Poultry Trouble Brewing & Working on the Farm Bill

Poultry Trouble Brewing & Working on the Farm Bill plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

Several farm organizations have signed a letter to the chairman and ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee calling for the rejection of additional, costly and unnecessary animal rights mandates proposed by the Humane Society of the United States. A bill is being prepared by Oregon Representative Kurt Schrader that would set federal standards for the welfare of egg-laying hens.  The standards would allow for larger, enriched-colony cages and phase out smaller cages over 15 to 18 years at what the United Egg Producers has estimated to be a cost of 4-billion dollars. Opposing groups have estimated the cost to be 10-billion dollars.

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley predicts a new or extended farm bill this year - but not a lapse in farm law authority. Grassley wants a new farm bill done by the middle of summer - but if it’s not - it may not get done until after the elections. That doesn’t mean there won’t be any farm bill this year - as long as food stamps and the farm bill are tied together.

GRASSLEY: The Farm Bill for farm states and the Food Stamp Bill for urban areas, I think as long as those things are help together and I have reason to believe they will be kept together, and I think we’re going to have a Farm Bill for 2013 - will it be a new farm bill or will it be the old one.

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

It’s certainly a sign of the times when tour buses are making a special point of stopping at The Made in America store in upstate New York so tourists can see and purchase items that are one hundred percent made in America products. Rather like a rare albino elephant, made in America products seem to be getting harder and harder to find. On an outing my husband and I made this last weekend just to blow the stink off, (due to crazed holiday shoppers we hadn’t ventured out in quite a while), we decided to stop in a new furniture store and look around. After seeing Made in China labels on nearly everything, we firmly but kindly told the very attentive salesperson thanks but no thanks. He was quick to tell us we would be hard pressed to find anything but Made in China products today. Guess he’s right, that is unless you know where to look. It can still be done, it just takes a little effort. Yes Virginia, there’s still glassware, clothing, and furniture made here in the U.S. And remember local farmers and ranchers, either directly or through farmers markets, can provide you with all the fresh, grown in the U.S.A.products you could want.

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