Letters to the Editor
Support Urged for Blue Mountain Station
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Dear Editor,
Dayton Knows Food Processing
We here in little ol’ Dayton, Washington know first-hand the business of processing food, such as asparagus, apples, wheat, potatoes and mustard. So, let’s turn back the pages of time and put that knowledge to work again.
What does it take to become organic garden certified? Today is day one! Plant your big garden now and get it certified. When the day arrives to open our own food processing plants, we will be ready to prove we know the business of growing, processing and marketing locally grown and/or organic foodstuff.
There are a lot of folks here who, on a small scale, have product that is now marketed locally. This business can grow and, perhaps, diversify. Process the apples into Dayton Delicious applesauce. We may even be able to market flowers. Terrific baked goods are manufactured here and could be Dayton Delights marketed anywhere.
We can take a piece of the growing business back home by manufacturing an organically grown local product. Support Blue Mountain Station because it is poised to take advantage of the BIG in-thing today—natural, organic, specialty foods.
Donna Helsius
Dayton
Dear Editor,
I attended the Blue Mountain Station informational meeting on Feb 4th and was very impressed with the evident depth of research, creative thought, environmental responsibility and passion associated with this forward-thinking project.
I especially applaud Jennie Dickenson for her courageous leadership and poise in the face of criticism too often based on misinformation, fear and narrow-minded opinions.
It is her job as Port Director to cast her vision for the economic development of Columbia County far above and beyond the knot-hole view of things most of us have when looking through the fence of “what is”.
Pick up any national magazine (from Redbook to Time to Country Living or Parenting) or any trade or business publication and it won’t take long to realize that the market for “green” or natural products--everything from food to furniture—is poised to begin growing nearly exponentially. And it’s the businesses and communities who dare to position themselves in the front of the pack as trailblazers that will reap the financial rewards.
Is there a guarantee that Blue Mountain Station will be successful? No—but fortunately the financial foundation of our community has always been based on hard work and faith. Every year farmers work hard to prepare their fields, then plan and plant their crops in faith without a single guarantee that the seeds will produce a crop worth enough money to pay the bills.
There is, however, a certain guarantee that if we do nothing, we will achieve nothing.
I urge anyone with questions, concerns or input about Blue Mountain Station to care enough about the future of Columbia County to give Jennie 15 minutes of your time. You might be amazed at the view.
Tanya Patton
Dayton