09/19/06 E. Coli Worsens & Broadband Access

E. Coli worsens & broadband access. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report. The number of people sickened by E. coli bacteria linked to contaminated spinach from California`s Salinas Valley has risen to 109 people in 19 states, as a second produce company began recalling its spinach products. River Ranch Fresh Foods, which grows and processes fresh vegetables, recalled its brands of mixed salads containing spinach Sunday, after U.S. Food and Drug Administration investigators found that the company had bought spinach from Natural Selection Foods, the main company linked to what is becoming the nation`s largest E. coli outbreak ever. Officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, meanwhile, have started an emergency operations center in Atlanta to assist state health agencies with testing for E. coli, which has been blamed for the death of a 77-year-old woman in Wisconsin and kidney failure in 16 of the other victims. Community facilities in rural towns and communities without access to broadband service will get broadband grant funds for connecting to high-speed telecommunications. Agriculture Deputy Secretary Chuck Conner announced the availability of 8.9-million dollars in grant funds Friday. Grants will be used to connect essential services of police and fire protection - medical centers - libraries - and schools to broadband service. Doing so - according to Conner - improves public safety and gives residents the opportunity to pursue educational opportunities. Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Susan Allen. Having a grandfather who was a meat cutter and a father in law who was a cattle buyer I learned that marbling was the standard when selecting beef, also that a buttery steak that melts in your mouth was the result of feedlot expertise. So while I respect ranchers who grow sustainable grass fed beef it has never interested me to serve it. The fact that I typically have a freezer full of all the "grass fed" game I could eat also might have something to do with my apathy. I have been told though that the taste and quality of grass fed beef is improving as producers learn better rotation practices, varietal grazing and breeds that flourish on grass. Some growers are even graining animals a few weeks prior to slaughter to improve meat flavor. And this is where grass fed labeling gets tricky. The American Grassfed Association is made up of producers of 100 percent grass fed animals, yet cattle can be considered grass fed if they have eaten hay or silage in a feedlot their whole lives. Like the organic movement, Grass Fed Beef will become more regulated as it is embraced by consumers who opt for grass fed beef for it's unique bold flavor and health attributes. Thanks Susan. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.