KINGSTON — Craft roaster CB’s Nuts has partnered with Friehe Farms to plant Washington’s first commercial Valencia peanut crop.

The yield from the planting at Friehe Farms in Moses Lake will be processed into CB’s PB natural peanut butter and sold to consumers at Whole Foods, PCC and other stores throughout the Pacific Northwest this winter.

“Drought conditions in the Southwest, the traditional growing region for the Valencia peanut, have had a significant impact on availability of this crop for commercial food producers like us,” CB’s Nuts founder and chief roaster Clark Bowen said.

“We have been working on peanut crop trials with WSU Extension Franklin County for the last seven years and are thrilled to finally put the first seeds of a commercial Valencia peanut crop into Washington state soil.”

Ten acres of Valencia peanut crop were planted at Friehe Farms May 8, using seeds purchased from Southwest producers who have agreed to process a portion of the crop yield into a shelled and graded product for consumer consumption. An additional two acres were planted on land in Pasco, owned by WSU Extension Franklin County.

“This initiative firmly aligns with our mission as we are committed to diversifying into a legume that works in balance with other crops in our rotation,” said Travis Meacham, production manager for Friehe Farms. “We are excited about the possibility of producing Valencia peanuts at a yield that will meet our standards for crop sustainability.”

The decision to move forward with the commercial planting this year was based on crop yield data from previous trials. With appropriate capital investment, the project partners believe a permanent Valencia peanut crop can be realized in Washington as an alternative to traditional Southwest producers. In the future this may include an organic Valencia peanut crop.

“The market for pure, natural peanut butter is strong in the Pacific Northwest with sales potential reaching into the tens of millions,” president of CB’s Nuts Tami Bowen said. “The partnership with Friehe Farms provides us with the perfect platform for meeting this demand while building on our roots as a leading producer of Pacific Northwest peanut products.”

CB’s Nuts is a craft producer of CB’s PB all-natural peanut butter and roaster of USA grown peanuts, pistachios, almonds, cashews, hazelnuts and pumpkin seeds. CB’s Nuts’ unique brining process and custom made barrel roasters bring out the flavor potential of every nut.

CB’s Nuts are available at more than 450 retail outlets across Washington, Oregon and California, online at cbsnuts.com, or at the company’s retail store and roasting facility in Kingston.

Friehe Farms is a large family-owned farm located on the eastern side of the Columbia Basin Irrigation project about 9 miles east of Moses Lake. Irrigated by waters from the Columbia River and the Odessa Aquifer, the farms currently produce potatoes and sweetcorn for the processing industry as well as bluegrass and dark northern spring wheat.