Atrazine In Review & Seeking Promised Funding

Atrazine In Review & Seeking Promised Funding plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

The herbicide atrazine is currently under EPA review and a new government study shows no increase in cancer risk among those who apply atrazine. The research by the National Institutes of Health and the EPA - published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives - found no link between atrazine and overall cancer risk. Tyler Wegmeyer is a Regulatory Specialist with the American Farm Bureau Federation.

WEGMEYER: There was no abnormalities found from those applying atrazine that could be correlated to cancer so it’s just saying you can get cancer from pretty much anywhere, it could be genetic or what but if you apply atrazine you are not at any additional risk.

A number of years ago the Walter Clore Wine and Culinary Center, currently under construction near Prosser, Washington was promised $100-thousand dollars by Benton County. To date, no funds have been issued and are necessary to help reach a matching fund level of $535,000. The center has been completed in phases with the final phase, a 15,000 square-foot facility to showcase wines from throughout Washington, to be started in a year’s time. The Clore Center is expected to be a destination for wine and food education, featuring a tasting room, kitchen, exhibits, teaching vineyards, gardens, classrooms and conference rooms. So far county commissioners are reluctant to release the promised funds.

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

Tis the season to scare consumers, at least as far as fresh produce is concerned. Once again consumers are being barraged with articles on the “ fresh produce dirty dozen”, or “filthy fifteen”. Before you panic and throw away all the fresh fruits and vegetables in your pantry take a deep breath, apply common sense, and then go ahead and enjoy those apples, strawberries, celery, potatoes, or peaches. Most conventionally grown fruits and vegetables have been exposed to pesticides during their growing season. That’s why consumers need to use common sense and wash all produce thoroughly before eating. The Environmental Working Group, (working for whom might be a good question), is fond of scare mongering articles pointing the finger of blame at conventional farmers for using pesticides to protect their crops from numerous pests, fungi, and molds. They then encourage consumers to buy all organic produce, which should also be washed thoroughly due to any manure, pests, fungi, or molds contacted during growing. If you want to buy organic, that’s fine, if you don’t, that’s okay too; you and your family won’t be “dead men walking”.

Thanks Lacy. Remember BigIron.com’s auctions every second an fourth Wednesday. That’s today’s Northwest Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.