Fire Bans and Restrictions & New Energy Efficiency Program

Fire Bans and Restrictions & New Energy Efficiency Program plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a new effort to help rural consumers make affordable, energy-efficient improvements to their homes and businesses. The proposed rule is designed to spark increased investment in energy efficiency, expand green jobs opportunities and boost energy savings.

VILSACK: Today we announce another step in this strong 75-year partnership we’ve had with the REC’s in launching the USDA Energy Efficiency and Conservation Loan Program. Essentially it will work with the USDA making available to REC’s and REA’s, rural electric cooperatives across the country resources that they in turn will be able ti re-lend to homeowners to be able to allow them to finance the upfront costs of energy efficiency technologies.

The Bureau of Land Management in Idaho is enforcing fire restrictions for much of southwest Idaho.  The restrictions have to do with campfires, camping stoves and smoking. BLM says the high danger for wildfire in southwest Idaho caused the ban on building a fire -  campfire or stove fire - except within a designated recreation site or on private property, and only within an owner-provided structure. The restrictions will stay in place until fire managers determine they can ease the rules, or if things get worse, place even more restrictions. Go to the BLM website for details.

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

Do we dare say it out loud in mixed company? Oh go ahead, throw caution to the wind. July is National Hot Dog Month. There I said it. While there are some people who say they have never, or will never eat hot dogs, there are plenty more out there who are not afraid to say they love eating hot dogs. I happen to be one of them. I’m not sure if there’s another industry out there that has worked as hard as the hot dog industry to offer consumers what they want - healthier, yet good tasting hot dog choices. They aren’t your grandparents hot dogs anymore. There are low fat, fat free, low sodium, and even kosher hot dogs to choose from. And forget the old joke about hot dogs containing everything but the squeal, with today’s regulations on product ingredient statements there are no surprises when it comes to what is in your hot dog. Yes, hot dogs do contain a preservative, it’s sodium nitrate and it’s what makes a hot dog a hot dog. It also ensures the safety of the hot dog and protects consumers against germs. Sodium nitrate got a bad rep several years back as a possible carcinogen, but the U.S. Toxicology Program has tested sodium nitrate and declared it a non-carcinogen. So go ahead, enjoy that hot dog!

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