Gov. Gregoire wraps up "Feeding Washington" tour, announces state loan to increase biodiesel production

For Immediate Release: July 2, 2010

OLYMPIA � Gov. Chris Gregoire today wrapped up her �Feeding Washington� tour, making 10 stops in six counties over the last two days. Washington State Department of Agriculture Director Dan Newhouse, Ecology Director Ted Sturdevant and Commerce Director Rogers Weed accompanied Gregoire on the trip.

�We�ve been visiting the communities and businesses that make up our vital agriculture industry,� Gregoire said. �We must ensure growers, producers and distributors have the necessary tools and resources to help drive Washington�s recovery and grow jobs. We need this industry to stay strong in the 21st Century � that means producing more great apples, potatoes and wheat. And it means managing our water resources, creating world-class products like Washington wines, and moving forward in bioenergy.�

Gregoire�s last stop was a tour of Inland Empire Oilseed�s bioenergy plant, where she announced a low-interest $460,000 loan through the State Energy Program to help the company expand production of biodiesel. The company is expected to produce 1 million gallons in 2010, nowhere near its capacity of 8 million gallons a year.

�In this economic environment, capital is hard to come by,� Gregoire said. �I�m pleased to announce this loan, knowing it will help this company expand and create jobs, and helps maintain Washington�s position as a leader in the green energy economy.�

Gregoire started the second day of her tour in Sunnyside, where she toured Irving Newhouse & Sons farm to 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 also helped pick cherries in Newhouse�s cherry orchard, adding, �The best way to create agriculture policy is to meet with the farmers on the ground, and experience what they do every day,� Gregoire said.

Gregoire also stopped in Brewster today to visit Gebbers Farm, one of the state�s leading fruit growers and processors. Gregoire toured Gebbers� new worker housing, as well as its state-of-the-art storage and processing facilities that reduce energy needs by 75 percent.

Yesterday, Gregoire toured the Walla Walla pump exchange project that will ensure water flows in the Walla Walla River during the summer months. The project secures a more reliable water supply for farmers while supporting the survival of fish populations.

�I had a member of the Umatilla Tribe tell me it was a dream come true to catch a Chinook salmon in the Walla Walla River last month. It was the first time in more than a century that that has happened,� Gregoire said. �We�ve also set a goal through my state export initiative to increase agriculture exports by 80 percent over the next five years to help our economy recover and create jobs. We can do it. But we need water to achieve that goal. This project proves that if we work together, we can support our environment while ensuring farmers have the resources they need to succeed.�

During a tour of the Red Mountain region near the Tri-Cities, Gregoire discussed a project underway that will double the acreage of irrigated grapes to help the state�s wine industry thrive and grow. Additionally, Gregoire met with the Yakima River Basin water enhancement work group to receive an update on a new, widely supported plan to increase water supply and improve the environmental health of the Yakima River.