Kitzhaber Runs Again & Soup Recall

Kitzhaber Runs Again & Soup Recall plus Food Forethought. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report.

Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber has just announced he will run for an unprecedented 4th term as governor. Kitzhaber was the first person to be elected to a third term after being out of office for 8 years. He announced is campaign at Earl Boyles Elementary and Pre-School in the David Douglas School District of East Portland and has released a short video that describes why he wants to run again.

KITZHABER: I'd like to serve another four years as your governor because we've done some amazing things over these last three years in public education, in healthcare, in creating 60-thousand jobs and reducing our unemployment rate but these changes are fragile. They need to take root and I want another four years to make sure that happens.

An Everett, Washington company is recalling over 1800 cases of chicken noodle soup due to misbranding and an undeclared allergen. The allergen is wheat but is labeled as potato. The products were produced on October 25 and 26, with a use-by date of February 17 and 18. The product was shipped to distribution centers in Arizona, California, Colorado, Indiana, Oregon, Texas, Utah and Washington. The product was sold at retail only.

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

Put on you woolies, we're going to the farmers market. People don't have to give up their fresh local goodies just because there's a little snow on the ground. In fact, winter markets now account for roughly 24 percent of the farmers markets listed in the USDA national directory, with nearly two thousand operating across the country this year. Of course, markets only have to operate once between November and March to be considered a winter farmers market, with most having found an indoor space to set up in. Still it's a good opportunity for farmers to generate a little more income, and offers consumers the chance to find locally sourced foods in the off season. I don't know about you, but I get a much more pleasant feeling thinking about wandering through a winter farmer's market, picking out fresh ingredients for holiday dishes or handmade gifts for friends and family while sipping on a warm apple cider, than I do thinking about struggling through crowds at a shopping mall. What can you find at a winter market? Well, there's usually root vegetables, apples, greens, meat, breads, gourds, cheeses, honey, nuts, jams and jellies, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

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