October '99

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February '99, March '99, April '99, May '99, June '99, July '99, August '99, September '99

Food For Peace The USDA is donating 90,000 tons of U.S. wheat to Ethiopia under the Food for Progress Program. According to USDA, the wheat will aid 2.4 million Ethiopians during the country's current famine and will also lay the groundwork for future commercial agricultural relationships between the two countries. The Department is also donating 35,000 tons of US wheat to Georgia under the program. The wheat will be sold on the open market, with the proceeds going to aid the Georgian government's budget. Additionally, the USDA is providing $13 million under PL 480 Title I to Pakistan to buy 100,000 tons of U.S. wheat. The sales must take place during U.S. fiscal year 1999. The Food for Progress program allows USDA to donate U.S. agricultural commodities to help private enterprise and development in countries seeking to implement political and market reforms. Fiber Board Goes Into Production In less than six months, Pacific Northwest Fiber has gone from a start-up company on paper to a factory in full production. The Plummer, Idaho based Pacific Northwest Fiber fabricates particleboard from the straw residue of bluegrass seed fields in eastern Washington and northern Idaho. It was established in March 1999. The joint venture of Seeds, Inc., Tekoa, WA; the Coeur d'Alene Tribe and Prairie Forest Products of Hutchinson, KS, host ed the local community at an open house on August 19. According to PNF's General Manager Dave Bauermeister, board production began on Aug. 1. "The plant will use a significant portion of the straw that was produced in the 1999 and 1998 seed crops in Spokane County." The plant in Plummer represents a $5 million investment in equipment and provides 35 jobs and a payroll exceeding $1 million annually. For information about Pacific Northwest Fiber, contact David Bauermeister at 208/686-6800. Navigability Suit Challenged By Ag Legal Foundation From the OWGL The Oregon Agricultural Legal Foundation (OALF) is involved in a lawsuit that may set important precedents for property rights in Oregon. The Association of Northwest Steelheaders (ANS) have filed suit againsi ranchers David and Tammy Simantel, who own land adjacent to the John Day River. The Steelheaders are claiming that they have the right to use private property along Oregon streams for their own personal recreation. OALF claims that if the Steelheaders are successful in their suit, private property along streams will be open to the public. Property owners will be unable to control activities on their land. The case could also affect title to property along the banks of streams and lakes. OALF is raising money to support the defense. If you're interested in helping the project, contact OALF's Navigability Project coordinators Joe Hobson 503/399-1701 or Jean Wilkinson 503/361-8941. Young And Old Most At Risk For Agriculture-Related Injuries By Bill Loftus, University of Idaho Statistics show children 18 and younger and farm workers 51 and older are at greatest risk of agriculture-related injuries, says University of Idaho farm safety expert Tom Karsky at Moscow. With fall work preparing fields for seeding winter wheat and harvesting potatoes and sugar beets still ahead for many growers across Idaho, National Farm Safety and Health Week Sept. 19 to 25 carries an important message, Karsky said. So far, 1999 appears to be shaping up as a safe year on Idaho farms. Karsky has learned of only three agricultural fatalities: one tractor-related, one caused by a truck bed falling during maintenance and one the result of a child hit by a hay trailer. In 1998, Karsky's monitoring of newspaper reports showed eight fatalities, two tractor-related, one irrigation, one all-terrain vehicle, one hay wagon, one onion harvester, one aerial applicator and one the result of a falling hay bale. Karsky earlier analyzed a total of 208 newspaper reports of Idaho agricultural fatalities from 1979 to 1997. During that 19-year span, tractor-related deaths totaled 103, 47 percent of the total. National Safety Council statistics show tractor deaths declining as safety programs take effect, Karsky said. Rollovers are the most frequent cause of tractor fatalities. A campaign by tractor manufacturers and dealers to outfit tractors with rollover protection structures, ROPS, reduced the death toll. ROPS have been available on all new tractors for nearly three decades, but nearly a third of tractors in use still do not have them, Karsky said. Dealers have been making ROPS available for minimal or no profit. In addition to finding information through manufacturers or dealers, tractor owners can search for information on a website maintained by the Marshfield, Wis.