03/12/07 Young Farmers & Weather Changes

Young Farmers & Weather Changes plus Food Forethought. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report. Deciding to take on the mantle of a farmer is a big step. American Farm Bureau recently conducted a survey of what the biggest issues and concerns were for young farmers. AFB Young Farmers and Ranchers Chair Chris Chinn says it's easy to understand why young farmers and ranchers consider urbanization one of their biggest concerns. CHINN: There's also a huge concern about the urbanization and the loss of farmland, the city sprawl coming out and that is a big problem because it's a lot easier for a farmer to sell for $5000 dollars an acre for urbanization than it is to sell for $2500 an acre to a beginning farmer. Is global warming affecting the outdoorsman? In many places snow packs are melting earlier each year and the early run-offs are one of many signs of warming temperatures that have caught the attention of hunters and anglers around the United States -- an influential group that has its pulse on the outdoors. It's having an effect on everything from trout runs to goose hunting. Mild autumn and winter temperatures meant the geese could stay longer in coastal areas that used to freeze up. Groups like Trout Unlimited are now directing political attention to climate change issues and policy. Eighty percent of the outdoors-types surveyed said they believed the United States should be a world leader in addressing global warming. Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Susan Allen. If a cougar is cited near town where I live all pandemonium breaks loose. Kids and pets are kept inside, guns are hired and the cat is killed, even if it hasn't hurt anyone. Meanwhile another dangerous animal, one that kills or maims far more people and animals every year then cougars roams at will in our society. The pit bull. A savage attack in the Spokane Valley should have us all petitioning for legislation that at the very least would require an owner's permit for pit bulls. Drink the Wind a retired 33 year old race horse, whose lifetime winnings helped finance his owners' ranch, had his wind viscously ripped from him in February when two pit bulls pulled the old horse down and chewed his face and neck. Both horse and the dogs were euthanized. One family traumatically lost their prized horse, while another received a minor citation for letting dogs run at large. The owner of the Pit bulls commented that he was sorry, but that "dogs will be dogs". My comment, the time has come to make owners poignantly accountable, contact me at aginfo.net if you want to help me work to ban pit bulls. Thanks Susan. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.