E. Coli Source Found & More Young Farmers
E. Coli Source Found & More Young Farmers plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.
The commodity boom of recent years is creating opportunities for young people to return to the farm and ranch. Dr. David Kohl at Virginia Tech says the young farmer boom has not yet reached all areas of the country. He says it depends on the commodity being produced - and also on what the rural community has to offer.
KOHL: That rural community is very, very critical. I often tell people when you hire an individual you’re directly or indirectly hire their spouse our significant other and if that rural community doesn’t have the lifestyle attributes, they aren’t going to come back to it.
Kohl recently spoke to a young and beginning farmers and ranchers conference in Omaha.
Oregon Public Health Division officials confirmed that deer feces found in strawberry fields in Washington and Yamhill counties was the source of E. coli. The outbreak sickened at least 15 people in July, including one person who died. Strawberries from the affected fields were produced by Jaquith Strawberry Farm, which is located in Newberg. The Oregon Public Health Communicable Disease team found six samples that positively matched the E. coli found in the people.
Now with today’s Food Forethought, here’s Lacy Gray.
Remember all the hoopla here while back over the feared threat of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration supposedly taking steps to require all farmers to get commercial driver’s licenses? The FMCSA found themselves literally flooded with letters of consternation and protest from not only farmers but legislators as well. Who knows where the whole thing started in the first place. Probably some official or bureaucrat somewhere came up with what they perceived as a great way to recoup some much needed budget losses. Thankfully, something that doesn’t happen too often when it comes to reviewing and, or implementing new rules and regulations happened, the FMCSA has decided to drop the whole thing, stating that they “have no intention of instituting onerous regulations on the hardworking farmers who feed our country and fuel our economy”. Well, that’s certainly refreshing, and in all honesty very surprising. Who knows perhaps this kind of level headed, common sense approach will be the wave of the future in D.C. Yes, I know that’s probably a little too much to hope for but one can dream can’t one.
Thanks Lacy. That’s today’s Northwest Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.
