SENATE RESOLUTION

                                 1998-8686

By Senators Rasmussen, Morton, Spanel, Strannigan, Roach and Kohl

      WHEREAS, Washington is home to 818 dairy farms and 264,000 dairy cows; and

      WHEREAS, Washington's dairy cows are the eighth most productive in America, averaging more than 3,400 pounds of milk per cow above the national average; and

      WHEREAS, In the latest statistics, the total annual milk production in Washington

was 5.2 billion pounds in 1996; and

      WHEREAS, Washington's livestock and livestock products established an all-time record high value, with milk as the number-one commodity in the category; and

      WHEREAS, Our state's dairy farmers contributed approximately $800 million to the state's economy in 1996, a 15% increase over the previous year; and

      WHEREAS, Milk production ranks second in dollar value among all of Washington's bountiful agricultural commodities; and

      WHEREAS, In addition, many of Washington's manufactured dairy products, such

as butter, cheeses, and ice cream, have seen remarkable increases in production and value

in recent years; and

      WHEREAS, Washington's dairy industry is actually older than the state itself; and

      WHEREAS, The first creamery in Washington was started at Cheney in 1880, at a time when cattle outnumbered territorial residents by more than two-to-one; and

      WHEREAS, Citizens throughout the state today honor this special industry with the annual Dairy Day celebration at the state capitol; and

      WHEREAS, The Washington State Dairy Federation is the proud sponsor of this observance; and

      WHEREAS, Karen Olson, a graduate of W.F. West High School in Chehalis, is representing the dairy industry with distinction as the reigning Washington State Dairy Ambassador, as well as serving an 11-month internship with the Washington Dairy Products Commission; and

      WHEREAS, Her alternates are Kristina Rasmussen of La-Center, who represents Clark County dairy farmers; and Christina Streuli of Enumclaw, a freshman at the University of Washington, who represents King and Pierce Counties= dairy farmers; and

      WHEREAS, Ben and Carol Krause of Everett, Maynard and Kay Axelson of Mount Vernon, and Bill and Lisa DeRuyter of Sunnyside, are admirably representing the dairy farmers of Washington as the 1998 Washington State Dairy Families of the Year;

      NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the members of the Washington State Senate acknowledge and honor the women and men whose work on dairy farms throughout Washington has contributed so much to the strength and vitality of our state and its economy, the character of our communities, and the general well-being of our citizens; and

      BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to Washington State Dairy Ambassador Karen Olson, alternates Kristina Rasmussen and Christina Streuli, and to Ben and Carol Krause, Maynard and Kay Axelson, and Bill and Lisa DeRuyter.

I, Mike O=Connell, Secretary of the Senate,

do hereby certify that this is a true and

correct copy of Senate Resolution 1998-8686,

adopted by the Senate January 28, 1998.

MIKE O=CONNELL

Secretary of the Senate