Home Brew Trouble & Fruit Fly Spotted

Home Brew Trouble & Fruit Fly Spotted plus Food Forethought. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report. A destructive species of Asian fruit fly that can ruin ripening soft fruit has been found in a Pasco, Washington orchard and another in Mattawa, Washington according to Dr. Doug Walsh, Washington State IPM Coordinator. WALSH: We've named this pest Spotted Winged Drosphila. It came from Asia and the sentinel work that was done in Japan basically demonstrated that the pest did real well on cherries in the springtime and then moved on to other crops through the course of the summer. Also did very well on grapes, Concord grapes in particular. They can be controlled with a number of pesticides, but not completely eliminated in a growing season. I am like a lot of other folks across the northwest in that I enjoy trying my hand a home brew. But it now appears there may be some trouble brewing in that area. The Oregon Liquor Control Commission is now prohibiting home brewers and winemakers from drinking or sharing their carefully crafted stouts and pinots outside their homes. Some folks are calling it a drastic step and getting caught is a Class A Misdemeanor. The decision means many competitions, including two Oregon State Fair traditions are on hold. Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Lacy Gray. Looks like California is quickly on its way to becoming an egg free state. With its "Terminator" governor, and more than their fair share of over the top animal rights activists, California doesn't seem to stand a chance. The newest signing by Governor Schwarzenegger for an extension of the Humane Society of the United States backed Proposition 2, which will require out of state egg farmers to adhere to the Proposition's extreme requirements, will probably be the final straw for most egg producers, in or out of California. California egg farmers have already spent millions on changes in order to comply with Proposition 2 and HSUS still isn't satisfied. And why is that when even the very animal rights "experts" that HSUS chooses so often to quote are in agreement that recent egg producer improvements are indeed humane? Because truth be told, the HSUS doesn't want improvements of animal agriculture, they want abolishment of animal agriculture, and they will stop at nothing, including spending billions of dollars, to reach that desired goal. Californians in the future may have to travel out of state just to enjoy an omelet. Thanks Lacy. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.