Keepseagle Deadline & Fighting for Spuds

Keepseagle Deadline & Fighting for Spuds plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

Native American farmers and ranchers are being reminded that the deadline to file claims in the Keepseagle settlement is fast approaching. Janie Hipp, USDA Senior Adviser for Tribal Relations says if you think you might qualify, get information on how to file.

HIPP: Get you name into the system. Get a claims package and then make an analysis on your own whether or not you wish to file a claim. They can then talk one-on-one with a lawyer, a paralegal, a claims assistant and they can get some guidance

American lawmakers from potato producing states such as Maine, Idaho and Colorado will attempt to block a U.S. Department of Agriculture proposal to limit the amount of potatoes that school children could eat under the school lunch program next year. According to USDA Undersecretary for Nutrition Programs, Kevin Concannon, reducing servings of starchy vegetables is just one aspect of limiting the calorie intake of American schoolchildren. Concannon pointed out that the potatoes often crowds out dark green vegetables, which are richer in nutrients than potatoes.The potato industry cited a survey of 245 school food service directors who claimed that the USDA proposal would result higher costs, more waste food and lower participation in the school lunch program.

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

In the past I’ve mentioned that I was raised in a small rural community in Kansas and that a large portion of my heart will forever remain there. My sister and I were fortunate in that while we lived in the town proper, a little more than two thousand people at the time, we had access to a farm that had been in the family for generations. This farm consisted of wide open prairie spaces, a pond, and a hill that when standing at the top a person could see the Kansas landscape for miles. It was a sad time for my sister and I when we had to sell the farm upon our relative’s passing. But how wonderful to learn that the new owners have worked hard to restore the farm to it’s former glory and beyond. In their own words, “they have spent hours clearing invasive plant species in order to get the native grasses thriving so they can undulate in the wind as if they were waves on an inland sea; much like it must have been when the Native Americans and first settlers happened upon the land.” They’ve also brought Bison back to the area. My sister and I can be rest assured that, while it was one of the hardest things we’ve ever done, in selling the farm we did the right thing for us, for the farm, for the land. Our ancestors would be proud.

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