting with leaders throughout the region focused on water, agriculture, and bioenergy. Gregoire�s �Feeding Washington� tour will help ensure growers, producers and distributors continue to have the necessary tools and resources to remain globally competitive and help Washington drive its economy and grow jobs.

�Agriculture was a critical part of Washington�s history, culture, and economy in the 19th and 20th Centuries. It will be in the 21st Century, as well,� Gregoire said. �In addition to feeding families in Washington and across America, about a third of our agricultural products are exported, and exports are helping to drive our economic recovery. By visiting the communities and the businesses that make up our vital agricultural industry, we can develop additional strategies to grow this vital industry � which feeds our families here at home and abroad, and drives our economy.�

The state's $38 billion food and agriculture industry employs 160,000 people and contributes 12% percent of the state's economy.

Joining Gregoire on the tour will be Ecology Director Ted Sturdevant, Department of Agriculture Director Dan Newhouse, and Commerce Director Rogers Weed.

�On this trip, Governor Gregoire will meet people who are creating the win-win solutions that are possible and necessary for Washington's water future. In the Walla Walla Valley, Tri-Cities and the Yakima Valley, folks are working collaboratively to make smart use of the limited water that is available below and above ground,� Sturdevant said. �With strong support and targeted investments from our Governor and the Legislature, our communities, tribes and state and federal agencies are pulling together on projects that secure the water needed for people, farms amd salmon.�

Gregoire plans to tour several major water projects across Eastern Washington, including the Walla Walla pump exchange project. The project will ensure water flows in the Walla Walla River during the summer months, supporting the survival of Chinook salmon, endangered bull trout and summer steelhead while securing a more reliable water supply for the local agriculture community. Gregoire will also visit the Red Mountain region near the Tri-Cities, where state funding is expected to help double the acreage of irrigated wine grapes to support and grow the state�s thriving wine industry. In Yakima, Gregoire will meet the Yakima River Basin water enhancement work group to receive an update on a new, widely supported plan for increasing water supply and the environmental health of the Yakima River.

In Sunnyside, Gregoire will tour Irving Newhouse & Sons 600 acre farm to again discuss water issues in the lower Yakima Valley, as well as pest and disease control measures that help farmers attain maximum yields, while protecting food safety and environmental health. Gregoire may also help Newhouse harvest cherries or thin grape vines.

�The governor has a full plate on this two-day tour,� said Newhouse. �By including events on water storage and irrigation, farm labor, bioenergy and value-added processing, the governor will get an up-close view of some of the most critical agricultural and economic development issues producers face today. I know the governor has some personal experience picking blueberries, so we're also hoping to put her to work on the Newhouse farm.�

Gregoire will travel to Brewster to visit Gebbers Farm, one of the state�s leading fruit growers and processors. Gebbers recently built new worker housing, as well as state-of-the-art storage and processing facilities that reduce energy needs by 75 percent. The governor�s last stop will be Odessa to tour Inland Empire Oilseeds, which has the capacity to produce 8 million gallons of biodiesel every year.

�Investing in innovation is core to creating jobs and economic growth,� said Commerce Director Rogers Weed. �Today we see great promise in rural areas from investments in bioenergy, wind, clean tech, and extensive broadband deployment � all are bright spots in Washington�s economic future.