2014 conference summary report - amazon...

Prepared on June 9, 2014 by Lucas Patzek and Rosanne Burke

The Cascadia Grains Conference brings together farmers, bakers, brewers,

distillers, brokers, investors, policy-makers and others to strengthen the role of

grains in the agricultural and food economy of the maritime Pacific Northwest by

sharing the latest science, techniques, and developments, as well as by creating a

space in which new business, policy and research relationships can form and

existing ones can be strengthened.

2014 Conference Summary Report

1 Contact: Lucas Patzek, WSU Extension, [email protected], 360-867-2153

www.cascadiagrains.com / January 11, 2014 / Tacoma, WA

This conference was presented by Washington State University, Oregon State University, and the USDA Risk Management Agency

Conference Planning Team: Dr. Lucas Patzek – Conference Chair; Director and

Agriculture Extension Faculty, WSU Extension.

Dr. Andrew Corbin – Agriculture Extension Faculty,

WSU Extension.

Dr. Stephen Jones – Director and Crop Science

Professor, WSU Mount Vernon NWREC.

Dr. Patrick Hayes – Professor of Barley Breeding &

Products, Oregon State University.

Dr. Susan Kerr – NW Regional Livestock and Dairy

Extension Specialist, WSU Mount Vernon NWREC.

Chris Mahelona – Risk Management Specialist, USDA

Risk Management Agency.

Martha Aitken – Interim County Director, WSU

Extension.

Chris Benedict – Agriculture Extension Faculty, WSU

Extension.

Rosanne Burke – Conference Project Coordinator; WSU

Extension.

The 2nd annual Cascadia Grains Conference

was held on January 11, 2014 at the STAR

Center in Tacoma, WA. The conference, a

project of Washington State University in

partnership with Oregon State University and the

USDA Risk Management Agency, brought

together 238 participants with the goal of

rebuilding a grain economy west of the Cascade

Mountains in the Pacific Northwest region

through three value-added enterprises: animal

feed, artisan baking and other food uses, as well

as craft brewing and distilling. The one-day

event featured 17 unique sessions taught by 32

Overview



specialists covering a range of topics including production methods, supply chain development,

processing and end-use quality factors, marketing, business operation scaling, as well as licensing

and regulations. On average, the sessions were evaluated by attendees as being somewhat to very

informative, or an average score of 4.1 on a scale from 0 (not informative) to 5 (very informative).

Conference participants came from all corners of the Pacific Northwest including

Washington (75% of participants), Oregon (11%), and British Columbia (7%). Nearly 58% of

conference participants were from the following Western Washington counties (in descending order):

King, Thurston, Pierce, Skagit, Snohomish, and Whatcom County. In addition to the Pacific

Hands-on soba noodle making session with Sonoko Sakai of Common Grains.

Andrea Stanley, owner of Valley Malt, speaking about her experience

developing a traditional malthouse in New England.

Northwest, residents of the following states participated in the conference: Alaska, California,

Colorado, Massachusetts, Maine, Nebraska, Nevada, and Wisconsin. Farmers made up the largest

percentage of participants (24%), while consultants and grain processors made up the second and

third largest attendee groups. The processing sector was dominated by maltsters (24%), distillers

(24%), and brewers (22%), although millers, bakers, and feed processors were also in the audience.

Conference attendance in 2014 was 53% greater than in the first year, and 78% of 2014 participants

were new to the conference.

In addition to sharing the latest science, techniques, and developments, the

conference aims to create a space in which new business, policy and research relationships can

form and existing ones can be strengthened. In fact, 57% of participants specified opportunities for

networking as the primary reason for attending the conference. The planning team focused on

integrating as many networking opportunities into the program as possible, including the provision of

three locally-sourced meals, and Best of the Cascades Tasting Tour featuring local craft beers and

spirits, and a Resource Expo featuring regional support organizations, agencies, and universities.

The success of the conference might best be judged by the willingness of the participants to attend

in another year, and 84% of participants stated that they would, while 11% stated “maybe.”

Who Came?



