“Red Mountain is a premier wine region in southeast Washington known for world class Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and other varieties.”
~Red Mountain AVA Alliance.
On February 21st, Class XXVII explored the rich agriculture industry of Eastern Washington which included a tour of Kiona Winery located on Red Mountain.
The objective of the session was to expose the LTC class to the issues and challenges faced by the industry in our region –including water, immigration, finance, technology, legislative/political and topical issues.
The session featured a comprehensive and engaging agenda courtesy of our Session Day Sponsor, AgWest. We would also like to thank Tri-Cities Chaplaincy for sponsoring the session’s meals, Wine Social for sponsoring the wine tasting part of the session, and to Jerry Cochran (Class XXIV) for putting together a full, diverse agenda.
The Agenda
The session included the following panels:
- A presentation by Eamonn Roach (Roach & Bishop LLP) on Immigration, Labor, and Impacts on the AG Sector in the Columbia Basin
- A discussion with Daryll Olson (PHD – Columbia-Snake River Irrigators) on Irrigation and Water Rights Issues
- A tour of Kiona Winery by JJ Williams
- An introduction to Agriculture Finance by Petra Atilano (AgWest Farm Credit)
- A view into the Washington Cannabis Industry by Steve Lee (Green2Go)
- A macro view of the Washington State Agriculture industry by Dr. Alan Schreiber
- Columbia Valley Wine Tasting with Molly Gingerich on behalf of Wine Social
