Discrimination Settlement Clears the Way & Consumer Awareness

Discrimination Settlement Clears the Way & Consumer Awareness plus Food Forethought. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report. March is a reminder to consumers to be on their toes and stayed informed and not have the wool pulled over your eyes. Tina Holt with the Virginia Department of Agriculture's Consumer Affairs Division's explains the significance of being a savvier consumer and the flip side of being duped. HOLT: It is important for consumer education to be out there so that people know what is going on around them and what they can do in order to prevent being victimized and what can be done if they unfortunately do become a victim. Now that black farmers have reached a new settlement in their discrimination lawsuit against the federal government, it's up to Congress to pay the bill....1.5 billion dollars to fulfill the agreement black farmers reached last week with the Agriculture and Justice department. Earlier, other minority groups -- women, Native Americans and Hispanics -- sued the USDA about the same time. Each group has begun talks with the government. Lawyers in a case filed by female farmer's hope Congress will intervene the way it did for black farmers. Hispanic farmers have had settlement meetings with USDA but are frustrated. And the lead attorney for the Native American farmers said their court proceedings have been put on hold while they negotiate with USDA. Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Lacy Gray. There is a new breed of restaurants popping up around the country which are introducing a creative approach to being a restaurateur. Even at the risk of sounding like an oxymoron, the restaurant owners refer to themselves as "a new breed of nonprofit". Part of the non profit standing comes from giving customers the ability to choose their own portion sizes and pay the price they feel is fair. These restaurant entrepreneurs are stepping out in faith to open up a new avenue of awareness for the public and their customers by introducing them to foods they may otherwise never have an opportunity to experience. Menu options are based on the availability of fresh ingredients, alternating with the seasons. Customers discover the incredibly enhanced flavors that can be acquired when using fresh farm products; the end result very likely being an educated consumer who in turn will support their local farmers and producers. If this new approach to restaurants takes off the mutual benefit to the restaurant clientele and the local growers could be quite delicious indeed. Thanks Lacy. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.