Early Draft: The Devil's Dictionary Two - Whatcom County Edition

Red Herring At Cherry Point As Described By An Activist

 Abnormal, adj.  1.  A Whatcom County business owner operating a “for profit” firm when he or she could file as a non-profit, ask the City of Bellingham for a grant and make some real money; 2.  The condition of examining the facts and thinking about them before blindly accepting the precepts of an activist organization; especially an organization allegedly dedicated to environmental causes.

Usage:  Ann’s insistence on proof that the red herring of Cherry Point actually are an endangered species was seen as abnormal by fundraisers for the cause; after all, activist jobs would be lost if the fundraising effort were to fail and it's unfair and inappropriate to suggest a group dedicated to environmental activism should be required to demonstrate something so mundane as a factual basis for their beliefs.  

Absurdity, n.  1. In Whatcom County, the concept of property rights; 2. A statement of belief manifestly inconsistent with one’s own opinion  (After Bierce).

Usage:  Roger insisted on retaining the notion that traditional concepts of property rights should be part of the Growth Management discussion, a notion considered an absurdity by Futurewise and its proponents. 

Accountability, n.  1. An obscure term used in the early days of Bellingham and Whatcom County to describe an important virtue required of those wishing to hold positions of responsibility.  2. In politics, a term applied to an opponent; but not to be misconstrued as having any personal applicability. 

Usage:  Growth Management Act?  What’s that!  Sure, it’s the law but I don’t see where we have any accountability just because it's the law!

Activist, n. 1.  A citizen willing to do what he or she is told without question or hesitation. 

  

Usage:  When Joe, long a reliable, progressive activist willing to parrot the party line, suggested in idle conversation that it could be possible new, and clean, uses for coal might someday make the mineral acceptable, he was instantly labeled a Right Wing Tea Party Republican; forbidden to pass through doors of Whatcom Wins until he either recanted publicly or, made a large, and untraceable, donation.

Modern Train As Described By A Bellingham Activist

Agricultural Land, n.  1.  Land intended to assure the viewscape enjoyed by passing bicyclists out on holiday from the city are never offended by the intrusion of homes, animals pooping, or poorly dressed farmers on the natural canvas the mother earth goddess, the Lady Whatcom, so generously provided for the exclusive use of salmon.

Usage:  Joe notified the Department of Ecology about an emissions violation when he noticed a horse peeing within 300 yards of a drainage ditch, demanding the animal be destroyed.  Dismayed officials explained that in our unenlightened age agricultural land entailed a right to farm thus, the only possible remedy would a $3,000 fine accompanied by a requirement the horse be sternly instructed not to repeat the offense.

Whatcom County Farm As Envisioned By Local Activists

Anarchy, n.  Conditions pertaining to the period of time when the opposing party has gained power. 

Usage:  The elections of 2013 led to anarchy in Whatcom County.  The citizens of Whatcom County never noticed.

Atheist, n. 1. One who worships his or her god in the mirror each time opportunity presents.   2. One who believes that some things are right and some things are wrong but no thing, save the individual, has the authority to establish which is which therefore, no thing is right and no thing is wrong.  

  

Usage:  As an atheist believed in nothing nevertheless worked ceaselessly to assure others lived in strict adherence to the atheist's own creed as codified by the atheist in both his own mind and in the strictures of county plans and code requirements. 

Bell Curve, n.  1.  A graphic representation of an individual’s standing in relationship to peers in terms of intelligence, accomplishment or ability.  2.  In sociology, an unfair characterization of an individual’s standing in relationship to peers in terms of intelligence, accomplishment or ability.

Usage:  In failing to assure 100% of  students attending public schools are in the top 50% of their class as represented on a bell curve, the Bellingham School District is not living up to expectations of the District's helicopter parents.  

Environmentally, Culturally, And Economically Important Barn Restoration

Most of the work I do is for national magazines and it's not often I get to write about Whatcom County.

This piece is about the restoration of a Whatcom County Heritage Barn by a forward thinking company - Acme Valley Foods - accomplished by an equally forward thinking company - Pearson Construction - using environmentally sensitive production techniques.

