It’s Random, It’s Cheesy, It’s Spocaroni!
September 21, 2009 
5 Comments
When the casual consumer thinks of prepared food products made in Spokane, delicious Bumble Bars, Brain Freeze ice cream, and Small Planet tofu spring to mind. While cooking up some hand-me-over boxed macaroni from a doting parent last night, our curiosity caused us to examine the fine print. We were shocked to read the following on the side of the box:
Manufactured by Pasta USA, Inc.
P.O. Box 7399 Spokane, WA 99207
It seems like processed foods these days are made everywhere except where the consumer is eating them, so we decided to look up this culinary anomaly online. Sure enough, Spokane is one of three national manufacturing locations for the Philadelphia Macaroni Company. This fateful little fact was not lost on the Year of Plenty family as they struggled to eat as local as possible and consume only second hand goods for an entire year in Spokane. Even a blogger near the Grand Forks plant took note.
While these Pasta USA noodles were at least mixed, extruded, steamed and dried locally, they probably wouldn’t fit the definition of local according to the 100 Mile Food Challenge sticklers. With semolina from North Dakota (or who knows where else?) the product still comes with a hefty “food miles” count. After pausing to think about the paucity of truly local food options, it will be interesting to see how the new Main Market Co-op (are you a member?) will stock its shelves beyond the quality items found at neighborhood groceries like Fresh Abundance (across from Mountain Gear on N. Division).
Once a man told me he was a designer for a high quality leather boot factory out in the valley. What are some other products that you were surprised to discover are made locally?
About the Author
Must have been White’s boots: http://www.whitesboots.com/location.php
KeyTronics Use to make computer Keyboards, now they do misc. plastic stuff. General Dynamic builds the Tough book Laptop used by the company I work for as well as Spokane Sheriff and Spokane PD and the Military. There is also Reion which builds fuels Cells.
Oh, There is also Purcell that Builds Outdoor cabinets for traffic systems, Radio systems, etc. They are all out in the Valley, I can’t think of any Manufacturing in the city limits.
My company does some work for a local spa accessory manufacturer, Leisure Concepts (www.leisureconcepts.com). I was surprised that we had this type of manufacturing facility here in Spokane, and how popular their products are, I’ve seen many of their cover lifters on spas around town.
In Pasta’s defence, at least the vast majority of the flour is transported by rail, the most effecient system.
He’s probably talking about White Boots. They were located in the downtown Sushi place west of Aunties. They had big windows and when I was in college we loved coming downtown and watching the men work. They ship all over the world. Then they moved to Hillyard, just south of Gramma’s, then to the valley.