Feed lots express interest in TVRR partmership
Wednesday, July 21, 2004 2:40 PM PDT
Kristin Gribben
Treasure Valley
Four local dairies and two feed lots in the Treasure Valley have expressed interest in contracting with the proposed bio-refinery spearheaded by Treasure Valley Renewable Resources.
John Hamilton, TVRR project manager, said TVRR has made no contracts with outside companies to date. He also said TVRR has no letters of intent with companies to contract wheat, barley and corn for processing into second-grade products at the proposed bio-refinery.
Advocates of the $77 million bio-refinery project assert it will create more than 60 jobs and give the local economy a needed boost. A number of key local elected leaders, the Oregon Department of Economic Development and Gov. Ted Kulongoski worked to get TVRR to situate the plant in Malheur County after local opposition and zoning issues scuttled efforts to build it in Payette County.
The plant recently jumped one of the biggest initial hurdles when the Malheur County Court approved a zone change on a piece of land south of Ontario, just outside the city limits.
In a "Findings of Fact" document submitted to the Malheur County Court, Hamilton wrote: "TVRR plans to buy crops that are already being produced in the county, such as wheat, barley and corn."
Hamilton said it is too early in the process of zoning and approving the bio-refinery facility to determine specifically where, and how much, of local grains and other products TVRR will need.
However, TVRR has received several letters of intent from dairies and feed lots in the Treasure Valley requesting partnership with the proposed bio-refinery.
These dairies and feed lots include Treasure Valley Land and Cattle, L.L.C., Emmett; Boise Valley Feeders, L.L.C., offices in Boise and Parma; Sevy Dairy, Melba; Choutchourrou Dairy, Payette County; Homedale resident Dennis Turner, dairies in Homedale and Caldwell; and Nyssa resident Norman Bennett, dairy in Malheur County.
Letters of intent range from a request to purchase by-products produced at the bio-refinery facility for cattle feed; bagging wet distiller grains for the plant and purchasing wet distiller grains for dairy cows.
Jeff Johnson, part owner of Boise Valley Feeders, L.L.C., said he has not been in contact with TVRR since the facility location - originally slated for Payette County - changed to Malheur County.
Johnson, who referred to the bio-refinery as an ethanol plant - the same name TVRR used up until last spring when Hamilton said the facility will produce more than a typical ethanol plant - said the change in location from Idaho to Oregon has not influenced the desire of the company to work with TVRR.
"Our interest is based on economic values and logistics," Johnson said. "We have an interest in exploring any kind of options as far as cattle feed coming out of this type of operation."
Johnson added, though, that while Boise Valley Feeders has an interest in contracting with TVRR, not enough details are known about the amount of by-product the bio-refinery will produce.
Local dairy owner, Norman Bennett, said his nutritionist is still in contact with Hamilton discussing options for feeding his dairy cows corn distillers - an anticipated by-product of the bio-refinery's operations.
Bennett also said there is currently a lack of information regarding the quantity of byproducts coming from the facility. The last time Bennett was in contact with Hamilton, he said, they were not making any contracts or commitments.
Kristin Gribben is a reporter for the Argus Observer. She can be contacted at (541) 889-5387, or by e-mail, KristinG@argusobserver.com.
