Rabbit Invasion & Training Roundtable

Rabbit Invasion & Training Roundtable plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

 Opportunities Industrialization Center or OIC of Washington is holding an agricultural roundtable discussion this coming Wednesday to identify training needs in the Industry. Jeff Robison explains that through a grant they are planning to provide training.

ROBISON: Several years ago we had a program where we were going out to different farms and we were providing safety training. With budget cuts funding got cut and went away. So on August 7th from 4-6pm We’re going to have a roundtable discussion and every farmer out there every grower out there that would like to come and participate in this discussion, we welcome you with open arms at the Pasco Red Lion.

Back in 1972 there was a rather bad movie with a lot of big name stars called Night of the Lepus where giant flesh-eating rabbits invade a town. Well this isn’t quite that but the town of Bellevue, Idaho has been having a problem with an overabundance of rabbits. The rabbits escaped from an enclosure and promptly did what rabbits do. Digging and eating gardens. Most of the critters were rounded up but local officials are still having trouble with a small handful that continue to elude them. Local residents are being told they can use lethal force, to protect property.

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

What’s the newest fad on the food movement scene? Why eating invasive of course. That’s eating invasive species to be exact, and more and more upscale restaurants are adding invasive species as a menu choice. Here in the Pacific Northwest and many other areas around the country feral pigs have become a major problem and finding ways to control them has been difficult to say the least. And it’s that way with dozens of other invasive critters nationwide. So some folks have decided if you can’t beat them, eat them. In 2012 the Oregon based Institute for Applied Ecology launched its first “Eradication by Mastication” event - an invasive species cook-off. It would be an understatement to say that it was a huge success. This year IAE’s Invasive Species Cook-off is August 25th. So just what is featured at an invasive cook-off? Well, feral pig for starters, then let me see - IAE’s guest chef Matt Bennett’s list includes bull frog, sorrel, and dandelions to name a few. And I’m sure there will be plenty more interesting invasive cuisine to try out. Of course, at such an event I have to wonder how many times do you hear, “Yum, tastes like chicken!”

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