03/28/05 Next to lift? C.S.P. sign-up today

Next to lift? C.S.P. sign-up today. I'm Andy Patrick. Details on these stories and more are coming up on today's "Northwest Report". Could Taiwan become the latest country to lift, at least partially lift, its ban on U.S. beef products? News reports quote a senior Taiwanese health official who says the island nation plans to partially lift its ban by allowing imports of boneless meat from cattle under thirty months old. Apparently the decision comes after a panel of experts evaluated U.S. testing and other b.s.e. safety measures. If the report is true, shipment of boneless U.S. beef products to Taiwan would begin April 16th. Sign up begins today for the second round of U.S.D.A.'s Conservation Security Program. 220 watersheds containing a potentially eligible 235,000 growers and ranchers qualify to sign up for the conservation enhanced based program. But sign up comes as many parts of the nation are in the middle of spring planting. Natural Resources Conservation Services Chief Bruce Knight apologizes for the delay. KNIGHT: We were delayed because we had to complete the rulemaking. We're now asking our employees to do the same thing that our farm and ranch customers do. If you see a couple of days of rain forecast and you're expecting rain delays, be anticipating to do as much of the one-on-one work on an individual contract with our farmer-customers during those rain delays. I'm very optimistic that next year's sign-up we'll be able to do earlier in the year outside of that important planting window. Now with today's "Food Forethought", here's Susan Allen. ALLEN: I just received my April issue of Food and Wine magazine, page 27 was dedicated Steve Eels founder of the very successful Chipolte restaurant chain who the magazine called a "huge advocate of sustainable farming" because he served humanely raised pork at his restaurants. Heck the ranchers I know treat their cows pretty well but I know that their meat will never be featured at Steves' chain of restaurants because they fail to meet his criteria of buying meat from sustainable "small" family farms. When did "small" become a component of sustainalbity? Mr. Ells, known as the margarita mogul doesn't champion "small" when it comes to his own business ventures. He wasn't content with a "small" family diner, rather he basks in the success of owning a large chain of restaurants. On the other hand, when a farmer or rancher builds a large operation, they are demonized by the media and people like Mr. Ell. Maybe if Mr. Ell visited some 4th generation cattle ranches he would understand the meaning of true sustainability. I'm Susan Allen and this is Food Forethought.