Fire Season & No Farm Bill

Fire Season & No Farm Bill plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

The Pacific Northwest fire season is getting ready to kick off and there are a lot of reminders out there for people getting ready for camping season and park use. Dry and unhealthy forests continue to be a fire hazard. These fires can destroy homes and threaten the safety of the public and the firefighters who protect forests and communities. Now is the time to take appropriate action to prevent wildfires and protect life and property in the event of wildfire.

According to Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack the USDA will not be proposing their own version of the 2012 Farm Bill.

VILSACK: The last effort by the previous administration at writing the farm bill was a disaster. I mean it just didn’t work at all. There two vetoes. We want it to be a collaborative process. We raise questions. We provide assistance. We provide focus. We provide direction but we’re not going to tell Congress what to do because Congress at the end of the day writes the farm bill and we must respect that, and I do.

And gas prices are beginning to approach the $4 mark.  According to AAA, in the Seattle-Bellevue-Everett area drivers are paying an average of $3.90. Gas prices jumped 22 cents in a month from $3.68. And compare to last year, drivers are paying almost a dollar more for a gallon of gas. 

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

There’s certainly a lot more to farming than just getting your hands dirty. A successful farming operation includes handling financing, dealing with government programs, bookkeeping, business planning, and marketing. Yes, farming is a real job, with all the real headaches that go along with it. That’s why the National Farmers Union will be offering a new Beginning Farmer Institute to persons who are considering starting up a farming operation, or who are in the stages of transferring a family farm from a relative. NFU President Roger Johnson says that “the program is designed to answer any and all questions new farmers may have, and most importantly share farming expertise to answer questions that people don’t always think of asking when they’re first starting out”. The new program is based on applicant acceptance, and those applicants that are accepted will able to attend two education sessions, one this summer, and one this fall. But hurry, applications need to be in by April 30, 2011. So new farmers, don’t be discouraged, help is out there. Remember: if you don’t ask, you don’t get.

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