07/26/06 Writing that Farm Bill

Writing that Farm Bill. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report. The Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee learned of the suspension of world trade talks just ahead of the committee's fourth farm bill field hearing Monday. Georgia Senator Saxby Chambliss says he had hoped for a better outcome...tape CHAMBLISS: We had an indication that the Europeans were going to make a strong move. I regret to say it looks like they have not and that the negotiations in Geneva are not bearing fruit and I don't know where we're going to go from here but hopefully we have the opportunity to ultimately get a meaningful response from the Europeans on market access and that we are able to resolve with developing countries this issue of sensitive products. Chambliss made his comments during a break in testimony at the farm bill field hearing in Ankeny, Iowa. Chambliss - along with Iowa Senators Tom Harkin and Chuck Grassley heard from a dozen representatives of Midwest agriculture. And Chambliss pledged his committee would move ahead with writing a new farm bill...tape CHAMBLISS: Well we're going to move ahead. We're going to write the next Farm Bill next year. Now I have said consistently that when I say we're going to write the Farm Bill next year that does not mean that we can't look at some kind of extension of all or some part of the current Farm Bill as a part of writing that Farm Bill. I don't think it makes good business sense to extend this Farm Bill per se for one year or two years because farmers need to make plans and they need to make commitments and they need a long term stable farm program they can depend upon. Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Susan Allen. When I was a young girl I remember getting scolded by my grandpa for chasing his Semimetal cattle on my horse. His philosophy was that a happy cow was better tasting than an unhappy bovine. Some 35 years latter I wonder what grandpa would have thought about the research study that concluded that cattle are happiest around woman. It is well known that one woman; Temple Grandin has made the lives of millions of cattle better by designing more humane feedlots through her methodology of removing square pens in favor of round ones that lack the stressful corners that cause cattle to bunch. Some would say that Temple, who is autistic, is blessed with an innate understanding of animals yet others like vet Neil Chesterton from New Zealand feel women in general can intuitively tell when a cow is hurt or ill. His research has led him to the conclusion that woman are simply better observers than men, and because they can sense when something is not right with a cow, cattle are more content in the company of woman ranchers. &.I would have to add that the women ranchers I know are pretty content as well. I'm Susan Allen and this has been Food Forethought. Thanks Susan. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.