1-6 NWR ODA Reachout

This is your Northwest report for Friday, January 6 I'm David Sparks and trade managers with the Oregon Department of Agriculture are setting an excellent example for other states in the Northwest by reaching out within the state to connect with local producers, food processors, and others who might be looking for some help. ODA Marketing Director Terry Fasel says ODA trade managers have been geographically assigned to regions of the state to help provide assistance to local producers, processors, and others. These trade managers are physically traveling to these locations: "We are beating the bushes and trying to connect with every company we can and help them, meet them where they are– not try and push everyone to be an exporter or a big company even, necessarily– but to figure out and hear and listen to them exactly where they are in the process and how we can support that program."  

Elsewhere, and particularly relevant to Northwest dairy producers, there was a recent editorial in the Los Angeles Times spelling out all of the products that introduce themselves as milk... But aren't. The writer ranted about their use of milk in products such as soy milk, almond milk, cashew and hazelnut milk and the list goes on. The definition of milk means that it comes from the mammary gland of a mammal and the dairy industry is asking Congress to step in on this issue of false branding.