Stop 1: Nelson Farms

Stop 2: METER Group

Stop 3: Lunch - WSU Pullman Campus

Stop 4: Lower Granite Dam

We'll start the day hearing from Andrew Nelson, fifth-generation farmer and first-generation software engineer.  Andrew currently presides over Nelson Farms and Silver Creek Farms, an expansive enterprise spanning more than 7,500 acres and a diverse array of crops, including wheat, lentils, peas, garbanzo beans, canola, barley and nursery stock trees.  Andrew has run dozens of experiments with drones, satellite mapping for field seeding and fertilizing, weather sensors and artificial intelligence to keep his farm resilient to climate change. He will share some insights and a demonstration during the tour. 

From there, we'll head to the Pullman area and visit METER Group.  METER Group is the world's leading provider of advanced, cloud-connected, real-time soil-plant-atmospheric data that fuels environmental research at top universities, labs, and government agencies and drives progress in agricultural, geotechnical and industrial applications. 

Following lunch on the beautiful WSU Pullman campus, we'll head south to Lower Granite Dam. Lower Granite Lock and Dam, a vital piece of agricultural transport in the Pacific Northwest, was authorized by the River and Harbor Act of 1945. The project includes a dam, a navigation lock, powerhouse, a fish ladder and associated facilities. It provides hydropower, navigation, flood risk management, fish and wildlife habitat, recreation and incidental irrigation. The dam, located on the Snake River, is about 3,200 feet long with an effective height of 100 feet.  

Transport note: The final leg of this trip will include a nearly 2 hour trip back to the hotel from Lower Granite Dam so please be prepared for an extended period of time on the bus.  Snacks and water will be provided.  

Stop 1: McCoy Loading Facility/PNW Cooperative

Stop 2: Alliance Farms Harvest Demonstration 

Stop 3: Lunch at Papé Machinery Agriculture & Turf

Stop 4: Qualterra

On this tour, we'll start the day at the McCoy Rail Facility, which is part of the PNW Cooperative. PNW lies within 30 miles of three ports on the Columbia-Snake River system. Many of its facilities are on state all-weather highways that make year-round loading, shipping and receiving possible. Besides having five legume processing plants and four seed facilities, as well as other loading facilities, PNW is also served by a 110-car unit train facility at McCoy Rail Terminal, where we'll visit during the tour.   Members benefit from the convenient train and barge loading receiving stations as well as marketing opportunities because of access to different modes of transportation. 

We'll then head west to Dusty, WA, where we'll have the opportunity to view a wheat harvest demonstration, arranged by John Deere.  We'll enjoy lunch at nearby Papé Machinery Agriculture & Turf and hear about the uniqueness of farming in the Palouse region. 

We'll wrap the day at Qualterra, a 75-acre corporate research and development farm in Cheney, WA.  This is their main campus for biomass processing and commercial biochar production.  In addition, the property houses the Research and Development laboratory and greenhouse and their proof-of-concept Agricultural Regeneration Center.  You'll have the opportunity to see their Biomass Processing Units working in parallel, fed by a feedstock storage module and outputting into a mixing shed where biochar is mixed with water to reduce dust. 

Transport note: The longest leg of this trip will be approximately 75 minutes. Snacks and water will be provided.  

Stop 1: Okanagan Specialty Fruits Slicing Facility

Stop 2: Lunch and Endless Orchard Hard Cider Tasting at Big Bend Community College

Stop 3: Okanagan Specialty Fruits' Skyline Orchard 

Join Okanagan Specialty Fruits and several of their tech vendor partners (full lineup TBA with final itinerary) for a field day exploring advances in genetics, robotics, and AI as they envision the Farm of the Future, showcasing innovation in AgTech and Workforce Development both at the orchard and in the processing facility.  In the orchard, we'll hear about innovative farm tech, view an autonomous tractor demonstration, and more.  

During lunch, we'll have the opportunity to hear a presentation from Neal Carter, CEO of Okanagan Specialty Fruits, titled "Traits and Tech: Designing the Orchard of the Future" and guests will also have the opportunity to enjoy a cider tasting.  

Developed and brought to market by Okanagan Specialty Fruits, consumers love that Arctic® apples save time and hassle without sacrificing flavor. Pros love that Arctic® apples reduce labor, reduce waste, taste fresh, and have a 28-day shelf life.  

Transport note: Moses Lake is approximately 2 hours away in each direction so please be prepared for an extended period of time on the bus.  Snacks and water will be provided.