[Vision2020] 65 acre feet of water equals $2 million of food

[g. crabtree]

Wednesday 080305 at 5:25A.M.

What do you imagine the difference is between WSU's organic farm and the 
imaginary Hawkins development farm that you seem to think would solve all 
the health, economic, and environmental woes or the Palouse?

Why do you imagine that a local entrepreneur hasn't acquired 204 acres of 
"some of the most fertile farm land in the world" and become the fresh 
organic produce king of the Moscow-Pullman corridor?

Could it be that WSU's quaint little farm has some very distinct advantages 
that a privately operated concern doesn't?

WSU's organic hobby farm has:

>Tax free land, provided to the operator at no cost.

>All seed, supplies, and equipment are provided at no cost by the state.

>No need to service the debt of an operating line of credit or mortgage.

>No cost for labor or services, not just farm hands but lawyer, accountant, 
>fuel distributor, etc.

>Most importantly, no requirement to generate a profit.

If you think that these minor little considerations are of no consequence, I 
encourage you to join together with a couple of your pals, purchase some 
land in the corridor, and give it a go. I'll completely leave aside for now 
the questionable notion that you'll be able to find 20,400 like minded 
people who are anxious to devour puny, bug nibbled veggies for a premium 
price. I'm guessing that after a few years (very few) of dealing with real 
world requirements of profit and loss  you'll be only too happy to sell your 
little gold mine to whoever will give you enough to retire your accumulated 
and ever expanding debt. Perhaps by then Hawkins II will be ready for 
development.

g
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Garrett Clevenger" <garrettmc at verizon.net>
To: "vision 2020" <vision2020 at moscow.com>
Sent: Tuesday, March 04, 2008 10:28 PM
Subject: [Vision2020] 65 acre feet of water equals $2 million of food


>I spoke with the manager at WSU's organic farm about
> their water use and income, and did some calculating
> to put a figure on what the water Moscow agreed to
> give Hawkins would be worth in terms of growing food.
>
> WSU uses about 500,000 gallons to irrigate 3 acres of
> organically grown produce.  They produce food for 300
> people who subscribe to their Community Supported Ag
> (CSA) service, and sell a bit at farmers markets, the
> Coop and WSU Hospitality.
>
> They brought in $45,000 in 2007.  Since they are a
> teaching farm, they are not producing as much as they
> could, so this is a conservative figure.
>
> Based on the 65 acre feet of water Moscow may sell
> Hawkins, and the 204 acres that Hawkins plans to buy
> from Whitworth College for their development, here are
> the numbers if that water and land were used instead
> to produce locally consumed organic food.
>
> 65 af = 21,180,315 gallons.  This divided by 166,666
> gallons needed to irrigate 1 acre times $15,000 income
> per acre equals:
>
> $1,906,228 worth of locally produced produce, money
> made from something made here, as opposed to most food
> that is trucked in, which adds a whole other layer of
> costs.
>
> 204 acres times $15,000 per acres equals:
>
> $3,060,000 worth of produce.
>
> Another interesting number is if the 65 af were used
> to produce food, 12,708 people would be fed.  If the
> 204 acres were used to produce food, 20,400 people
> would be fed, about the size of Moscow.
>
> If this water and/or land were used for something
> everybody needs (food) in a way that insures
> freshness, a cheaper cost (CSA subscribers generally
> receive more produce then they would be able to buy in
> a store at the same cost) and that money stays local
> (as opposed to most of the products that will be sold
> at Hawkins, which are often produced overseas, adding
> a whole layer of hidden costs) it seems to me we
> should be refocusing our priorities on how we are
> allocated precious and limited resources.
>
> The Palouse has some of the most fertile soil in the
> world, yet most of the wheat grown here is shipped
> overseas.  On top of all the development that is
> swallowing farmland, we are not utilizing for the best
> something that has way more value then is currently
> given.
>
> What a boon it would be for our health, economy and
> environment if we irrigated this farmland to produce
> food for ourselves, instead of bringing in stuff most
> people don't need, and shipping out the food that is
> now grown here.  Who doesn't understand how
> short-sighted it is to use this land and water for
> retail sprawl instead of food?
>
> gclev
>
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