Global Warming Question & Vilsack In Afghanistan

Global Warming Question & Vilsack In Afghanistan plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

Yesterday Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack announced up to $20 million for capacity building efforts within Afghanistan's Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, the department responsible for managing that country's agricultural economy. Vilsack talks about what their farmers need.

VILSACK: They’re interested in increasing agricultural production of basic crops as well as horticultural crops that would increase their export opportunities. They need to rebuild their natural resources as a result of devastation and deforestation over the course of the last 30 years.

Christopher Horner, a fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, says much of current global warming theory is based on distortions of scientific evidence, blind devotion to simple notion and outright greed. Horner was speaking at the annual Farm Bureau Convention and said the climate has always changed.  The question is how does society respond to it—hysterically or rationally and he said there is no net warming. In fact, there has been a slight decline in temperature since 2001 and also that many scientists are more interested in garnering research dollars with little additional investigation. He said - the episode warrants an immediate stay of further steps - in any public policy guided by the theory.

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

I’m glad to say that I’ve been able to get in touch lately with a very dear old friend. I hadn’t enjoyed the company of this friend lately due to some very bad publicity and media mud slinging. I’m referring to the potato. The potato is one of those foods that has been the brunt of a smear campaign, for reasons unknown, and I’m afraid I was taken in by it for awhile. Thankfully the potato has withstood the onslaught of naysayers and I have come to my potato loving senses.  The potato and I have been enjoying some quality time lately.  In fact since the potato has recently been listed as one of “Five Foods to Help Fight the Flu and Colds” it has moved to the top of my grocery list. With nearly half the daily value of vitamin C and other illness fighting nutrients the potato is just begging to be what’s for dinner. The other nice thing is the potato is a relatively “cheap date” when you consider a ten pound bag costs under five dollars. So go ahead, welcome the potato back to your family’s dinner table with open arms and just a hint of salt and pepper.

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