More On Wildfires & Ryan's View

More On Wildfires & Ryan’s View plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

The northwest continues to burn. The Taylor Bridge wildfire near Cle Elum, Washington is now over 27,000 acres and has destroyed more than 60 homes. A firefighter working a fire in northern Idaho was killed when a tree fell and struck her. And a welder working in his back yard sparked a 300 acre blaze on Red Mountain in SE Washington. Firefighters quickly contained the blaze before any structures were damaged. The northwest weather is calling for hot and dry so please, use a lot of commons sense and be careful.

Mitt Romney’s VP choice of House Budget Chair Paul Ryan is not expected to change an already tough farm bill dynamic in September. American Farm Bureau Deputy Director Dale Moore says AFBF is well aware of Paul Ryan’s views on cutting back commodity programs, conservation and crop insurance. But what about Ryan’s role targeting 133-billion dollars in food stamps in his 10-year budget - a number the ag committee pared to 16-billion in the farm bill? Will Ryan’s pick now bring the issue to the surface?

MOORE: I would argue that it’s already on the surface. That was what we understood one of the reasons that it was difficult for leadership to get the bill up on the House floor before the August break.

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

Well, what do you know, Yahoo’s recent article on the ten unhappiest jobs currently in America didn’t include any agricultural jobs. Of course according to the article, if you’re a security guard, teacher, or nurse, whether you are aware of it or not, you’re supposed to be pretty miserable in your chosen profession. But don’t take it to heart. Continue on about your merry way. Most of us in the ag industry remember all too well Yahoo’s article listing a college degree in agriculture as useless. We also remember the backlash that was heard over it as well, and the article that came out not too long after that that listed a career in agriculture as a top choice. In reading some of the comments after the article there were a lot of people who’s jobs were not on the list and felt that they definitely should be. Just wait a few days and they will be! Always remember though, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. One common thread throughout all the comments, some of which were quite colorful indeed, was that the worst job was no job. Kind of puts it all in perspective when you put it like that.

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