SENATE RESOLUTION

                            8629

By Senators Rasmussen, Morton and Fraser

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

    WHEREAS, Washington is home to 1,200 dairy farms and 268,000 dairy cows; and

    WHEREAS, Washington=s dairy cows are some of the most productive in the United States, averaging more than 3,400 pounds of milk per cow above the national average; and

    WHEREAS, Our state=s dairy farmers contributed approximately $800 million to the state=s economy, with milk production ranked second in dollar value among all of Washington=s bountiful agricultural commodities; and

    WHEREAS, The first creamery in Washington was started in Cheney in 1880,

when cattle outnumbered territorial residents by a ratio of more than 2-to-1; and

    WHEREAS, Corrine Koopmans of Zillah 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, The Washington State Dairy Ambassador alternates are Kim DeVries of Bow and Libby Geroes of Elma; and

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

    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 much to the strength and vitality of our state=s 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 Corrine Koopmans, alternates Kim DeVries and Libby Geroes, and the Washington Dairy Products Commission.

I, Tony M. Cook, Secretary of the Senate,

do hereby certify that this is a true and

correct copy of Senate Resolution 8629,

adopted by the Senate March 22, 2001.

TONY M. COOK

Secretary of the Senate