Twin City Foods processor should be back online in 2011, executive says

By MITCH LIES
Capital Press

Twin City Foods announced recently it will not process green peas at its Stanwood, Wash., plant next year.

The temporary closure of the last pea processing plant in Northwest Washington removes an important rotation crop for Northwest Washington farmers, said Mike Shelby, executive director of the Western Washington Agricultural Association.

And it raises concerns among growers that the processing line could close for good.

"That's my fear," Shelby said, "that we may lose the last of our Northwest Washington pea production.

"Our hope is that after a year, things will be adjusted and they'll need this production," he said.

Mick Lovegreen, vice president of the plant, said an oversupply of peas drove the company's decision.

"The only thing we decided is because of an oversupply, we're not going to process peas here for one year. It's a supply and demand thing," he said.

"We'll start up again (in 2011) just like nothing happened," he said.

The plant will continue repackaging vegetables, he said.

Pea production, once a staple of agriculture in Northwest Washington, has dropped from 35,000 acres in its heyday half a century ago to about 5,500 acres last year. At one time, nine pea processors operated in the area.

Even at 5,500 acres, peas are considered an important rotation crop, Shelby said.

"You need multiple crops to make the rotation work right," Shelby said. "You can't plant wheat every year."

About 45 growers in Skagit, Whatcom and Snohomish counties produce the crop in rotation with potatoes, wheat, tulips, berries and seed crops.

Shelby said the Twin City Foods announcement surprised growers, who went into the 2009 season believing supply was in line with demand.

"We went into the 2009 season feeling pretty well balanced in inventory," Shelby said, "but it turned out to be a better year than we expected, and we've apparently seen a reduction in buying."

The loss of the pea contracts is especially hard in a year when prices for commodities are down across the board, Shelby said.

"It's not just a single commodity that hit a bad bump here," he said. "We're looking for something to grow, especially something profitable."

"Fortunately, they told us fairly early, so we have a little time to plan," Shelby said. "But still it's a tough situation."

In addition to the plant in Stanwood, Twin City Foods operates plants in Pasco, Prosser and Ellensburg, Wash., and Sturgis, Mich.

Staff writer Mitch Lies is based in Salem. E-mail: mlies@capitalpress.com .