A Good Investment & ODA Bee Investigation

A Good Investment & ODA Bee Investigation

A Good Investment & ODA Bee Investigation plus Food Forethought. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report.

The Oregon Department of Agriculture has completed its investigations into four separate incidents that resulted in bumblebee deaths this summer in Wilsonville, Hillsboro, West Linn, and downtown Portland. They found that pesticides containing the two active ingredients, dinotefuran and imidacloprid were used in violation of the Oregon Pesticide Control Law resulting in six civil penalties totaling $2,886 in connection with the incidents. In the Wilsonville incident, an estimated 50,000 bumblebees died.

The price of good farmland has more than doubled over the last decade. A recent study from the University of Illinois campus in Urbana Champaign suggests - despite reasonable worries - the price of farmland isn't likely to crash. U of I's Bruce Sherrick.

SHERRICK: Farmland markets, despite the recent run up have shown themselves to be very rational in many respects with respect to income - income potential and rates of return on alternative investments. I am more positive in a relative sense. I am not suggesting that that implies farmland markets are going to continue their rapid increases. I am being just much more sanguine about the potential for a very radical fall on land values. I don't see that as the typical or expected outcome.

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

We often hear about grains like wheat, barley, corn, oats and rice in the news, but ancient grains have also been getting a lot of press lately. Ancient grains are those that have come down to us mainly intact, the same today as they were when our ancestors ate them thousands of years ago, as opposed to grains that have been modified and cross-bred in modern times. Commonly found in most health food stores, and now even in the average grocery store, ancient grains such as spelt, farro, kamut, quinoa, and amaranth offer a variety of textures, tastes and nutrients. A good friend swears by spelt bread, and has been eating it for several years now. USDA dietary guidelines say that at least half of all the grains we consume each day should be whole grains. This makes ancient grains a choice worth exploring. Carrying numerous health benefits ancient grains are high in fiber and rich in minerals and vitamins. Contrary to a few naysayers who think of ancient grains as a "silly food trend" these grains have obviously proven their staying power. Another perk for a lot of people when it comes to ancient grains is the fact that they are gluten free. To find out more about the different ancient grains visit the Whole Grains Council website.

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

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