Veteran's Day & Cherry Award

Veteran's Day & Cherry Award plus Food Forethought. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report.

Today is Veteran's Day when we pay tribute to all those that have served our country. I was a member of the United State Navy but only for a short time and never served in combat. I am proud though to say I was in the Navy. Today, more and more veterans are getting into the ag business and making a huge difference. There are a number of programs that assist vets in making the transition. If you are a vet that is now a farmer or rancher, I'd love to hear from you.

Grower-owned cooperative Oregon Cherry Growers was recognized as one of Oregon's top 13 manufacturers last week at the Portland Business Journal's 2014 Oregon Manufacturing Awards ceremony. Tim Ramsey, Oregon Cherry Growers President & CEO says they saw a gap in the dried fruit category for bakeries.

RAMSEY: A lot of times when they develop a recipe and it calls for dried fruit they're really just grabbing dried fruit off the shelf so we said wait a minute. If you are making the best scone or muffin, nutrition bar with dried cherries or dried fruit in it the moisture level of those things when they get done baking is completely different. We worked with commercial bakeries trying to find out for all the different fruits what is the correct moisture level.

The new, innovative Royal Harvest™ branded line of dried fruits ensures perfect texture and moisture content without transferring moisture to surrounding recipe components.

Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Lacy Gray.

There are a lot of job opportunities within the ag industry, but often times there is a shortage of people to fill the need; therefore many ag companies have had to get creative when it comes to recruiting professionals to fill available positions. Numerous agriculture companies have been turning to non-traditional arenas to find the professionals they need, professionals like the young men and women transitioning from military service. That's where Hiring Heroes comes in. Hiring Heroes is in its fourth year of helping veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses find meaningful employment. Veterans know how to commit to a cause, struggle to survive, and overcome great obstacles; all qualities that can be well applied to a career in agriculture. There is a broad range of agricultural industries looking for people to fill career positions. There are thousands of military veterans looking for meaningful employment opportunities. It seems that each has a lot to offer the other. As one returning veteran said, "Farming provides me with a real sense of purpose, as well as offering a way to reconnect with family and community while restoring the farming heartland of this country."

Thanks Lacy. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network of the West.