02/21/07 Dust Mystery Solved & Gestation Debate

Solving the dust mystery & gestation debate plus Food Forethought. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report. Yesterday I reported on a mysterious dust that coated everything in a wide area of the Pacific Northwest. There were a lot of ideas about where the dust came from including a disintegrated meteor and volcanic ash from Mount St. Helens. Turns out, it's pollen from cedar and juniper trees. Normally the pollen isn't noticed since it is knocked down by rain but a combination of warm temperatures and dry conditions caused the pollen to cover the area. Due to the type of pollen, it isn't affecting most allergy sufferers. The debate over which is better for hogs  gestation stall systems or group housing systems  has been ignited by the decisions of two North American pork processors to begin phasing out gestation stalls. Researchers in Canada believe that when it comes to productivity - research data indicates a well managed group housing system can be as productive as gestation stall system. Over the past six years researchers at the Prairie Swine Centre have been comparing the two systems. Dr. Harold Gonyou says the general consensus of North American research is that both systems can achieve good productivity - it`s just a question of which the decision makers consider more important - freedom from aggression - or freedom of movement. GONYOU: It's difficult to talk about an absolute level on each farm. We have farms out there that can have finishing pigs gaining a thousand grams a day. And we have others in even an un-crowded situations, 800 grams a day would be very good and it's simply based on a number of other factors. The feed that they're using, the genetics that they have, the health status of their animals, all those things go in. Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Susan Allen. I love all the tactics marketers use to woo we women consumers. Oh it's flattering to be a desired demographic. Take tires. Who has ever thought to market tires specifically to women? No one. Tire ads typically use, fast cars, plump little doughboy like characters or cowboy's peddling beef. Meanwhile the auto industry is getting it; they are manufacturing more female friendly vehicles and reaping results through increased sales of luxury cars like the Lexus and Mercedes to affluent women. So what do we women want from our tires? One up and coming tire manufacturer, Kumho has answered that question with scent. Believing that women are turned off by the rubber smell of tires the company has developed a lavender oil infused tire that emits a lovely perfume when the tires heat up. Funny thing though, I asked around and most woman I know don't want their tires feminized, they even admit to liking the "masculine" smell of tire rubber. Like the aroma of saddles and boots, some things just don't need tweaking. Thanks Susan. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.