Ocean Economic Impacts & Corn Comment Period

Ocean Economic Impacts & Corn Comment Period plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

USDA is again accepting comments through July Sixth on a variety of genetically engineered corn that is the first to facilitate ethanol production. Andrea Huberty of Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

HUBERTY: One of the reasons why we’re reopening the comment period is that we received a lot of interest in this product because of its purpose. It’s different than the other insect resistant crops or herbicide tolerant crops.

A new report out on Monday from the National Ocean Economics Program describes how the ocean economy comprises over 2.3 million jobs and contributes over $138 billion to the Gross Domestic Product of the U. S.   In 2007, counties in the coastal watershed were home to over 156 million people and 69 million jobs, which contributed $7.9 trillion to the nation’s economy. Washington Senator Maria Cantwell who heads a Commerce committee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries and Coast Guard used the report to bring home the message we need to take actions now to save our oceans.

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

When talking about the newest generation of farmers one usually visualizes young men and women, many fresh from High School or college, but in truth the age of nearly one third of all new farmers is fifty plus. The reason for this is simply that start up costs for farming is usually far beyond what most young farmers can afford. The face of the “beginning” farmer is also changing to include a wider spectrum of the population; farming is no longer done by predominately young white males. And with people living and working well into their 70’s and beyond, farming as a second or even third career is becoming common place. Many new farms are also starting out small and remaining so intentionally. There’s been concern voiced that the advancing age of the beginning farmer may result in the demise for the future of farming. But the number of people entering farming appears to be remaining stable and in fact increasing. The future of farming can only be made greater with the ever increasing diversity of age and gender that it is enjoying now.

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