Wildfires Continue & Cattle Die from Poisoning

Wildfires Continue & Cattle Die from Poisoning plus Food Forethought. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report. About 30 cows died after eating a poisonous plant growing on a J.R. Simplot Co. ranch in southern Idaho. The cattle ate larkspur, a wildflower that the U.S. Department of Agriculture blames for causing heavy cattle losses in western range states. Dr. Bill Barton, Idaho State Veterinarian says cattle just like it. BARTON: Larkspur on western ranges has been a long standing potential problem. It's fairly common on public lands. All parts of the plant are poisonous, pretty palatable to cattle so they don't hesitate to consume it if they have the opportunity. Horses and sheep, it rarely affects them not near to the extent that it does cattle. Wildfires continue to plague a number of areas in the northwest including areas in both north central Washington and central Oregon. Homeowners near Wenatchee are breathing a sigh of relief after a wildfire burned dangerously close to a central Washington neighborhood overnight Tuesday. Lightning caused several blazes in the area. A wildfire burning in the rugged mountain forests of central Oregon is about 20 percent contained, as of Tuesday night. Only four to six homes were under mandatory evacuation orders, rather than the 30 homes reported earlier. Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Lacy Gray. It is so perfect in its simplicity that you have to wonder why more growers haven't been doing this all along. I'm referring to "bee pastures". These pastures consist of a wildflower sanctuary for bees, planted with bee attracting flora near the crop of interest, and created as a pesticide free atmosphere. Bees are valuable, if not "priceless", crop pollinators, hence we should always be on the lookout for ways to encourage and increase their numbers. These bee sanctuaries can consist of annual wildflowers, clovers, and ornamentals that can be easily set up with inexpensive seed, and a simple plowing schedule and slight maintenance. For growers that want a long lasting wild bee population a permanent productive bee pasture of trees, bushes, and woody perennials that can last for more than thirty years would be ideal. While the initial set up for permanent bee pastures is considerably more expensive, in the long run you get what you pay for, a bee pasture that needs little if any weeding, fertilizing, or plowing. Bees which play such a crucial role in pollinating not only our nations but the world's crops are something we can't afford not to invest in. Thanks Lacy. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.