Horse Dies & New U.S. Export Figures

Wednesday Dec 4th, 2013 33 Views Northwest Report

Horse Dies & New U.S. Export Figures plus Food Forethought. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report.

Recently we reported on an animal cruelty issue in Washington's Spokane Country where some 100 horses were seized earlier this year. One of those horses has died. The horse was a five-month old colt that was found malnourished and orphaned. The Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service said a warrant has been issued for the owner of the property, Janice Hickerson, on various charges including animal cruelty and confinement in an unsafe manner. SCRAPS has released a statement saying they cannot adopt out any of the animals at this time due to the criminal investigation.

The U.S. farm export picture for this fiscal year is looking a little better than analysts had thought a few months ago. USDA's Joe Glauber comments on the 2014 Ag export report.

GLAUBER: Price levels are lower for many of the commodities and so looking at grains and feeds - the value for grains and feeds for 2013 was around 33-billion. We're looking at something closer to 28-billion for 2014.

But things like fruits and vegetables will increase which is good news.

Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Lacy Gray.

Red is certainly the color of the season, and one of the most popular and predominant food items to be served during holiday time is a beautiful scarlet red that makes dinner tables pop. What is it? Why it's cranberries of course! Cranberries not only look good on the holiday table they taste good and are good for us. They are low in calories and cholesterol free, providing lots of fiber and vitamin C. Cranberries also have a reputation for helping maintain a healthy urinary tract, and their antibacterial properties may also help to prevent ulcers and gum disease. Recent studies show that consuming whole cranberries, as opposed to purified cranberry extracts in liquids, does a better job of protecting the cardiovascular system and the liver. Cranberries also have cancer preventative benefits which are known now to extend to cancers of the breast, colon, lungs, and prostate. Another great thing about cranberries is that in their dried form they have roughly the same sugar level of raisins and 50% more fiber, plus kids love them. When you add up the health benefits of eating cranberries the attractiveness of cranberries is just an added bonus.

Thanks Lacy. And that's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.