Farm Bill Wishes & Stone Fruit Assessment

Farm Bill Wishes & Stone Fruit Assessment plus Food Forethought. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report.

The Farm Bill Conference Committee is trying to hash out a deal but according to a concerned Ag Secretary, Tom Vilsack says there is always the problem of numbers.

VILSACK: The problem with what happens in Washington is people get fixated on numbers. Is it this number or that number? We're not going to be looking at $40-billion dollars and frankly we're not going to look at $20-billion dollars. We can get agreement on the fact everybody should want us to work better at putting folks who are currently on SNAP who are capable of working and want to work - we need to help them find decent jobs.

Research is being funded in Washington State as cherry and stone fruit producers agree to a $5-million dollar assessment. The assessment will double the amount producers are currently ponying up at lease until the $5-million dollar mark has been reached. The money will be used to establish endowments at WSU with interest earnings allocated to create new research positions, expand technology transfer to producers and support research orchards at Prosser and Wenatchee.

Now a new report finds that rural economies benefit when veterans live and work in those rural areas. Rod Bain has the story.

(USDA Report)

Thanks Rod. And that's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.