Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Capital press. (Salem, OR) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 22, 2016)
January 22, 2016 CapitalPress.com AgriBusiness Council has long legacy By MATTHEW WEAVER Capital Press Even before there was a chamber of commerce in Spo- kane, organizations were work- ing for the benefit of agriculture in the region. The earliest roots of the Agricultural Bureau go back to May 1887, when a group of “future-oriented” citizens organized Spokane’s Board of Trade, which sponsored the first Fruit Fair, the forerunner of the current Interstate Fair. The Agricultural Bureau’s name first appeared in reports in 1917 and changed its name to the AgriBusiness Council in 2010, according to a history compiled by Greater Spokane Incorporated. The Agricultural Bureau was preceded by several ag- riculture committees during Exposition 1890, the first ma- jor event for agriculture in the area. Fruits, vegetables, timber and livestock from around the region were exhibited. The chamber was incorpo- rated May 21, 1892. Other key moments in his- tory: 1905: The chamber formed a horticulture committee to address the needs of the fruit industry and other types of ag- riculture. 1908: The National Apple Show was created and spon- sored by the chamber’s agri- culture committee and existed for eight years. At that time, the region had 10,000 acres of orchards in Spokane Valley; 7,000 acres in Deer Park; 2,000 acres in Waverly and 1,700 acres near Medical Lake and Green Bluff. 1917: The new Agricultural Bureau began a movement to improve prices for the wheat crop in the Pacific Northwest. 1920: The Agricultural Bu- reau coordinated the first Pacif- ic Northwest Potato Show and Growers Conference. 1921: The Agricultural Bu- reau was instrumental in form- ing the Annual Fruit Growers Conference. 1922: The Spokane Cham- Matthew Weaver/Capital Press Jay Allert, chairman of the Agri- Business Council for Greater Spokane Incorporated, says the council and its predecessors have long been active in pro- moting agriculture in the region. ber of Commerce organized the Northwest Reclamation Con- gress to promote the federal Columbia Basin Project. The chamber provided guidance to the newly organized Columbia Basin Irrigation League. 1927: The Agricultural Bu- reau spearheaded the first dairy congress, bringing together a group of dairymen who formed a cow testing association, eas- ing friction between producers and milk distributors. 1941-1945: During World War II the Agricultural Bureau pushed for all-out farm pro- duction. Labor shortages were a concern and packing houses were down 50 percent because of the lack of labor. The Agri- cultural Bureau War Employ- ment Committee and the ex- ecutive board of the chamber helped alleviate the problem. An arrangement was made with the commander of the Far- ragut Naval Training Station on Lake Pend Oreille in Bayview, Idaho, to grant leave to naval personnel to assist the packing industry. 1954: The Pacific North- west Farm Forum began. 1974-1977: Planning got underway for the Spokane Ag Expo. A group of volunteers from the Agricultural Bureau enlisted 16 corporate sponsors to underwrite any loss in the first three years of the show. The financial commitment was never needed. 1989: The Agricultural Bureau provided seed money for the Washington State In- ternational Ag Trade Center. The state Legislature provided funds for the facility and the City of Spokane provided the property and services. The new facility opened in 1989 with the Spokane Ag Expo as its first tenant. 1996: The Agricultural Bu- reau Marketing Committee formed to promote the impor- tance and economic contribu- tions of agriculture. 1997: The Agricultural Bu- reau contracted with Washing- ton State University to measure the impact that agriculture had on Spokane’s economy. 2007-2010: The AgriBusi- ness Task Force determined a course of action needed to modernize the Agricultural Bureau with new activities and increase its membership. Feb. 6-12, 2012: Spokane Ag Expo and Pacific North- west Farm Forum show week is designated “Ag Week in Spokane” as the renamed AgriBusiness Council con- tinued to highlight the impor- tance of agriculture in Spokane and the region. June 8, 2012: The Agri- Business Council presented the Ag Economic Symposium through Greater Spokane In- corporated’s Good Morning Greater Spokane to showcase the industry to the urban busi- ness community. Nov. 8, 2012: The Agri- Business Council put together its first Washington State Uni- versity Ag Tour for Spokane business leaders. Feb. 4, 2014: The AgriBusi- ness Council, partnering with the Spokane Ag Expo and Pa- cific Northwest Farm Forum, awarded the first “Excellence in Agriculture Awards” at the opening session of Farm Fo- rum. Feb. 2-4, 2016: Pacific Northwest Farm Forum will move from the DoubleTree Ho- tel to the newly expanded Con- vention Center, allowing the Spokane Ag Expo and Pacific Northwest Farm Forum to be under one roof for the first time. “That’s a big history,” said Jay Allert, a Rosalia, Wash., rancher and chairman of the AgriBusiness Council. “It was so involved in the creation of the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project, the Spokane Livestock Show, the international ag trade center when it was in Spokane — all of these things, the Ag Bureau played a very integral part. It’s so significant. It’s kind of an honor to be part of that group.” Spokane used to house 15 feed stores or mills, which was natural, as agriculture was a dominating industry, Allert said. “It hasn’t been easy, hon- estly, because there are fewer people involved and everybody has less time,” he said. “It really caused us to evaluate this mis- sion we’ve always had, but we have to do it in a different way.” Today, agriculture is going through a new transformation and “reinvigoration,” he said, pointing to new precision tech- nology, which increases farm- ers’ profits and brings in new people. “We went through a peri- od there where young people couldn’t afford to come back to the farms,” Allert said. “Our future was kind of dwindling, and yet now that’s changing. We almost have to have (young people) now because you have to be a computer-savvy person to run a tractor, practically. It means a lot of change. It’s go- ing to bring a lot of opportunity to the industry.” 11
