04/21/2026
A New Era for Our Land
For years, we’ve been caught in a cycle of fighting projects that didn’t fit our home. With the public comment period for the NXT refinery closing today, it feels like the air is finally clearing. It’s time to stop just saying "no" to what we don’t want and start saying a loud, collective "yes" to what we do.
Our Port has an incredible opportunity right now. Instead of leaning into high-risk industrialization that threatens our levees and our world-class soil, we can choose to invest in us. Columbia County producers.
Just Imagine a Port Westward that hosts a USDA-certified processing plant—a place where our local livestock and crops are prepped for market right here at home. We propose the Port zone for "Ag-Industrial" use—facilities that support farming like cold storage, seed processing, or bio-fertilizer production. This maintains the Exclusive Farm Use (EFU) spirit while providing the industrial lease rates the Port desires. A USDA facility as a "Regional Food Hub” has been needed for decades. Canby OR (60 miles) and Woodland WA are the nearest facilities. This isn't just a "nice idea"; it’s a viable, fundable path that keeps our agricultural zones intact forever.
Coexistence is possible. We aren't asking the Port to stop growing; we are asking the Port to lead in the Bio-Economy. A USDA processing plant or similar Ag-Industry, turns our local harvests into a global export, protects our water, and ensures the Port isn't left holding the bag if global energy markets shift.
Did you know that a USDA processing facility offers a higher economic multiplier for our local economy than most heavy industrial projects?
Industrial projects, like refineries, are often subject to global market volatility and legal delays. Agricultural industry is inherently tied to the local land and harder to "outsource." A USDA processing plant utilizes the Port’s logistics (rail, barge, road) to export high-value finished products rather than just raw commodities, increasing the "value-add" per acre of land. Processing plants offer stable, year-round employment that supports the existing workforce, rather than temporary construction booms followed by highly automated, low-headcount industrial operations.
Indirect Jobs (The 3:1 Rule): For every direct job in meat and poultry processing, approximately three additional jobs are supported in the wider economy (transportation, packaging, and on-farm labor).
1. The "Value-Added" Multiplier (53% - 184% Increase)
In Oregon, the "farmgate" price (what a farmer gets for raw crops/livestock) is only the beginning. Processing acts as a massive wealth creator:
Currently, Oregon only retains about 8% of the value of its livestock because most cattle are shipped out of state for processing. By building a local USDA facility, the Port can help "capture" that missing value locally.
OSU economists found that value-added processing at the "first-handler" level (immediately after harvest) typically adds a 53% increase in economic activity. For some sectors like vegetables, that jump is as high as 184%.
2. The "Local Dollar" Retention (97%)
Unlike heavy industrial projects where profits and specialized labor often leak out of the state, 97% of sales from local food producers stay within the local economy. Every $1.00 of local agricultural sales supports an additional $0.79 of sales in the broader regional economy. This "1.79 multiplier" is significantly higher than the multiplier for commodity-only or non-local industries.
3. Job Creation Efficiency
Small-scale, localized processing is a more efficient job creator than massive, automated industrial plants:
Local food systems generate 26 jobs for every $1 million in sales. In contrast, large-scale commodity-focused industries only generate about 12 jobs for the same amount of revenue.
Meat and poultry plants are the largest employers in the U.S. food manufacturing sector, providing steady, year-round work that is less susceptible to the "boom and bust" cycles of energy or chemical markets.
4. Tax Base & Infrastructure Resilience
Nationally, the meat processing industry generates $77 billion in local, state, and federal taxes annually. Because these facilities use existing "Ag-Industrial" footprints, they don't require the massive taxpayer-funded infrastructure overhauls (like specialized high-pressure gas lines or heavy-load levee roads) that a refinery would demand.
By investing in a USDA processing hub, the Port isn't just supporting 'farming'—it’s investing in a manufacturing sector that keeps 97% of its wealth in Oregon, creates twice as many jobs per dollar as commodity industry, and turns our $1.00 harvests into $2.00 products before they ever leave the county.
