There is no doubt that the local agriculture industry is huge. Not only does the Valley produce many varieties of tree fruit but other agriculture related businesses are thriving here as well. The Community Leadership Wenatchee Valley (CLWV) class had the opportunity to see a small example of the processing of some of the products from our region.The class began the day with Todd Fryhover, President of Washington State Apple Commission and Jon DeVaney, President of the Washington State Tree Fruit Association, an organization that tracks fruit in storage and shipments. Their presentation highlighted the economic impact the tree fruit industry brings to the Wenatchee Valley. The class enjoyed lunch and a tour of the beautiful Chateau Faire Le Pont winery and learned about the process of wine making and the growing local wine industry. Of course they got to sample some of owner Doug Brazil’s award winning wines while they were there!Towards the end the day, the class toured McDougall Fruit’s new warehouse with Bryon McDougall and viewed the packaging of apples. Van Doren Sales also provided a tour and discussion about the engineering and manufacturing of packing equipment. The session finished with a look at the ag/tourism industry and Lisa Bee’s. Participant Stacey Lockhart had this to say about the session, “My eyes were opened to an entire segment of the community that I interact with on some levels, but have never truly understood how it all works.”CLWV is a nine month commitment to personal growth, professional development, and community awareness. Participants develop a broad knowledge of the Wenatchee Valley and key issues facing the region as they hear from community leaders and tour local facilities. Participants become a strong network of informed and motivated citizen leaders who guide the future growth of the Wenatchee Valley.