Century Farms Recognized and Specialty Programs Looked At
Century Farms Recognized and Specialty Programs Looked At plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.
In a recent hearing, a panel of lawmakers heard about two of USDA's programs to help ensure the safety and quality of our country's specialty crops. APHIS Deputy Administrator Rebecca Bech talks about one.
BECH: The 2008 Farm Bill created two programs that take these measures further by targeting activities that particularly benefit the specialty crops. Through the Plant Pest and Disease Management Disaster Prevention Provision APHIS has partnered with numerous states, tribes, universities and other community partners to strengthen and expand the scope of APHIS’ pest and disease prevention activities.
More and more century farms are being recognized. Oregon will give out awards to ten farms and ranches in eight counties during this years Oregon State Fair. A Sesquicentennial award will be given to one Oregon family who has continuously farmed portions of their original family acreage for 150 years or more. Award winners receive a certificate signed by the Governor and Director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture. Historic and colorful roadside signs are imprinted with the founder’s name and the year the ranch or farm was established.
Now with today’s Food Forethought, here’s Lacy Gray.
When you’re a well known political figure you need to choose your words very carefully because even the seemingly smallest of comments can be taken offense too. Take for example President Obama’s nod to peas in his lecture to Congress over the nation’s debt ceiling during budget negotiations, “ we might as well do it now; pull off the Band-Aid , eat out peas.” In essence, it may be tough, you may not like it, but you better do it. But pea growers in the Northwest have decided instead of taking offense, they would go with the old view that “any news is good news”. The President’s pea slight has brought attention to the current pea plight; that the consumption of peas has fallen from over four pounds annually per individual in nineteen seventy-five to less than three pounds today. So, all in all this could turn out to be a good thing for pea growers. With all the hoopla over the President’s peas comment more people are searching out the nutritional value of peas, and rediscovering this passed over vegetable. What do you bet that there will be a lot more peas being served in the White House from now on?
Thanks Lacy. That’s today’s Northwest Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.
