Othello 'pioneer' receives potato foundation award

Taggares posthumously wins industry leadership award

MOSES LAKE — An Othello potato pioneer is being recognized for his contributions to the industry.

The late Pete Taggares has been named the winner of the Washington State Potato Foundation's 2007 Industry Leadership Award.

Kellee Balcom, executive director of the foundation, said industry members were surveyed by committee to see who they considered worthy to receive the award.

"As they surveyed, they found that Pete Taggares' name continually came up," Balcom said. "He received multiple nominations from the industry, and the committee made a unanimous choice six weeks ago that he would be a fantastic individual to recognize."

Janet Taggares accepts the award on behalf of her husband during the foundation's fourth annual industry leadership banquet Feb. 7, beginning at 6 p.m. at the ATEC Building at Big Bend Community College.

A one-year scholarship is dedicated in Taggares' name. One college-bound youth receives the Pete Taggares Leadership Award during the 2007-2008 school year.

Previous recipients of the award have been Dennis Conley, Gary Pelter and the original Washington State Potato Commission commissioners.

Taggares was selected from a group of agricultural industry memeber nominations and a selection committee, who based decisions on demonstrated leadership capabilities and contributions to the potato industry.

"Mr. Taggares is an exemplary leader who can serve as a great role model for college students who aspire to a career in the agriculture industry," said Dale Lathim, foundation board chairman, in a statement.

"When it comes to the potato industry, he really is known as one of the pioneers or the forefathers of agriculture here in the Columbia Basin," Balcom said.

Taggares died in 1999 at 67. In 1959, he moved to Othello, where he was one of the pioneers responsible for transforming a sagebrush area into one of the nation's most productive farming regions. He established the potato processing industry in Washington and in 1964 built the state's first large french fry plant, Chef Reddy Foods, in Othello. He owned the Snake River Concord grape vineyard, one of the largest in the country, and maintained a relatively low profile outside agriculture circles, even though the Associated Press called him one of the most powerful men in the state in 1978.

Balcom said the response received from Taggares' family has been similar to his character.

"It's been a very humble reception," she said. "Pete was known for his desire to keep a low profile and do things not because people noticed, but because it was the right thing to do. Janet Taggares and the rest of (the P.J. Taggares Company) echoes that. They're very humble, very generous and very committed to do things that elicit positive change here in the Columbia Basin and beyond."

Tickets to the banquet are available for $75 or corporate sponsorships of $600 for a table of eight.

Connell Oil supports the banquet by sponsoring a raffle for a year's supply of fuel, with all proceeds to underwrite additional scholarships for college-bound youth aspiring to agriculture careers.

For more information, contact Balcom at (509)528-4144.