Water Meters Save Resources & Bison Survey

Water Meters Save Resources & Bison Survey

Water Meters Save Resources & Bison Survey plus Food Forethought. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report.

California has a major water problem and Central California farmers are looking for new ways of stretching a limited water supply because of the ongoing drought.  Some farms are switching over to high tech water flow meters to reduce the amount of water needed for irrigation.  Tony Pereira of Advanced Water Products.

PEREIRA: The industry has evolved where technology has come down in cost so we're able to put a magnetic flow meter with no moving parts that's a little more accurate in place of the old mechanical meters with a propeller or prop.

Executive Director of the National Bison Association, Dave Carter says that they are pleased that USDA has approved a comprehensive study for the bison industry. Carter says that USDA is now seeking guidance on where to focus their assistance- in potential topics such as herd health issues, rangeland management and markets, among other things.  NASS will be sending out questionnaires to producers soon to get their input as to where to focus the USDA assistance.

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

Too often persons accusing farmers and ranchers of bad farming practices receive their information from anti-ag groups; groups that have their own political agenda and aren't interested in providing real science or facts. Here is a fact - to farm in a way that damages the soil or the environment is counterproductive for the farmer. Poor soil makes for poor yields. A farmer operating that way wouldn't stay in business for very long. That said, there is always room for improvement in any industry, and farmers are well aware of that. The vast majority of farmers work hard at being good stewards of the land and working within their communities to improve the environment. So contrary to what is often depicted in anti-agriculture activists' advertisements and propaganda - all farmers in the U.S. are not "greedy agri-business people". U.S. farmers and ranchers should feel good about their chosen profession and the fact that they are helping to meet the world's food needs. And anyone who eats, should too.

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

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