Water for Central Oregon & Farm Bill Split

Water for Central Oregon & Farm Bill Split plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

It just seems that the House cannot get the old Model A to turn over. Attempting again to resurrect the farm bill and may be headed towards another extension. The idea was brought up on splitting the bill in two with one section being food stamp related and the other farm related but the support just does not seem to be there. A sizable portion of House Republicans want larger cuts in farm spending and food stamps. Some 62 Republicans voted against the farm bill on June 20. Most House Democrats voted against it because of cuts to food stamps, which account for three-fourths of farm bill spending.

Oregon’s Greg Walden has reintroduced the Central Oregon Jobs and Water Security Act which he says will help create jobs for the area.

WALDEN: Which delivers needed water to Prineville for residents as well as for job creation. This legislation clears the way for clean energy at Bowman Dam and construction jobs that would go with that. It creates new water conservation opportunities in our rivers and streams in Central Oregon. It’s a no-cost, job-creating, clean energy piece of legislation and passing it is just common sense.

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

All I can say is “Wow, I want one”. I’m referring to the E-Catch Net, a 2013 IDEA Award winner. Remember as a child chasing down butterflies so that you could swoop in and trap them in a net, just so you could get an “up close and personal” look at them? Problem was, a lot of butterflies were injured beyond repair during the process. Now though, some young designers have come up with a pretty ingenious solution to the problem of trying to combine playful childhood curiosity and exploration with a non-intrusive and non-destructive method of observation. Enter the E-Catch Net, which scans the targeted butterfly as it passes through a net-less hoop, and tells the child all about the insect they just encountered. The E-Catch Net even allows them to print out a model of the butterfly, which they can then turn into a beautiful piece of origami art. Creators of the E-Catch Net say that, “ What we need is harmony between the Nature and Human”. I say it is a wonderful way to protect nature while still encouraging children to explore and learn about the natural world around them. And if a few of us adults want to get our own E-Catch Net, I’m sure no one would object.

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