Census of Ag & Wolf Bill Dies

Census of Ag & Wolf Bill Dies

Census of Ag & Wolf Bill Dies plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

Every 5 years the Census of Agriculture is conducted. This is that year. USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service will soon begin mailing out forms to all farms in the U.S. to collect crop production and livestock data for 2012. Audra Hubble is with NASS and says the information collected is confidential.

HUBBLE: We cannot share any individuals information with anyone else even different USDA agencies so it is held confidential and what we publish is only data in summary form so nobody can tell the information from your individual farm by looking at the published reports.

Hubble says the form takes less time for smaller operations than larger operations to fill out - but it typically doesn’t take longer than 30 minutes and she says it’s better to fill out the form sooner than later - since NASS likes to have all data by the end of March.

Idaho ranchers will not be able to use powered parachutes, helicopters and live-bait traps to hunt problem wolves. A bill in the Idaho Senate has died. Senators agreed Tuesday to send the controversial legislation back to the Resources and Environment Committee, a move that likely ends the bill's chances this year. The legislation would have let ranchers track and kill wolves for 36 hours after an attack. One Senator who is also a sheep rancher sees both sides of the issue and hope the bill will be sent back to committee.

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

Abandoned cats and dogs have been an issue around the country as long as there have been well, cats and dogs. But now, with the boon of urban homesteading comes an ever increasing number of abandoned “backyard farm animals”. These consist primarily of chickens and goats. Many animal rescue centers have found themselves over ran with these animals that frankly they’re not designed to house; leading to the majority of these animals having to be euthanized. Many cities are overturning decades old ordinances, which banned goats or chickens within city limits, to appease the growing population of urban homesteaders. The urban homesteading movement consists of people wanting to reconnect with nature, grow their own food, and ultimately attain self-sufficiency; definitely a commendable objective. Anyone can be an urban homesteader, but before you make the move to acquire chickens, goats, and all the items needed to go along with them, live with the idea for a while to make sure you truly have the desire, skills, time, and personal fortitude necessary to commit to becoming a member of the urban homesteading movement.

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

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