The House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee visited the WSU Mount Vernon Research and Extension Center Wednesday for a tour of the facility and to learn about the Center’s agricultural partnerships in the Skagit Valley.
Director Dr. Steve Jones discussed the Center’s heightened success with a mild marine climate, diverse small mid-sized farming enterprises and close rural-urban interface, allowing the Center to maintain strong partnerships with allied agricultural and horticultural industries, small farmers, and garden enthusiasts in the Skagit Valley.
After a tour of the Center’s laboratories and demonstrations of research from professors and graduate students, the group traveled to the Skagit Valley Malting Company, a private company that focuses on the establishment of a custom malting industry in the Skagit Vally using Skagit grown grains. There the Committee toured the research and testing laboratory, receiving demonstrations of malting equipment. The laboratory is run by Skagit Valley Malting in cooperation with Washington State University to establish the best grain and malting combinations using unique varieties of Skagit grown barley and wheat.
Next the group traveled to the Fairhaven Organic Flour Mill in Burlington where the mill’s grains come from organic grain growers in the Skagit Valley and throughout the West. The mill and WSU work to support local farmers in making locally grown organic wheat viable in the Valley.
Returning to the Center, Dr. Jones demonstrated the milling equipment in the WSU Bread Lab.
Legislators and staff were able to observe the process of milling grain into flour and examine the final product.
To conclude the Committee’s visit of the Center, Nell Thorn of La Conner prepared a meal of locally grown products from the Skagit Valley, including local greens, lamb and Fuji Apples. Also enjoyed was whole wheat bread and pasta made at the WSU Bread Lab. Joined by farmers, researchers and WSU staff, lunch provided an opportunity for legislators to discuss the partnerships between the WSU Mount Vernon Research Center and regional stakeholders.