18 Jun COLUMBIA BASIN PROJECT FEATURED IN AG TOUR
In early June, Washington State ag organizations held the 3rd annual Food and Farming Tour. The two-day tour – designed for policymakers to experience ag first-hand – drew a total of about 50 legislators, staffers, regulatory agencies, and ag representatives including potatoes, wheat, tree fruit, dairy, cattlemen, forests, and grapes.
The tour rotates between the west and east side of the state each year. This year’s tour was held in the Royal Slope—Quincy—Ephrata area. WSDA Director Derek Sandison welcomed the group the first day with an overview of Washington agriculture, and policymakers were surprised to learn that, of the 26,000 farms in Washington, 92% are family-owned. For the majority of the tour, participants traveled by bus to various stops learning about numerous issues and topics including the Columbia Basin Project (CBP).
The League arranged for the tour to stop at the Frenchman Hills tunnel in the Quincy Irrigation District where QCBID Technical Services Assistant Manager, Roger Sonnichsen, discussed the CBP and Project infrastructure. Prior to arriving at the stop, the League’s film, Waiting for Water, played on the bus as an introduction to Roger’s discussion.