Washington Commodities On Display At State Fair

The Washington State Fair, which is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year, is highlighting the top commodities grown in the state with an interactive display.  Casey Chumrau, Executive Director of the Washington Grain Commission says the wheat portion of the display is not only beautiful, but a great teaching tool for those not familiar with the rich history of Washington Ag.

"They actually have wheat growing in these beautiful long lines that kind of help guide you through the exhibit," Chumrau said.  "And then since we are 90% export, we thought that obviously that was something that we should be focusing on.  And so we worked with our partners overseas and had them send us a whole bunch of end products that are made with soft white from Washington."

Chumrau added those products are placed on a large map, showing where wheat is grown it the state, and where it goes after harvest.  She added this interactive display is a great opportunity for the grain industry, which very rarely talks directly with consumers.

"Across the country, and including in Washington, only about 1% of people are directly involved with agriculture," Chumrau pointed out.  "So even if they're living on the eastern side of the state or in a small community, they're not necessarily intimately knowledgeable about the grain industry or really what's happening around them. And so, to be able to show our impact not only on the state economy, but really on feeding people around the world is a really positive image that we want to be able to share.”

Chumrau adds while this interactive display is going on at the State Fair, the Grains Commission is running a campaign called #AskAFarmer.  That allows those who see the display to ask a farmer questions about the grains grown in Washington, and Chumrau added those that ask a question are entered to win a prize.

The Washington State Fair runs through September 21st in Puyallup.

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