Winter Storm & Bees Getting Ready

Winter Storm & Bees Getting Ready plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

California is preparing for almond bloom pollination and that means thousands of beehives are being trucked into the state. While Colony Collapse Disorder continues to be a concern in the U.S. - University of California-Davis Bee Expert Eric Mussen believes there will be enough bees for annual pollination.

MUSSEN: There are always one way or another are enough bees out here and I guess if the word gets out that colony numbers are really, really, really low it only takes a couple of days for people to move them half way across the country and get them over here so I would guess that we might be a little bit on the low end but they will be available 

Mother Nature did her best to toss another lulu of a winter storm at the northwest and only partially succeeded. West of the Cascades saw some significant white stuff and slippery conditions while the east side seemed to duck under the worst of it. In the Tri-Cities several flights were cancelled as a precautionary measure only to see a light dusting of snow and temperatures warm into the 40’s.

Now with today’s Food Forethought, here’s Lacy Gray.

You know what they say about assuming anything, don’t. Many agricultural businesses have been finding this out the hard way. In a perfect world all consumers would know the truth regarding the foods they eat, the clothes they wear, and the items in their house or office that they use on a daily basis. Sadly, this just isn’t so. Too often we’re taken in by the latest and greatest fad, or smear campaign geared towards turning our attention and our hard earned dollars in a desired, albeit misguided direction. Potato growers, pork and beef producers, and many others in the ag industry have found it necessary to create education and research alliances in order to defend their products and educate consumers regarding the healthy and nutritional benefits of their products.  Who would have ever thought that potatoes would have to go on the defensive? But that defensive posture has brought about The Alliance for Potato Research and Education, uniting the potato industry and creating a more informed consumer, a consumer that knows potatoes are an important part of a healthy diet.  Bringing to mind another old saying, “every cloud has a silver lining”.

Thanks Lacy. That’s today’s Northwest Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.