Farm Bill Fallout & Sugar Beet Destruction

Farm Bill Fallout & Sugar Beet Destruction

Farm Bill Fallout & Sugar Beet Destruction plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

The House’s failure to pass their version of farm bill has elicited a collective outcry from the ag industry. Farm Bureau says they’re highly disappointed the House didn’t complete work on the measure. The National Grange called the failure a “true injustice.” It’s not known yet what the next step is but for sure the House will continue to be under pressure from the ag industry to complete their job before the September deadline.

The destruction of some 6500 genetically modified sugar beet plants in southern Oregon has the ag industry on edge. The Ag Networks Lacy Gray says there has been a reward offered.

GRAY: Yes Greg. The group Oregonians for Food and Shelter is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the person and people involved. Anyone with information is asked to call the FBI.

While they’re not taking part in the investigation the Oregon Department of Agriculture’s Kay Coba issued a statement expressing her shock over this act saying that regardless of how one feels about biotechnology, there is no justification for committing these crimes.

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

The Meatless Monday campaign is still going strong after ten years, and continues to garner celebrity support, while being pushed by anti-animal agriculture groups; who don’t so much care whether eating meat is healthy or not, they just want to do away with the livestock industry as a whole. Many of those in favor of “meatless Mondays” are pushing for an extension past just one day a week, and this is where the rub comes in. Most livestock producers are not upset over people choosing to not eat meat one day a week, what they are upset over is the stigma being created against their industry by the Meatless Monday campaign. What started out as a one day a week menu “alternative” has turned into an international campaign, which has many of it’s followers taking pot shots at the animal ag industry; blaming it for all of the world’s health and environmental woes. The agricultural community has responded well to the onslaught of verbal arrows directed its way. For longer than the Meatless Monday campaign has been in existence famers and ranchers, state ag departments and ag marketing agencies have been working to promote fresh, local, and sustainable agriculture.

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

Previous ReportBison Relocation & Farm Bill Fails
Next ReportBee Death & Horticultural Agreements