Participation

Seed companies 1%

Farm suppliers

2%

Brokers & Distributors

2%

Retailers 8%

Other 12%

Researchers & Educators

13%

Consultants 21%

Farmers 24%

Brewers 4%

Maltsters 4%

Distillers 4% Millers

2%

Bakers 2%

Animal feed 1%

Processors 17%



At the core of the conference were 17 sessions taught by 32 instructors representing a broad range

of sectors, from universities to state and federal agencies, non-profit economic development

organizations, as well as farm and food businesses. Sessions were an hour and 20 minutes in

length and were divided into three concurrent tracks and five time-blocks occurring from 9:00 am

until 5:40 pm. Session formats ranged from single speaker presentations to panel discussions,

each moderated by a member the conference planning and steering committees. Additionally, the

conference included a Resource Fair featuring 12 different agencies, organizations and companies,

each of which engaged participants outside of the workshop times through passive displays,

hands-on activities, and take-home materials. The day concluded with a Tasting Tour of regional

craft beers and spirits highlighting 3 breweries, 5 distilleries, as well as a guided tasting panel led

by the Washington Beer Awards.

Program

Top: Richard Scheuerman of Seattle Pacific

University speaking about Puget Sound

Agricultural Origins. Bottom: Mark Nelson

of WSU prepping grassfed and grainfed

beef tasting samples.

Measuring interest in the topics by the number of

attendees in the sessions associated with them, the greatest interest

was in learning how to produce small grains and pseudo-cereals

(alternative grains), malting and brewing quality, and developing

supply chain relationships. Participants were asked which grain crops

interest them most, and their response was: barley (21% of

respondents), rye (15%), wheat (15%), oats (14%), quinoa (11%),

buckwheat (9%), amaranth (8%), and triticale (7%). Thus, 72% of

participants are primarily interested in the traditional small grain crops,

while 28% are primarily interested in alternative grains. When asked

what topics they would you like to learn more about in the future, 42%

of respondents stated nuts-and-bolts grain production related

information, including which varieties to grow, what equipment to use,

and how to control pests. 21% of respondents want more information

about marketing and developing supply chain relationships, and 14%

of respondents want more information about alternative, heritage, or

gluten-free grains. Participants were asked to rank the sessions they

attended on a scale from 1 (Not Informative) to 5 (Very Informative),

and averaged over all 17 sessions, the mean score was 4.1. The three

most highly-ranked sessions were: “Hands-on Soba Noodle-making”

with Sonoko Sakai of Common Grains (4.7), “Bringing the Malthouse

Back: A New England Story” with Andrea Stanley of Valley Malt (4.6),

and “Designing Regional Food/Ag Businesses” with John Gardner of

the Bainbridge Graduate Institute (4.2). The average score for a

session did not fall below 3.5, and only six of the 17 sessions were

rated below 4.



The conference agenda is outlined below,

and the full conference program with

presentations can be accessed at the

following website:

http://cascadiagrains.com/events-

registration/past-events/2014-conference/

Bread Lab: Thinking Differently About Baking Quality

Stephen Jones, Washington State University, Mount Vernon Research

Center

Linking the Grain Producer to the Market

Matt Lincecum, Fremont Brewing Co.; Mike Sherlock, Fremont

Mischief; Luke Zigovits, Organic Valley

Bringing the Malthouse Back: A New England Story

Andrea Stanley, Valley Malt

Part 1: Increasing the Regional Production of Small

Grains

Don Bailey, Bailey Compost/Vegetables; Colin Barricklow, Kirsop

Farm; Dan Bartelheimer, Sno-Valley Farms; Sam McCullough, Nash’s

Organic Produce

Part 2: Increasing the Regional Market and

Processing of Small Grains

Jay Gordon, WA Dairy Federation; Patsy Martin, Port of Skagit; J.T.

Wilcox, Washington State Representative

Designing Regional Food/Ag Businesses

John Gardner, Bainbridge Graduate Institute

Effects of Grain and Grass Feeds on Meat Quality

Jan Busboom & Mark Nelson, Washington State University Animal

Sciences

Program, CONT.

