Horse Trainer Killed & Corn for Hogs

 Horse Trainer Killed & Corn for Hogs plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

A “freak accident” has taken the life of a Vancouver, Washington horse trainer. The woman was working with a horse when another horse that had gotten loose kicked her in the head, killing her instantly. The accident took place at the Portland Meadows. EMT’s were on site since the the track was open but were unable to revive the woman. Just a reminder to always exercise caution when handling large animals.

A lot of farmers feed corn to hogs. They really love it. But what about corn ethanol in the engines of big motorcycles or hogs? Ethanol is being looked at for many uses but one might not think of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally as a place to talk about it. Robert White with the Renewable Fuels Association was on hand to discuss the possibilities.

WHITE: We’re here to educate. There’s a lot of misnomers out there. You can in fact use it in these vehicles and now that 95% of the fuel across the country contains some form of ethanol we’re just trying to make sure that the accurate information is out there. And you can look through the owners manuals of any of these bikes sitting on this nice brick street or anywhere throughout Sturgis and it clearly says you can use up to 10% ethanol.

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

It’s not something you would think of being at the top of a thief’s wish list, but copper wire is a hot commodity on the black market. Due to skyrocketing prices for metals, especially copper, thieves are stripping anything and everything that may have copper; meaning most construction sites, communication towers, vacant buildings, electric sub-stations, and even farms are targeted. Ironically, the damage done by copper thieves to these sites often far exceeds the actual worth of the stolen copper. In one Mid-west state alone last year there were insurance claims for copper wire theft from farm irrigation systems that amounted to more than $200,000 dollars. This in turn has motivated farmers and insurance companies to fight back by installing theft deterrent systems, and offering substantial cash rewards for anyone who might have information about copper theft that results in a felony conviction. As disturbing as this type of thievery is to most honest citizens it is sadly becoming a norm in our struggling economy, and these wanton acts of thievery done by a small percentage of desperate or morally bankrupt individuals seems a sign of the times.

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