tamarack closing & grim dairy outlook

tamarack closing & grim dairy outlook

Tamarack Closing & Grim Dairy Outlook plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

Chalk another one up to economic woes and with it another 100 jobs. Skiers who have enjoyed spending time at Tamarack Resort in Idaho will be looking for a new place to ski. Employees at the resort learned of the lay-offs in a meeting on Friday with the lodge closing sometime next week. After a they defaulted on a $250-million dollar loan last year they were give a $10-million dollar bridge loan but that is mostly gone. There is some fear that this might be a portent for the entire Treasure Valley.

Dairy producers are currently living through what could be their worst financial year in decades. Roger Hoskin and analyst with the USDA says while things looked good last year, 2009 does not look so good for the dairy industry and milk prices but there is a chance that feed prices may moderate some.

HOSKIN: But it won’t be enough. But assuming no significant herd reduction early in the year, milk prices are expected to plummet to their lowest level in years. And we have the all milk price forecast to reach its lowest level since 1978.

And that may mean fewer cows and lower milk production. And if we don’t see any recovery this year there is a chance a number of operations will go out of business.

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

Recent studies suggest that the failing economy has resulted in a large percentage of the nation’s population experiencing sleep deprivation. Ya think! Good old common sense would see that as a given. Who hasn’t spent a sleepless night or two worrying about making ends meet. Truth be told though, Americans have been treading the path of sleeplessness long before the current economic meltdown. We are known as the 24/7 society. Today’s technology keeps us plugged in at all times. It may seem like this is just a “city slickers” problem, but in reality, its happening even in rural areas. Many of us who grew up in farm communities were brought up to believe that napping is akin to laziness; working hard from sunup to sundown is considered the natural law of order on a farm.  But lack of sleep can lead to numerous health risks and interfere with even the simplest of daily tasks such as driving or operating machinery. So slow down and take some shut eye time. Sleep isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity.

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

 

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