12/15/08 Less Wheat & Barn Fire

Less Wheat & Barn Fire plus Food Forethought. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report. It could be a sign of the times but many people see wheat growers putting in less acreage in 2009. Karl Scronce, Oregon wheat grower, says he feels wheat growers are still optimistic about next year, despite lower prices. SCRONCE: I think people are generally optimistic. Farming was decent this year. Everything was okay. People were obviously worried about fertilizer prices, their input costs and what the market will bring next year but you know we're optimists and wouldn't be doing it if we weren't optimists. A barn fire late last week killed 15 horses near Tacoma, Washington. The cause of the fire was being investigated but it quickly raced through the barn, fueled by hay inside. Dense smoke and flames prevented any rescue of the horses by owners or firefighters. Fire crews battled the blaze for more than an hour. Washington's Congressman Doc Hastings has been elected to the top Republican spot on the House Committee on Natural Resources. The Committee on Natural Resources has jurisdiction over most of the nation's public lands and plays a pivotal role in shaping federal energy, environment, land use and natural resource policies. Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Lacy Gray. I recently read an article that touted the top ten "Healthiest Grocery Stores" in the United States. There were of course the ones you would expect to be on the list, and then there were a couple of names mentioned that took me by surprise. Whole Foods was listed as number one, followed closely by Trader Joe's. Also listed were Albertsons, Safeway, and Super Target. These stores and others were picked as healthier food shopping destinations due to the fact that they are going above and beyond to provide the freshest and healthiest foods to their consumers. While most supermarkets now offer organic produce, some are going so far as to employ dietitians to answer customer questions and help them make the healthiest food choices for their family. One store actually has a "Healthy Eater Program" geared to informing children how to make healthy food choices. It was good to see that while the list did include names of stores not always found in rural areas, it was mainly made up of the traditional and affordable grocers close to home. Enjoy healthy shopping America! Thanks Lacy. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.