After Wine

Blue Mountain Station in Dayton is intended to introduce tourists to local natural and organic food producers.

Southeastern Washington’s reputation as a destination for wine lovers is spurring one local organization to try to expand the region’s appeal to travelers as an emerging center for processing organic food products.

In Columbia County, the Port of Columbia recently purchased 28 acres in tiny Dayton (pop. 2,800) to develop Blue Mountain Station, the world’s first eco-friendly artisan natural and organic culinary center. The goal is to help develop culinary tourism based on the area’s agricultural heritage, says Jennie Dickinson, the port’s manager. “It’s a new twist on an old industry.”

The center will house small-scale food processors that would work with the region’s agricultural producers. Dickinson says the center could house a variety of specialty food manufacturers from a gourmet cheese maker, to a miller who uses local wheat for tortillas and pasta, to a fruit processor producing organic apple juice and dried fruit from area produce. The center also could house a microbrewery or a distillery.

Independent artisan food producers based at the proposed Blue Mountain Station would be close to their source of raw materials as well as conveniently located for wine country visitors. According to a site design prepared by the port, Blue Mountain Station will have an on-site business center to provide retail, packaging and marketing services, as well as a commercial kitchen for product development. In addition, the culinary park would have incubator space for startup businesses. The project will help create an estimated 300 jobs once the park is built.

Port representatives have been visiting trade shows to recruit potential tenants. They also talked with local growers about possible business opportunities, says Dennis Miller, a consultant helping the port to market Blue Mountain. When the project is shovel-ready, he notes, there’ll definitely be more interest in starting a food processing business in the area, known for its low cost of living, outdoor recreational opportunities and stable workforce.

And there is real growth potential in the industry. “Organic is becoming mainstream,” Miller adds.

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