July 2nd & Population in 2050

July 2nd & Population in 2050 plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

Did you know that Independence Day was actually supposed to be on July 2nd? July 2, 1776 is the day that the Continental Congress actually voted for independence. John Adams, in his writings, even noted that July 2 would be remembered in the annals of American history and would be marked with fireworks and celebrations. The written Declaration of Independence was dated July 4 but wasn't actually signed until August 2. Fifty-six delegates eventually signed the document, although all were not present on that day in August.

And who knew that 274 years later the world population would grow to such astronomical proportions? The U.S. Census Bureau has released a look at the year 2050, or what it supposes it will look like, and the U.S. will remain in 3rd place in world population behind India and China with some 423 million people. That’s up a bit from the 2010 census of 308 million. Last week the Census Bureau announced that more than half of children under two in the U.S. are ethnic minorities. Add to that the non-Hispanic white population's increasing age (in California, for example, the median age for non-Hispanic whites is almost 10 years older than that of the state as a whole) and America in 2050 will look a lot different than the America we know today.

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

Will yours be knee high by the fourth of July? This of course refers to an old expression by US farmers for corn growth. With the severe flooding in many parts of the country this year knee high by the 4th would be a blessing for some farmers. And I’ll just have to forget having fresh from the garden tomatoes for the July 4th picnic this year, it was just too cool for too long early in the growing season. That won’t stop us from enjoying the 4th though. Even with America’s ups and downs over this past year there’s still a lot to celebrate this 4th of July. First and foremost, we have the freedom to be able to “agree to disagree”; meaning, you can speak out if you disagree with how local, state, or federal officials do things without fear of imprisonment or even death. Also, if you have enough personal fortitude, desire, and ambition you can be whatever you want to be, no matter your race, sex, religion, or financial status. Essentially, we all have the freedom of saying what we want, wearing what we want, and doing what we want. So here’s to everyone having a fun and safe 4th of July, and remember we still live in the best country in the world!

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