Going Smoke Free & Coalition Pushing Congress

Going Smoke Free & Coalition Pushing Congress plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

If you are hoping to catch a quick smoke between college classes, better do it now. As of September, Idaho State University’s Pocatello campus will be a smoke free. It joins the ranks of Boise State University, the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls and North Idaho College in Coeur d'Alene. The college president says the decision is in keeping with the college’s heath focus.

A coalition of 39 commodity and general farm groups calling themselves the Farm Bill Now Coalition is trying to get the farm bill back on track with a couple of events, one in Iowa and one on Capital Hill. NFU President Roger Johnson says the event aims to underline the urgent need for a comprehensive five-year farm bill to be signed into law by September 30th.

JOHNSON: Time is precious and fleeting to successfully get the 2012 Farm BIll signed into law. Only 8 days remain on the legislative calendar before the current farm bill expires. The rally aims to send a strong, unified message to Congress that they must act and they must act now to ensure the well-being and livelihood of all American’s who benefit from this important piece of legislation.

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

The U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance was formed nearly two years ago to “enhance consumer confidence in today’s agriculture”. The big question is, have they managed to do that? The answer would be yes - slowly, but surely. The USFRA has found through research and talking to consumer influencers and opinion leaders, those people consumers turn to about food choices, that consumers still love the farmer and rancher, but they have concerns about how food is grown and raised. The four primary areas of concern that consumers have are antibiotic and hormone use in animals, ag biotechnology, the use of pesticides, and the concern about how farm and ranching methods might be affecting consumer health in the long haul. Not surprisingly, Hollywood has been a major influence when it comes to consumer misconceptions about agriculture. That’s why the USFRA has contacted the Hollywood film production community, introducing regular farmers and ranchers from across the country, so that Hollywood might turn to them as a resource, and hopefully portray agriculture more accurately in the future. Changing consumer opinion won’t happen over night, but you have to start somewhere.

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