The City is located in one of the primary agriculture-producing regions of the State and lies on the eastern edge of the Columbia and Snake River basins in southeastern Washington. As a regional center, the City serves as the marketing, trading and educational hub for over 50,000 people in southeastern Washington and northeastern Oregon. The County has approximately two-thirds of its acreage classified as suitable for the growing of grain, green peas and other specialty crops. Approximately 16 percent of the 587,600 acres of tillable land in the County is irrigated. Complementing the area’s productive agriculture sector are many industrial and commercial food processing businesses.

The County’s most important commercial crop is wheat, and it ranks among the top in the State in the crop’s production. Other significant local crops include asparagus, spinach, potatoes, green peas, alfalfa hay, barley, corn, grapes, string and lima beans, and Walla Walla Sweet Onions. Over the last few years, the total value of fruits in the County has increased due to the expansion of apple orchards and vineyards. Grape vineyards and wineries comprise an important and growing industry in the County. There are 64 wineries and 40 vineyards in the area. The wineries employ approximately 200 permanent, year round employees and the economic impact of the wine industry in the area is estimated at more than $100 million annually.

The primary livestock farming activity in the County is beef cattle production. Headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas, Tyson Foods Inc, Formerly (formerly Iowa Beef Packing) operates a large beef packing plant in Wallula, near the City. The company buys beef throughout the northwestern United States and southwestern Canada for processing at this 1,800 employee plant. Simplot Feeders operates large beef cattle feed lots in the County. This custom feed lot handles about 125,000 head a year and employs approximately 80 people.

Broetje Orchards is among the larger orchards in the County, with 950 full time and 1,000 seasonally people employed in the growing, packing, and shipping of apples. Seneca Corporation of Vienna, Virginia was among the larger food processors in the City, employing 290 seasonal workers in the processing and freezing of vegetables. The company closed their facility after summer 2004.

Cliffstar, which produces fruit juices sold by grocery chains under store labels, entered into a lease of the former Agri-Frozen facility, owned by the Port of Walla Walla (the “Port”), in May 2002. Cliffstar operates four other plants throughout the United States, has 66 employees in Walla Walla and expects to employ 100 in Walla Walla when at full capacity.