Fighting terrorism — on the farm

MONROE — The FBI visited a Monroe dairy farm Thursday to stage its first-ever training to prepare for an agricultural terrorism attack.

Federal law-enforcement officers and agricultural groups spent much of the day at Werkhoven Dairy acting out the possibility of an attack on the food supply.

The scenario was laid out quickly:

A farmer awakens to find a sick cow and calls his veterinarian. The vet suspects a rare disease, which prompts state and federal agriculture officials to investigate. When investigators suspect the illness could have been the work of terrorists, the FBI and National Guard are called in.

The aim of the exercise was to test the response of the various agencies called in to investigate, including how well they work together.

Farmer Jim Werkhoven, who with his brother, Andy, owns the 800-cow farm, said it is vital that farmers learn more about "agroterrorism."

The Werkhoven brothers stood by Thursday as FBI agents, National Guardsmen, public-health employees and agricultural workers acted out the scenario — which included some dressing in biohazard suits and others analyzing blood samples taken from dairy cows.

Patty Brumbach, executive director of the Washington State Beef Commission, said the group was pretending that one of the Werkhoven brothers' cows had been diagnosed with foot-and-mouth disease.

The fatal viral disease has swept Europe but hasn't been diagnosed in the U.S. since 1929, said Mark Kinsel, epidemiologist for the state Department of Agriculture.

While members of the group investigated foot-and-mouth at the Werkhoven farm, about 140 others participated in two simultaneous terrorism training courses in Seattle, said FBI supervisory special agent Peter de la Cuesta.

One group was at Qwest Field participating in a mock bomb threat, and others were at a warehouse near the Port of Seattle for a staged bioterrorism laboratory, de la Cuesta said.

"We need to prepare and be ready," he said.

Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com