NASS Survey & Food Purchase

NASS Survey & Food Purchase plus Food Forethought. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report. USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service is conducting its first-ever On-Farm Energy Production Survey. Agricultural Statistics Board Chairman Hubert Hamer says the survey is a follow-on to the latest Census of Agriculture and a response to the increase in renewable energy generation on the nation's farms and ranches. Hamer says there's a growing interest in energy efficiency and renewable energy. By responding to this survey - he says producers can provide valuable, real-life information. HAMER: The results will help producers; policy makers and the public better understand the economic and environmental implications of on-farm energy production. It's also an opportunity for producers to highlight the steps that they're taking to reduce agricultures carbon food print and promote a healthy and sustained environment. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says USDA plans to purchase 161.4-million dollars in foods for federal food and nutrition assistance programs. The purchases will be for up to 40-million dollars of beef products; 2-million dollars of lamb products; 5-million of catfish; 32-million of fresh and processed apple products; 1.1-million of blackberries; 21-million dollars of red tart cherries; 18-million dollars of cranberry products; 9.3-million of dried plums; 18-million of potatoes; 7-million of strawberries; and 3-million dollars of fresh and canned pears. Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Lacy Gray. April was a busy month for the Oregon organization known as Farmers Ending Hunger, a four year old not for profit created in order to gather donated food from ag producers to give to food banks. Over one hundred and sixty thousand pounds of fruits and vegetables, in addition to donations of beef and pork to be processed into hamburger and sausage, were procured this year from farmers and ranchers who agreed to contribute to the organization. Dozens of volunteers have been working long hours to package the donated food items to ship out to local food banks. With the number of individuals and whole families needing assistance from food banks growing at an alarming rate daily more groups such as Farmers Ending Hunger are desperately needed across the United States. The farmers and ranchers who have joined Farmers Ending Hunger donate sizeable portions of their produce production at no cost to FEH. They and the food processors and public volunteers who work with them to provide food for the needy represents the best of human nature; making a real effort to make a real difference for those in need. Thanks Lacy. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.