Salem-News.com Agriculture articles Page 11

Salem Saturday Market Kickoff 2012 is a Blooming Success

Oregon sunshine (the dry variety) was enjoyed by all!

(SALEM, Ore.) - What is your idea of a Saturday morning in spring time? In Salem, Oregon, Spring means coming outdoors, breathing in the fresh air, and maybe even turning over some soil in your own backyard.

Friends and neighbors are seen mowing their yards, planning for events under sunny skies and looking for new, intriguing products to make spring really sing.

Drought Affecting Thousands in Somaliland

“Even the families with some livestock can't buy food due to the high prices” - Abdi-Rashid Sh. Mohamed, an elderly man in Baki.

(CHENNAI, India) - Officials in the self-declared republic of Somaliland are appealing for food aid and potable water for thousands of families who have lost their livelihoods in the current drought.

“You can see from far children running to the road waving empty bottles asking you for water and bread or biscuits,” Hussein Muhumed Hog, Somaliland's health minister, told IRIN.

Help Polish Minister Ban MON810 in Poland

Strong Beekeepers Protest and motion for a ban of the GM maize MON810 in Poland!

(WARSAW) - A powerful symbolic drama was staged by members of The Coalition for a GMO Free Poland in which thousands of dead bees were laid out on the Ministry steps.

The Minister of Agriculture, Mr Sawicki, never appeared. However he later saw a delegation in his office and, during a public broadcast, announced that he had set in motion a ban of the GM maize MON810.

Time to Grow for it- Homegrown on Your Own

Plan it properly, and you can enjoy a healthy, homegrown harvest from the fruits of your labor -- without having to spend hours tending it.

(FAIRFIELD, CT.) - Who would have thought getting dirt under your fingernails would ever be considered one of the hottest trends going?

According to Doug Jimerson, Garden Core Director for Better Homes and Gardens, “growing your own fruits, veggies and herbs is something Americans are doing in record numbers this season”.

Federal Lawmakers Urge FDA to Require GMO Labeling

A ruling is expected later this year.

(WASHINGTON DC) - A bipartisan group of 55 members of Congress this week urged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to require the labeling of genetically engineered (GE) foods.

The 45 House members and 10 senators joined in supporting a legal petition filed last year by the nonpartisan Center for Food Safety (CFS) on behalf of the “Just Label It” campaign that foods with genetically modified (GM) ingredients be labeled accordingly.

Merkley, DeFazio Introduce Bill to Ensure Americans Get Hired for Forest Work

Legislation Will Reform Temporary Visa Program.

(WASHINGTON DC) - Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley and Rep. Peter DeFazio introduced The American Jobs in American Forests Act to tighten restrictions on a visa program that was used to hire foreign workers at the expense of Oregon forest workers.

A Dept. of Labor investigation last year found federal stimulus funds were awarded to contractors in Oregon who underbid competition by using foreign laborers under the H-2B visa program.

Oregon Lumber Mill Cited for Toxic Chemical Leaks and Violations

PCBs are known carcinogens and can harm the immune, reproductive, nervous and endocrine systems.

(SEATTLE) - Sanders Wood Products Company in Liberal, Oregon was found to have a series of PCB leaks and other violations of federal PCB laws at its lumber mill, according to a settlement reached with the EPA.

The company will pay over $108,000 in penalties.

Secretary Salazar Proposes Expansion of Ecological Forestry in Western Oregon

BLM to Schedule 5 Additional Ecological Forestry Sales and Update Resource Management Plans with Latest Science and Forestry Principles.

(MEDFORD, OR) - During a visit today to one of three ecological forestry pilot projects in Oregon, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced that the BLM will apply ecological forestry principles on a broader landscape.

Secretary Salazar`s Failed Timber Policies Bad for Rural Oregon

Industry news release decries Salazar's visit to Oregon today.

(PORTLAND, OR) - Ken Salazar, President Obama’s Secretary of the Interior, was in Medford, Oregon to tour the “Pilot Joe” demonstration project and hold a Town Hall meeting.

Downplaying the impact of a new Northern Spotted Owl critical habitat designation, he announced yet another forest planning process for 2.5 million acres of western Oregon forests.

Sitting in Starbucks, eating GMOs

The vast majority of the country believes people have a right to know what is in their food and that GMOs must be labeled.

(NEW YORK ) - Across the country rage is growing about GMOs and their being unleashed one after another on the country.