-based, National Farm Medicine Center at http://www.marshmed.org/nfmc/rops/default.htm A new safety initiative, the North American Guidelines for Children's Agricultural Tasks, aims at reducing the number of children injured in farm accidents. In his 1979-97 statistics, Karsky found that nearly a third, 66 of 208, of those dying in farm accidents were 18 and younger. The National Children's Center for Rural and Agricultural Safety and Health earlier this summer published the guidelines to help farm families match jobs to children's developmental stages. The center maintains a website at: http://research.marshfieldclinic.org/children/. The campaign reflects the major role young people play on the farm. "Agriculture is about the only industry where you'll see them working in such large numbers and at such young ages," Karsky said. "A lot of times, it's just basically an awareness thing," Karsky said. "Kids will be physically able to do a job but they might not be capable of thinking through the task." Although his Idaho statistics show summer months account for most farm fatalities, Karsky noted that September and October accounted for 44 deaths during the two decades he monitored. That may fit in a couple of ways with the high proportion of fatalities among older farm workers, those 51 and older. With young farm workers back in school, older workers often take on seasonal jobs. Their skills and safety habits may be a little rusty, Karsky said, making them more vulnerable to mistakes. In addition, the tough agricultural economy can affect self-employed farm workers. "The biggest thing is the financial crunch is a concern because it is a distraction to the job at hand. We don't know how it will work out so our attention is often on it instead of what is happening right now," he said. "People who are under a lot of stress need to find ways to release that stress, maybe by talking to friends or clergy," Karsky said. "And when they're working, they also need to take frequent breaks. Most accidents occur at mid-morning or mid-afternoon so it's better to take frequent breaks than one long one." Karsky, the University of Idaho's Cooperative Extension System's farm safety specialist, was the lead author of a packet of agriculture safety information in both English and Spanish. The information is available for the copying cost at UI Extension offices in 42 of 44 Idaho counties. This summer a CD-ROM compiling Karsky's information was published. The CD is available for $12 plus shipping from: Ag Publications, College of Agriculture, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844-2240, by calling (208) 885-7982 or by the Internet at http://info.ag.uidaho.edu.

Best Management Practices For Livestock Confinement Areas From "Forever Soil and Water", Published by the Nez Perce Soil & Water Conservation District Seasonal livestock confinement operations can be considered as "non-point" pollution sources. Conservation districts and the Natural Resource Conservation Service work with livestock producers on a voluntary basis to minimize potential water pollution. Best Management Practices (BMPS) and other recommended techniques which may be applicable to individual confinement areas include the following: Alternative Water Developments: Off-stream livestock water developments to provide livestock with reliable, clean drinking water and reduce livestock concentration along streams and riparian areas. Berms: Diversions to channel runoff for safe disposal of excess surface water. Buffer Strip: Vegetated strips separating confinement areas from streams, providing vegetation for streambank stability and stream shading. Catch Crops: Temporary cover (such as cereal grains) planted in the confinement area for seasonal stabilization of soils and animal waste products. Dormant Stock Plantings: Willow or cotton-wood cuttings harvested during winter and planted along streambanks for rehabilitation of eroded areas and for stream shading. Drainage Control: Drains to convey uncontaminated water (roof runoff, etc.) through the confinement area, or to transport polluted water to a treatment location. Fencing: Barriers to manage livestock and minimize animal damage to streambanks or waste deposition in surface waters. Filter Strips: Vegetated slopes or channels to remove and utilize sediment and organic wastes in runoff or waste water. Grade Stabilization Structures: Structures to control the grade of surface water passing through drainage channels to reduce soil erosion and reduce pollution hazards. Typical structures include embankments, drop spillways, rock chutes and subsurface drains. Surface Treatments: Organic material such as bark, sawdust, or hog fuel for temporary absorption of animal wastes. Water Gaps: Stream access corridors maintained as access for livestock drinking water. Waste Storage Structures: Structures for temporary storage of animal waste. Lagoons, ponds, tanks, dry-stacking facilities or other structures designed to store animal waste, waste water, and bedding materials prior to waste removal. Waste Utilization: Application of animal wastes to provide fertility and soil structure to crop or fiber production, in balance with plant needs, drainage, and soil capabilities. Allergies, Asthma Linked To Air Quality By Tom Jirik, North Dakota State University Asthma is the leading chronic illness of children in the United States. It can be