Plugging The Gap & Putting a Muzzle on Mussels

Tuesday Mar 8th, 2011 27 Views Northwest Report

Plugging The Gap & Putting a Muzzle on Mussels plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

Hundreds of Canadian cattle trucks entering Washington through Idaho have not been required to stop for inspection. Rep. Matt Shea, the author of House Bill 1922 hopes to plug that gap.

SHEA: The main concern that I have is that a lot of the cattle trucks are coming from Alberta, Canada – we’re concerned that not all that beef is being inspected and that threatens our beef supply and so the bill I introduced would require all the cattle trucks coming in to stop at that port of entry and was supported by the cattle producers, the cattlemen’s, Washington Farm Bureau, City of Spokane Valley among others.

The measure was approved 98-0. It now goes to the Senate for further consideration.

Zebra and quagga mussels have many western states taking preventative steps because they can destroy food chains, threaten waterways and fisheries. Idaho officials in Twin Falls say they are making the invasive species checkpoint more permanent just north of the Idaho-Nevada border. To date, Idaho waters are free of the invasive species. But two years ago, the Legislature passed laws requiring that all boats be tested. Commissioners are working toward making the inspection point permanent.

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

It had a good run. “Pork the Other White Meat” was definitely a campaign slogan that caught on and stuck; for twenty-five years it stuck. But like all good things, there comes a time to move onward and upward. That’s what the National Pork Board is hoping anyway by replacing their well known but slightly worn pork slogan with “Pork: Be Inspired”. In all honesty, I favor this slogans predecessor, but then I also still hum the Oscar Meyer wiener song from way back to myself on occasion. The American consumer can become very attached to marketing campaigns and product slogans, and that’s exactly what the National Pork Board is hoping for with their newest ad campaign. It is time for the pork industry to expand and connect with a new generation of consumers. A whole new generation that will discover the deliciousness of hickory smoked, pulled pork, glazed ham, slow roasted pork roast, thick cut pork chops with chutney, grilled pork tenderloin with pineapple, thick sliced bacon, or barbecued ribs. How about this for a slogan, “Pork, it just doesn’t get any tastier than this”? Now that’s inspiring.

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