A Cold Storage Future for White Bluffs
Local fruit growers weigh the costs and benefits of building an independent storage facility to keep their produce competitive.
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Growers in the valley have for some time felt the need for a cold storage plant, especially for storing Winesap apples, but so far no definite steps have been taken. W. D. Mackay of Seattle, owner with J. F. Bleakley in the Bleakley Fruit Company orchard, was in the valley this week investigating the potential tonnage. Both Mackay and Bleakley are convinced that a local plant would be more economical and satisfactory than using Eastern storage facilities, provided there is sufficient volume to cover the investment. Mackay has been investigating costs in Yakima and elsewhere, believing a plant suitable for local needs could be constructed for around $80,000. He plans to have an engineer draw up formal estimates, noting that his financing plan would allow local growers to use the facility without being forced to purchase stock, though the option to buy in would be available.
“The Bleakley Fruit company has had considerable experience with Eastern cold storage and both Mr. Mackay and Mr. Bleakley are convinced that a plant here would be more economical and satisfactory.”
The struggle for infrastructure—in this case, the cold storage required to keep local agriculture viable—is a recurring theme in the history of the Columbia Basin. Today, the scale of production has shifted, but the fundamental challenge remains: how small-scale producers can afford the massive infrastructure required to get their goods to global markets.
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