aggravated by exposure to tobacco smoke, pollen, and allergens from animals, plants and insects. "Because many people spend 90 percent or more of their time indoors, it is important to have good indoor air quality," says Ken Hellevang, an air quality expert with the North Dakota State University Extension Service. He offers the following tips: Check combustion devices annually to make sure they are operating properly. Combustion gases and particles can cause breathing difficulties for people with asthma. Try to keep humidity levels between 30 to 40 percent in the winter and below 60 percent in the summer. High humidity can promote growth of biological agents such as mold and mites that can trigger asthma or cause allergic symptoms such as a runny nose and itchy eyes or difficulty breathing. Use exhaust fans or open windows in kitchens or bathrooms when taking showers or cooking. Make sure clothes dryers are vented to the outdoors. If necessary, use a dehumidifier in the basement during warm weather or ventilate if outside air is cooler and drier than the basement. Clean humidifiers according to manufacturer's instructions. Refill them with fresh water everyday so harmful microbes will not grow and be dispersed into the air. Keep the house clean. Cleaning minimizes allergy-causing agents like microscopic dust mites, animal dander and pollen. Consider installing higher efficiency filters in home heating and cooling systems to reduce the number of particles in the air. For more information about indoor air quality visit the NDSU Extension Service Indoor Air Quality site at: http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/abeng/iaq.htm , the Environmental Protection Agency's web site: http://www.epa.gov/iaq/ , or call the EPA Indoor Air Quality Info Line at (800) 438-4318. October is national Home Indoor Air Quality Action and Awareness Month as part of the Healthy Indoor Air for America's Homes Project, a cooperative effort of educators in each state, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the EPA. Benefits Of Open U.S. Trade Policy From the U.S. Grains Council Despite the fears of opponents, globalization and the open, liberalized U.S. market system have been beneficial to the U.S. economy, said Dr. Robert Lawrence, nominated member of the White House Council of Economic Advisors, at the U.S. Grains Council Annual Board of Directors' meeting on Tuesday. Dr. Lawrence said that the U.S. economy was more reliant on trade than ever before. "Our economy is more open to international trade than it has been," said Lawrence. "Trade has been calculated to account for more than 24 percent of our gross domestic product. What that means is...more than one in five purchases involves foreign markets. "In 1998 agricultural exports totaling $50.6 billion, represented 26 percent of cash receipts of U.S. farmers," said Lawrence. U.S. agriculture, and many other industries, are deeply reliant on trade, as evidenced last year during the Asian financial crisis, noted Lawrence. For this reason, it is important for the United States to have a strong commitment to free trade. While this might open the U.S. economy up to some challenges, there are relief plans in place to cushion some hardships, plus the benefits of opening the U.S. market far outweigh the costs, he concluded. "We need to move forward to achieve an open trading system, one in which reasonable balances are struck between competing interests," said Lawrence. Dr. Robert Lawrence holds a Ph.D. in economics from Yale University and has written papers and books on domestic and international economics. He was nominated by President Clinton to serve as a member of the Council of Economic Advisors, on April 1, 1999. Dr. Lawrence is currently on leave from Harvard University, where he is the Albert L. Williams Professor of Trade and Investment at the John F. Kennedy School of Government. The U.S. Grains Council is a private, non-profit partnership of agribusinesses and producers committed to building and expanding international markets for U.S. barley, corn, grain sorghum and their products. The Council has 11 international offices which oversee programs in over 80 countries. Support for the Council comes from its producer and agribusiness members and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Only In America... Only In America... are there handicap parking places in front of a skating rink. Only In America... do people order double cheeseburgers fries, and a diet drink. Only In America... do banks leave both doors open and then chain the pens to the counter. Only In America... do we leave expensive cars in the driveway while boxes of useless items clutter up the garage. Humor Psychiatrists say that one of four people are mentally ill. Check three friends. If they're OK, you're it. There are two theories about arguing with a woman. Neither one works. Every time I think about exercise, I lie down till the thought goes away. Definitions Shin: A device for finding furniture in the dark. Black holes: Areas where God divided by zero.

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