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MEMO to Port of Columbia County Commissioners
Proposing a USDA Processing Facility as an Alternative to Heavy Industrial Development, Ag-Infrastructure at Port Westward
The Port of Columbia County stands at a critical juncture. While heavy industrial projects like the NEXT Renewable Fuels refinery promise tax revenue, they introduce significant long-term liabilities to the region’s land, water, and infrastructure. We propose that the Port pivot toward supporting the existing local food economy, which is already a robust driver of hundreds of local jobs and appropriately sited on world-class soils. A USDA-certified processing facility or regional food hub offers a more stable, lower-risk path for economic growth.
Industrialization in the Beaver Drainage District (BDD) faces fundamental site constraints that threaten both the Port’s investment and the community’s safety:
The levee system is currently height-deficient and lacks FEMA accreditation for 100-year flood protection. Heavy industrial traffic on levee-top roads like Kallunki Road risks causing further subsidence and failure.
The BDD is an interconnected hydrologic system where groundwater becomes surface water seasonally. Industrial spills would not be contained; pollutants would move freely through irrigation canals used for local food production.
Industrial expansion and associated wetland mitigation threaten to permanently convert over 500 acres of Prime and Unique Farmland. Once converted, these soils—the most productive in Northwest Oregon and on the West Coast- cannot be replaced.
A USDA-certified facility leverages the Port’s existing strengths:
Supports a diverse range of small, medium, and large agricultural businesses, creating a more resilient wealth base for the county.
Utilizes the Port’s rail and barge access to export high-value finished food products rather than raw commodities.
Millions of dollars in public funds have already been invested in restoration and water quality in this area. A food hub protects these investments, whereas heavy industry risks degrading them through emissions and runoff.
Industry proponents claim agriculture and heavy industry can coexist, but any level of harm to our soil or water integrity is evidence they cannot. We urge the Commission to choose a future that protects the people who have been stewarding these lands for generations.
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There are currently massive federal incentives (e.g., through the USDA Local Food Promotion Program and Inflation Reduction Act grants) specifically for "Climate-Smart" agriculture and resilient food supply chains. These programs are specifically designed to fund the infrastructure, processing, and marketing that a USDA-certified facility would require.
1. Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP)
Part of the USDA’s Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP). It focuses specifically on the "middle of the supply chain," including processing, aggregation, distribution, and storage of local products. 2.026 Status: Awards were recently announced in March 2026. The next round typically opens in the first quarter (Jan-March) of 2027. It requires a 25% cost match. This is an ideal grant for a Port Authority to lead as an "intermediary" to build a regional food hub.
2. Value-Added Producer Grants (VAPG)
Helps agricultural producers enter into processing activities (e.g., turning raw livestock into packaged meat or berries into jam).
2026 Deadline: April 22, 2026 (for the current cycle).
Funding: Up to $250,000 for working capital.
If a group of local farmers in the Beaver Drainage District forms a cooperative, they can apply for this to cover the initial operational costs of a shared processing facility.
3. Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP)
Specifically aimed at increasing processing capacity and competition in the meat industry by helping small and medium-sized processors expand.
2026 Status: Round 4 funding is anticipated to be announced in Q2 2026 (April–June).
Award Range: Historically up to $2 million per award.
This is the grant that could fund the actual construction of a USDA-certified slaughterhouse or packing plant.
4. ODA Farm to School Grant (Oregon Department of Agriculture)
Funding to help Oregon producers and processors access the school marketplace.
2026 Status: The most recent deadline was March 31, 2026.
Funding: $10,000 to $50,000.
This is a "foot-in-the-door" grant that can fund the equipment needed to process local produce for Clatskanie or Rainier schools, proving the facility's viability.
5. Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI)
A newer federal program designed to strengthen local food systems by funding "middle-of-the-supply-chain" infrastructure like cold storage and processing centers.
Often administered through state departments of agriculture. Since Oregon has a strong focus on agricultural land preservation, this program is a primary target for replacing industrial projects with "Ag-Industrial" hubs.
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Next steps for the Port Commission:
Feasibility Study: Use a VAPG Planning Grant (up to $50,000) to prove that a USDA plant is economically viable.
Federal Partnership: Position the Port as a candidate for the MPPEP Round 4 to secure the millions needed for construction.
Local Buy-In: Draft a "Letter of Intent" for local farmers to show the USDA that there is a guaranteed supply of product for the plant.