Incorporating Local Grains into Poultry Feed

Matthew Aamot, Scratch and Peck Feeds; Jacob Slosberg, University

of British Columbia

Producing Specialty Grains in the Pacific Northwest:

Amaranth, Buckwheat, Quinoa & Spelt

Kevin Murphy, Washington State University

Hands-on Soba Noodle Making

Sonoko Sakai, Common Grains

Grain Varieties and Malting: The Secret to Developing

the New Cascadia Beers

Wayne Carpenter & Mike Doehnel, Skagit Valley Malting; Patrick

Hayes, Oregon State University

Risk Management Options for Small Grains

Jessica Jensen, Jessica Jensen Law; Chris Mahelona, USDA Risk

Management Agency

The Development of the Gluten-Free Market

Joe Casey, Craft Brew Alliance; George DePasquale, Essential Baking

Company

Puget Sound Agricultural Origins and Ode to the

Cowlitz Prairie Threshing Bee

Richard Scheuerman, Seattle Pacific University

Getting Licensed in the Brewing and Distilling

Industry

Farshad Allahdadi, Oregon Liquor Control Commission; Heidi Braley,

Washington Liquor Control Board

Grains in Eco-friendly Crop Rotations

Art Bomke, University of British Columbia; Lucas Patzek & Brook

Brouwer, Washington State University

http://cascadiagrains.com/events-registration/past-events/2014-conference/










The conference is a project of Washington State University (WSU)

planned in collaboration with Oregon State University (OSU) and the

USDA Risk Management Agency (USDA-RMA). Lucas Patzek, County

Director and Agriculture Extension Faculty with WSU Extension, chairs

the Planning Team. Chair responsibilities include: selecting the date and

location of the conference, supervising the paid project coordinator,

appointing individuals to the Planning Team and Steering Committee,

approving and finalizing the program, managing the budget and soliciting

financial and in-kind support through sponsors

and grants, and evaluating the conference

outcomes. The project coordinator, Rosanne

Burke, works with the chair on fulfilling these

responsibilities. The Planning Team included the

following educators and researchers: Andrew

Corbin, Stephen Jones, Susan Kerr, Martha

Aitken, and Chris Benedict (WSU); Patrick Hayes

(OSU); and Chris Mahelona (USDA-RMA).

Westland Distillery providing tasting samples of their craft spirits at the

Best of the Cascades Tasting Tour.

Top (clockwise order from top): Dr. Patrick Hayes of OSU, Dr. Stephen Jones

of WSU NWREC, and Dr. Lucas Patzek of WSU Extension. Bottom (clockwise

order from top): Matt Lincecum of Fremont Brewing Company, David

Bauermeister of the Northwest Agriculture Business Center, and Luke

Zigovits of CROPP Cooperative, Organic Valley.

The Steering Committee – composed of individuals who work in the private sector

or for economic development organizations – voluntarily advise the Planning Team in the

planning of the conference to bring a timely, real-world perspective to the program. Through

Planning

monthly planning meetings, the Steering Committee provides input on the

program topics and speakers, brings in resources to support the

conference through financial and in-kind sponsorships, promotes the

conference through different outlets, and advises in the selection of

scholarship recipients. The Steering Committee included the following

individuals: David Bauermeister (Northwest Agriculture Business Center),

George DePasquale (Essential Baking Company), Dick Larman (Lewis

Economic Development Council), Matt Lincecum (Fremont Brewing

Company), George Pearce (Wilco-Winfield LLC),

Mike Sherlock & Patti Bishop (Fremont Mischief

Distillery), and Luke Zigovits (CROPP

Cooperative, Organic Valley).



The 2014 Cascadia Grains Conference was proudly supported by Pierce County, Fremont Brewing

Company, Bob’s Red Mill, and many other companies and organizations listed below who

sponsored at one of six sponsorship levels, each with different associated benefits. The conference

was also partially supported by a BioAG Outreach/Extension grant from the WSU Center for

Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources.

The total budget for the conference was $36,179, with 36% of the dollars coming from

registration fees, 28% from WSU Extension support, 28% from sponsorships, program ad sales, and

resource booth fees, and 8% from grants. Registration fees were tiered into three categories based

on the timing of payment: early-bird ($75), regular ($95), and day-of ($115). A scholarship

registration rate of $45 was awarded to 14 individuals who submitted an online application and who

were either a beginning farmer or processor, or a student. A work-share rate of $25 was awarded to

6 individuals who provided A/V support, or who helped with conference set-up and take-down.

Financials

2014 conference summary report - amazon...

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