03/22/05 Congress and the budgets

If the U.S. Senate and House have their way, their proposed fiscal year 2006 budgets would not result in the reopening of the 2002 Farm Bill. On the Senate side, an apparent agreement between Senate Ag Committee Chair Saxby Chambliss and Senate Budget Committee Chair Judd Gregg would mean the Senate version of the budget would only propose $2.8 billion dollars in ag spending cuts & significantly less than the $5.7 billion dollars requested in the Bush Administration's budget proposal. In addition, Gregg has deferred the decision of how the ag spending cuts would be administered to the Senate Ag Committee. And on Thursday, the Senate approved keeping the $2.8 billion in budget cuts in, despite an amendment by Montana's Max Baucus to strip the cuts out of the spending measure. Much of the uproar over the proposed budgets has centered on the Bush Administration's proposal to reduce farm program payment limits. Ironically, as the Senate agreement, which would basically negate a bill calling for tighter payment limits, was made, a Wisconsin Representative introduced a bill in the House that would set a quarter of a million dollar payment cap. The House spent much of Thursday debating over its fiscal year 2006 budget proposal, finally adopting its blueprint by a vote of 218 for to 214 against. And according to the budget's main author, Jim Nussle of Iowa, House leadership has apparently agreed to not reopen the current Farm Bill within this proposed budget. Now with today's "Food Forethought", here's Susan Allen. ALLEN: Living on a farm in the Willamette Valley meant constantly fighting the invasion of the blackberries. We would pull them, cut them, spray them and they would always return. In desperation my husband would take a blow torch to them. We were ahead of our time. Today thermal weed control is formally recognized as an authorized "organic" practice. Thermal weed technology originating in Australia has recently become available for Northwest farmers providing valuable assistance for not only organic growers, but those facing new spray buffer regulations as well. Thermal weed control using propane to burn weeds is an environmentally safe option. It is nontoxic, does not harm soil or water and does not involve special handling procedures. This exciting technology means farmers no longer have to rely on ideal weather conditions to spray, or experience plants that develop resistance to chemicals. The Propane Education and Research Council have introduced this new technology to the states, to learn more about thermal weed control visit usepropane.com. I'm Susan Allen and this is Food Forethought.