----- forwarded message ------ Date: Sat, 14 Aug 2004 21:52:49 -0600 From: Teresa Binstock <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Wa: The greening of amber waves - a growing market for wheat produced in environmentally friendly conditions
The greening of amber waves Northwest farmers have found a growing market for wheat produced in environmentally friendly conditions Saturday, August 14, 2004 By JOHN K. WILEY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/186287_homegrown14.html REARDAN -- Most of the vast sea of amber wheat being harvested in Eastern Washington soon will be aboard giant cargo ships bound for Asia, the Middle East and other foreign markets. But a small portion, grown under environmentally friendly farming practices, will remain behind, destined to become bread and pastry just miles away from where it grew on Pacific Northwest farms. Half of all wheat grown in the United States is exported. The Pacific Northwest ships as much as 85 percent of its crop overseas. In Washington alone, wheat exports earn farmers about $350 million a year, making it the state's No. 3 agricultural crop behind fruits and vegetables. The wheat transportation system is set up to send large amounts of grain from Eastern Washington, northeastern Oregon and north-central Idaho farms by truck, train and barges to Portland, where it is shipped to foreign markets. So when Fred Fleming and Karl Kupers founded Columbia Plateau Producers two years ago in Reardan, just west of Spokane, with the idea of growing wheat for local consumption, using environmentally friendly farming practices, they had to adapt to a system designed to efficiently ship wheat halfway around the world. "We had to figure out how to get our crop to market. We can't use the normal channels," Kupers said. "You have to be completely different with your product, but stay within the system," Fleming said. "The secret is finding distributors who will work with you." There were enough distributors willing to take a chance that Columbia Plateau Producers has grown to a dozen Pacific Northwest growers, farming 50,000 acres. Of that, about 8,500 acres of wheat were planted using direct seeding, a low-impact planting method also known as no-till. The group is part of a small but growing number of wheat farmers in the region who are adopting sustainable agriculture methods to reduce use of pesticides, conserve soil and water, protect wildlife habitat and provide safe farm working conditions, Fleming and Kupers said. But those methods also reduce yield in a business where volume is everything and prices are usually set by world markets. That means convincing customers that the wheat's superior quality and environmental credentials are worth more. That translates to as much as 80 cents more per bushel than bulk wheat, or about $1.20 more per hundredweight bag of flour. Bushels of high-protein red wheat were selling for between $3.91 and $4.02 Wednesday on the Portland grain market, and hundredweight bags of flour were at $16.87. Direct seeding, or no-till farming, uses special drills to plant seeds without plowing the soil. This helps preserve the top 4 inches of soil, retaining moisture, preventing erosion and allowing beneficial organisms to thrive, Kupers said. Kupers began direct seeding on his 4,400-acre farm near Harrington in 1995. He persuaded Fleming to try it on his family's 3,800-acre farm near Reardan, where the conversion to no-till is nearly complete. Once the wheat is harvested, it is stored in bins on members' farms and then sent to an Archer-Daniels-Midland Co. flouring mill in Spokane. Developing a relationship with distribution companies is difficult, Fleming said. Growers have to prove to distributors that they can provide enough volume to make the venture worthwhile, he said. "We have developed this volume to the point the distribution people are looking us up, mainly because their customers are asking for this product," he said. Columbia Plateau Producers market their wheat flour as Shepherd's Grain, which is shipped to bakeries and restaurants throughout the region. Among the customers who have converted to Shepherd's Grain despite its higher price is Pat DiPrima-LeConche, owner of DiPrima Dolci, an Italian bakery and restaurant in Portland. DiPrima-LeConche began using the flour last fall after a friend recommended it. Shepherd's Grain improves the quality of her bakery's bread and the fact it is locally grown is a bonus, she said. "It's something equally significant that it's a local product," DiPrima-LeConche said. "Why not try and help our environment while you're eating something good?" Columbia Plateau Producers reflect her own philosophy, she said. "I'm making things from ingredients that are locally grown and using local, fresh products I buy every day. I don't mind paying extra for this product." Columbia Plateau Producers' products are certified by the Food Alliance -- a Portland-based non-profit organization that promotes sustainable agriculture by recognizing farmers who produce food in environmentally friendly and socially responsible ways. Fleming and Kupers said DiPrima-LeConche is like many of their customers, who become "food activists" by asking for locally grown products. That's why potential customers are invited to visit the farms where their grain is grown, Fleming said. © 1998-2004 Seattle Post-Intelligencer The material in this post is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. 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