The Lynden Tribune published a story on the reconstruction this summer and a national magazine, Small Farm America will publish an expanded version (see below) in an upcoming issue.

Article for Small Farm America

Even as concepts like “slow food,” “artisan foods,” “sustainable foods,” and other similar concepts gain in popularity, the lack of processing and production facilities for specialty foods, mostly from crops and animals produced on small farms, is increasingly seen as a national agricultural crisis.

Also bemoaned by many is the ever-increasing loss of heritage structures; the great old homes and barns that, in days gone by, dotted the American landscape.

In the small village of Acme, located in rural Whatcom County, Washington, Acme Valley Foods, a company dedicated to locally grown foods processed locally has addressed both the lack of processing facilities for the specialty products it brings to the market and the issue of preserving heritage structures.

Recognized as a “Centennial Farm” By Washington State in 1989, the Stephens/Dickey Farm at Acme was founded in 1884.  In 1927 a barn complex was constructed to support dairy and other farming operations on the 150 plus acres just north of town. 

When the founders of Acme Valley Foods acquired the Stephens/Dickey farm in 2011, the old barn was fast approaching the day when the historic structure would either come crashing down or, have to be taken down for safety.  Acme Valley management decided neither option was acceptable.  According to Dave Green, president of the firm, “People just don’t build these types of barns anymore.  We felt the barn represented a heritage that really shouldn’t be lost.”

Saving the barn and all the history the structure represents was a concept that fits into Acme Valley’s approach to doing business.  According to Green, “Acme Valley Foods feels very strongly about the importance of locally grown and processed food.  We have made significant investments in building production capability locally that allows us to provide real local jobs and great local food.”  Combining the need for production facilities with the opportunity to preserve a heritage barn seemed a logical approach to the company’s management team.

As a company, Acme Valley Farms is relatively new to Whatcom County.  Established in 2013, the company is already making its mark on the rural economy.  Employing 25 people the firm represents, Dave says, “A group of artisan food producers working together to provide great local food.  We currently produce alpine style soft cheeses, under the Acme Farms label, fresh, cured and smoked meats under the Jack Mountain Meats label, Ice Cream under the Acme Ice Cream label, and Granola under the Chuckanut Crunch label. We are in the planning stages of building out a local Bakery operation that will also be located in Acme.”

According to Dave, his firm purchases milk for both the company’s cheese and its ice cream business from Edaleen Dairy, an independent dairy operation located in Lynden, Washington, just a few miles north of Acme.”

Work on the renovation necessary to preserve, recycle and reuse the Stephen’s/Dickey dairy buildings began with a reconstruction of the farm’s creamery building.  Sticking to an environmental ethic, Pearson Construction of Bellingham, Washington, Whatcom County’s county seat, was selected to do the work, in part because the company owns a Wood-Mizer thin kerf portable band sawmill.

Thin kerf, portable band sawmills are widely recognized for the environmental enhancements they bring to the forest industry as well as the opportunities they provide firms like Pearson Construction to offer a superior product to customers.

“Our Wood-Mizer allows us to use construction techniques almost identical to those used when the barn was built nearly 90 years ago,” Larry Pederson, president and owner of the firm explains.  “We can support our local loggers by milling our own wood, be environmentally sensitive, and end up with a final product that is nearly identical to the original barn.”

Thin kerf sawmills provide for environmental enhancements because the very thin blade they utilize means less sawdust so up to 30% more lumber results when a log is milled meaning more carbon is sequestered for the life of the lumber.  Also, just as was the case when the Stephen’s barn was built, “waste” wood can be cut up and used for battens. 

Cost reductions come because the sawmill can, at the touch of a button, be set to mill specialty sizes.

In a world where food security based on locally grown and processed foods is coming to be seen as an important sustainability issue for the small farm, Acme Valley Foods has set a high standard others might look to.  The firm’s barn restoration in Acme demonstrates that sustainability is more than just a buzzword.  Sustainability is a heritage barn restored, recycled, and reused utilizing environmentally sensitive lumber production techniques to house a rapidly growing, farm based, company providing local jobs based on locally grown and processed foods.