1/13/09 Orange Juice Purchase & Last Press Conference

Orange Juice Purchase & Last Press Conference plus Food Forethought. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report. USDA plans to purchase up to 63.4 million pounds of orange juice to be donated to child nutrition and other domestic food assistance programs. Benefitting programs include: the national school lunch program, the school breakfast program, the summer food service program, the food distribution program on Indian reservations, the nutrition program for the elderly, the commodity supplemental food program and the emergency food assistance program. President Bush made a last visit with the Washington Press Corp and fielded a number of questions including the fate of U.S. trade. BUSH: A disappointment -- not a mistake, but a disappointment -- was not getting the three trade bills out of Congress on Colombia, Panama and South Korea. In tough economic times, the temptation is to say, well, let's just throw up barriers and protect our own and not compete. That was the sentiment, by the way, that was in place during decent economic times. After all, we got CAFTA out of the Congress by one vote. And it would be a huge mistake if we become a protectionist nation. Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Lacy Gray. Many family farms are being squeezed by the encroaching urban sprawl, and several have taken the attitude that when life hands you lemons, make lemonade. They are converting the urban squeeze that they first viewed as a threat into future income by embracing the agritourism business. The traditional farming operations continue to operate and thrive while at the same time blending with the added attractions which are open to the public; such as pumpkin patches, petting zoos, corn mazes and hayrides. More adventurous agritourism entrepreneurs have even extended this list to include barn dances, wedding receptions, and tours for schoolchildren. What started out for many farms as a seasonal event is quickly transforming into a year round venture utilizing all family members. Farm families that have branched out into the agribusiness have discovered that it has brought them closer together, making each member of the family feel they are a vital part of the success and future of the farming operation. Thanks Lacy. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.