Southwest Washington Grain Project
A Lunch & Learn exploring the formation of the Southwest Washington Grain Project
The Southwest WA Grain Project is an exciting public-private collaboration involving the Port of Chehalis, Valley Agronimics, and the Southwest WA Growers Cooperative. Since the Growers Co-op’s formation in late 2019, these entities have worked together with assistance from NABC to succcesfully develop a western WA malt barley program, establish dirtect sales to a tribally owned brewery/distillery, and source capital for the construction of a public rail transload and aggregate storage facility for regionally produced small grains. Learn about how this work is funded and is evolving, and the intended impacts for Washington grain growers.
Mike Peroni is the Executive Director of NABC and has over 30 years of experience in leadership roles in regional agriculture in western WA. He is dedicated to the development of agricultural infrastructure in our region and manages the Southwest WA Grains Project as well as several other ambitious grants serving the agricultural community. Mike is a farmer himself and has extensive knowledge of agricultural business formation and management, brand support, public-private partnerships, market development, and regulatory compliance.
Jake Fay is the Southwest WA Regional Director for NABC, working with growers throughout the region and supporting the Southwest WA Growers Cooperative, SW WA Grains Project, and SW WA Food Hub program. Prior to taking this role with NABC in 2023, Jake served as the Dean of Instruction for Healthcare and Industrial Trades at Centralia College