Algae Blooms & HSUS Fights Tyson

Algae Blooms & HSUS Fights Tyson plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

The Humane Society of the United States turned up the pressure on Tyson Foods to eliminate gestation crates from its supply chain with the release of a video taken surreptitiously at a Wyoming hog farm documenting cruel and inhumane treatment of the animals. HSUS Director of Corporate Policy for Farm Animal Protection Josh Balk says the Wyoming operation was a Tyson supplier.

BALK: While much of the food industry is moving in such a positive direction when it comes to gestation crates and eliminating them, Tyson, based here in Arkansas refuses to move on the severe issue of cruelty to animals. In fact Tyson, unlike many of its competitors, still defends it’s cruel confinement of pigs in gestation crates.

All this sunshine has sure felt good here in the northwest but it is having a negative affect on waters across the region as algae blooms are beginning to cause problems. An algae bloom is the visible appearance of millions of tiny plant-like organisms in the water. Some types of blooms can produce toxins that can make people sick if they are exposed to the toxins. This is especially true for small children and the elderly. Pets can die after drinking water with a toxic bloom. It can also affect shellfish as well. Contact your local health department for more information.

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

The United States Postal Service has done an about face when it comes to closing thousands of rural post offices. It appears the voice of the people still carries some sway. It also doesn’t hurt that this is an election year. After receiving an overwhelming number of letters from rural communities that had been threatened with the closures, and having the Senate pass a bill last month that would halt most of the rural post office closings the USPS has decided that no post offices will be closed, instead they will reduce operating hours. The USPS is still hanging in there though for postal legislation that includes ending Saturday mail delivery. With more people switching to the Internet for bill paying and communication the USPS first class mail volume has declined drastically, and the agency says if nothing changes, its annual losses will exceed $21 billion by 2016. Frankly, I think doing away with Saturday delivery would be an acceptable compromise. But in the meantime, perhaps reducing the cost of a first class stamp and raising the cost of bulk junk mail would go a long way in restoring public opinion and raising revenue.

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