Prince of Ag & Block on Water Resources
Prince of Ag & Block on Water Resources plus Food Forethought. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report.
Kensington Palace reports Prince William - the Duke of Cambridge - will take a 10-week agricultural management course at the University of Cambridge in the beginning of January. The Palace says the course is custom-designed for Prince William to provide him with an understanding of current issues that affect agricultural business and rural communities in the United Kingdom. The goal of the course is to give him a foundation when he takes over the Duchy of Cornwall - a major agricultural operation - from Prince Charles once he becomes King.
2014 could see both a new farm bill and a new water projects bill. Water infrastructure has gotten less attention - but is still a key priority for agriculture in the New Year. House and Senate negotiators never completed work on a compromise Water Resources Reform and Development Act - so they'll pick up talks again this month. But even before a final deal key to speeding up locks modernization some are already calling for actual dollars requiring separate legislation. Former USDA Secretary John Block.
BLOCK: The challenge will be to get the money appropriated to do the job. The funding of the project will be a combination of federal funds and state matching funds. Also an increase in barge diesel fuel will be necessary.
Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Lacy Gray.
If you have a passion for gardening or farming than you know the healing power they can yield. I call gardening my therapy and for very good reason, troubles seem to disappear while I am working and tending to my plants. It's no wonder then that the Farmer-Veteran Coalition is such a success. The Coalition works to connect returning veterans with employment, training, and a chance to "heal" while working on America's farms. Many war veterans find themselves suffering from post traumatic stress and feel unable to connect with their lives back home away from the war zone. That's where the Farmer-Veteran Coalition steps in. A large percentage of American veterans were raised in rural communities, and for them farms offer a more comfortable and less stressful setting than an office or factory. Overcoming the experiences of wartime can often seem to take a lifetime. Thankfully for many veterans returning home the Farmer-Veteran Coalition is there ready to help them receive the training, support, and healing they need in order to reconnect with themselves and the world around them.
Thanks Lacy. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.
