Inslee visits Puget Sound Food Hub Cooperative while in Skagit County

Gov. Jay Inslee enjoyed a taste of Skagit Valley on several levels when he toured the Puget Sound Food Hub Cooperative near La Conner last Tuesday.

The state's three-term chief executive, who recently announced he would not seek re-election, nonetheless modeled all the ingredients of a campaigner as he spoke with and listened to area farmers and food hub General Manager Andrew Yokom.

Inslee repeatedly praised the cleanliness and efficiency of the warehouse site, a former potato shed located next to Christianson's Nursery on the southwest corner of Best and McLean roads.

"You have a beautiful warehouse here," Inslee told Yokum. "It looks like somebody knows what they're doing."

The proof is in the numbers.

Eighty percent of $25 million in food hub sales have been returned to producers, a co-op of some 70 Skagit Valley farmers, Yokom said.

Amy Frye of Boldy Grown Farm of Bow told Inslee that co-op membership is a win-win situation,

"This is as far as we have to go," Frye, a past president of the co-op board said of the near La Conner location. "The trucks take it from here to Seattle and elsewhere."

Yokom noted the level of support the food hub has received from state officials. The Washington state Department of Agriculture last year provided $500,000 to purchase delivery trucks and expand cooler space.

"I think one of the reasons the governor is coming here," Yokom told the Weekly News beforehand, "is because as a farmer-owned co-op we've also been the beneficiaries of state funding."

The food hub delivers to restaurants, schools and other markets – including hunger relief organizations – between the U.S.-Canadian border and Olympia.

"The produce," Frye stressed, "goes out to the people who need it."

Inslee, his staff and State Rep. Dave Paul (D-Oak Harbor) were given a first-hand look at how the food hub works, highlighted by the opportunity to sample favorite delicacies grown by co-op members.

"The food hub," said Yokum, "started out of a need – by the farmers, for the farmers."

Paul came away impressed.

"I was excited to see this," Paul said, "because we're always looking for ways to support and protect agriculture in Skagit County."

Maura Vasquez of Silva Family Farm drew chuckles, including from the governor, when she reflected on the hectic nature of farm life this time of year.

"My whole family was going to come," she told Inslee, "but they're very busy today."

Inslee, meanwhile, stayed busy comparing notes with co-op farmers and food hub staff while keeping a tight schedule that cut short this stop by 30 minutes. He had previously visited Mount Vernon High School to attend a performance by its mariachi and folklorico ensemble and toured the Mount Vernon Library Commons construction site, the Lincoln Theatre and the Martha's Place permanent supportive housing complex.

Still, he had enough time at the food hub to pledge continued support.

"You've got everything here," he said. "We'll continue to urge our legislators."

Despite the tight time window, Inslee told his staff he had one pressing need before getting back on the road.

"I'm not getting out of here," he insisted, "without a carrot."