Farmland is Strong & Forester Resigns plus Food Forethought. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation warns that U.S. farmland could be the next asset bubble at risk for bursting. Sheila Bair, Chairman of the FDIC says farmland values should be closely monitored for signs of instability. But the head of one of the nation's largest farm management and real estate firms - Farmers National Company - says he understands those concerns. Jim Farrell says there is nothing on the immediate horizon to indicate a downturn in farmland values.
FARRELL: With the strong demand that we have in the developing countries that are using our products and the overall profit that's being made in agriculture today with strong grain prices the whole industry looks very strong.
Oregon State Forester Marvin Brown agreed to resign Tuesday at the request of the forestry board, whose chairman cited a need to reverse an "erosion of confidence" in the Department of Forestry amid some of the toughest budget times the state has seen. Timberland owners were upset when their costs for covering firefighting services unexpectedly increased. A move to cut fire danger from juniper slash in eastern Oregon was interpreted as a "juniper tax."
Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Lacy Gray.
It's one of those deeds that leave most of us scratching our heads in disbelief and wondering why on earth anyone would want to do such a thing. I'm referring to the Tyson Foods employee accused of inserting a broken saw blade into the cut of meat he was supposed to be packaging. Very similar to the people who tamper with Halloween candy, such acts leave most of us bewildered and shocked. Tyson Foods has decided after an internal investigation that this was a singular act of one obviously "sick" individual. Perhaps even more disturbing though for most of us is the fact that this unbalanced individual, who placed person or persons unknown in mortal jeopardy, is charged with consumer tampering, an act which is considered only a second degree felony, and has been released on bail, even though investigators were not certain even of his citizenship. With the USDA investigating and the FBI having been notified, this is adding up to be one of those food safety incidents having the earmarks of a corporate and judicial decision making fiasco, leaving a very embarrassed and contrite food industry giant once again apologizing profusely to the American consumer.
Thanks Lacy. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.
