2012 in Review

2012 in Review

I’m KayDee Gilkey with the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report.

Today marks the end of 2012, and my first year as an ag broadcaster. I’ve interviewed many, many of the Pacific Northwest’s agricultural mover and shakers. And hopefully, I’ve told their stories in a concise and informative manner. Here are several of the year’s big stories.

From the start of  2012, the discussion of the Farm Bill has been constant and sadly lacked action on the House side. In March USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said about the inaction at that time.

Vilsack: “Kicking the can down the road, doesn’t make it any easier. In the old days you could kick the can down the road in hopes that you would have different leadership or the numbers in the budget would be better. The budget is not going to get better, budgets are going to be tough. They are going to be hard. And 2013 isn’t going to be any easier in fact it is probably going to be more difficult than 2012.”

This spring, there was the media frenzy dealing with lean finely textured beef. BPI President and CEO Eldon Roth shared.
Roth: “ABC News spread these lies and they hurt real people and a lot of people. They even said that it wasn’t beef. It is 100 percent beef.”

This year’s devastating drought has been the most serious to impact U.S. agriculture since 1988.
One regulation win that all of agriculture can agree upon was the Department of Labor decision to withdraw its proposed updates to child labor laws.

I wish you happiness, blessings and health in the New Year.

?