Cranberry Referendum & Sage-Grouse Conservation
Cranberry Referendum & Sage-Grouse Conservation plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.
USDA will provide approximately 18.2-million dollars in financial assistance through the Grassland Reserve Program to help eligible ranchers in Idaho, Utah and Wyoming conserve critical sage-grouse habitats. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says the GRP will provide these states with another tool to conserve this at-risk species and also protect important ranch lands. This is the first time this fiscal year USDA is dedicating a portion of GRP funding solely to protect sage-grouse habitat.
U.S. cranberry producers including those in Oregon and Washington have voted to continue their federal marketing order program. During the referendum - 512 eligible producers cast valid ballots. Just over 76-percent favored continuance of the order. Producers voting to discontinue the order totaled just under 24-percent. USDA would not consider terminating the order if continuance is favored by more than 50-percent of the growers voting in the referendum - provided that these growers represent more than 50-percent of the cranberry volume represented in the referendum. Agricultural Marketing Service Administrator Rayne Pegg says this continuance will provide opportunities to expand cranberry markets and help growers thrive.
Now with today’s Food Forethought, here’s Lacy Gray.
On our recent visit to England we had the pleasure of staying at a wonderful B & B in the lovely town of Lymington. The owners, Shelagh and Peter were perfect hosts, which made this B & B special in many ways, not the least being that they served delicious English style breakfasts using eggs gathered from their own backyard chickens. In fact, we had the pleasure of interacting with these chickens every morning and evening, and they were quite the entertaining companions! It made me think how often I’ve mulled over the idea of raising my own backyard chickens, but haven’t quite worked up the courage to yet. I’m sure I’m not alone when it comes to wanting to keep chickens, but yet intimidated by what might be involved. Believe it or not, there are support groups out there for would be chicken keepers to help them learn the basics of raising chickens, how to build coops, and contact suppliers to get started. And why not, there are support groups for just about everything else you can think of. It’s looking like this will be the year I become the proud owner of backyard chickens.
Thanks Lacy. That’s today’s Northwest Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.
