USDA Satellite News Feed
May 15, 2008
Contact: USDA-TV (202) 720-7039/720-6445

1. FEATURE – USDA GRANT HELPS HAWAII FARMER CONTROL PESTS
INTRO: A US Dept of Agriculture conservation grant is helping a Hawaiian farmer control pests and reduce chemical use. The USDA’s Bob Ellison has the story. (1:43)
(NOTE: May is Asian-Pacific American Heritage month)

2. Soundbites & B-Roll (1:43)

3. FEATURE – MEET THE MEAT & POULTRY HOTLINE
INTRO: The US Dept of Agriculture’s Meat & Poultry Hotline is in its 3rd decade of answering questions on food safety. USDA’s Pat O’Leary takes us on a visit. (1:46)

4. Soundbites and B-roll (1:46)

FEATURE – USDA GRANT HELPS HAWAII FARMER CONTROL PESTS
INTRO: A US Dept of Agriculture conservation grant is helping a Hawaiian farmer control pests and reduce chemical use. The USDA’s Bob Ellison has the story.

PICKLEWORMS, MELON THRIPS, WHITEFLIES AND OTHER INSECTS HAVE LONG BEEN THREATS TO WEI CHONG HO’S 40-ACRE VEGETABLE FARM, ON THE ISLAND OF OAHU. HIS LONG TERM GOAL OF REDUCING THE USE OF PESTICIDES GOT A BOOST FROM A RECENT CONSERVATION INNOVATION GRANT FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE’S NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE. THE GRANT HELPED HO PURHCASE NETS TO COVER HIS CUCUMBERS, TOMATOES, SQUASH AND OTHER CROPS.

Wei Chong Ho, Hawaii Farmer: As farmers we touch the soil and water more than the city people do. So we’ve got to take care.

WEI CHONG’S DAUGHTER, WHO ALSO WORKS ON THE FARM, SAYS THE RESULTS FROM THE GRANT MATCH WHAT THEIR CUSTOMERS WANT.

Shin Houy Ho, Hawaii Farmer: It part of the business and it’s really important for consumers today to know that they are getting safe, healthy food or produce and that it is coming from a farm that practices conservation. I think it’s a very important selling point.

AND THE INTENT OF THE GRANT IS BEING MET, ACCORDING TO THE HO’S CONSERVATION PARTNER, NRCS.

Jolene Lau, USDA-NRCS: He wants to minimize the use of chemicals. He’s not just thinking about his product and having it pest free, but he’s thinking about his resources and how what he does on the land affects his neighbors, everyone down stream from him
When the results show what a difference it makes, how their innovative idea reduced the use of chemicals, this could be used by any of the farmers for any type of crop in the Pacific Islands area.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CONSERVATION GRANTS AND OTHER PROGRAMS VISIT YOUR LOCAL USDA SERVICE CENTER OR NRCS.USDA.GOV.
FOR THE US DEPT OF AGRICULTURE, I’M BOB ELLISON.

FEATURE – MEET THE MEAT & POULTRY HOTLINE
INTRO: The US Dept of Agriculture’s Meat & Poultry Hotline is in its 3rd decade of answering questions on food safety. USDA’s Pat O’Leary takes us on a visit.

Female Hotline specialist: USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline, how may I help you?
SINCE THE MID-1980’S, THE USDA MEAT AND POULTRY HOTLINE HAS HANDLED SCORES OF CONSUMER QUESTIONS.

Bernard (voiceover): An example of that would be how long can I keep beef in the freezer, or how long can I refrigerate my hard cooked eggs. We hear these just about daily.
Male Hotline specialist: Refrigerate it, you know, frozen its okay,(continues)

OPERATED BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE’S FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE, THE HOTLINE – REACHABLE AT 1-888-MPHOTLINE - GIVES OUT THE LASTEST GOVERNMENT GUIDANCE ON HOW TO BE FOOD SAFE.
Kathy Bernard, Acting Manager, USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline: The Be Food Safe campaign is: clean, separate, cook and chill and basically that’s: keep hands, surfaces and utensils clean; keep your meat & poultry products separate from products that will not be cooked; cook to a safe minimum internal temperature; and then chill your cooked foods within 2 hours.

Female Hotline specialist: That’s our Be Foodsafe message.

Pat O’Leary, USDA (stand-up): The food safety specialists are available in person Monday through Friday from 10am to 4pm eastern standard time. All other times you can choose from an assortment of automated food safety messages.

Female specialist: That’s not a problem, anything in the freezer is safe indefinitely.
Female bilingual specialist: Muchas gracias…

WITH WELL OVER 2 MILLION CALLS LOGGED, THE HOTLINE HAS PROVEN TO BE A VALUABLE RESOURCE – AND A LABOR OF LOVE.
Bernard: Because we’re helping people. We enjoy helping people and people tell us all the time – you’re just like a mom away from home. We feel like we’re keeping people safe, and their families safe

Female Hotline specialist: Thank you for calling the Meat & Poultry Hotline.

CALL 1-888-MPHOTLINE, THAT’S 1-888-674-6854 OR, ON THE WEB, VISIT ASKKAREN.GOV.
Bernard: And you can ask your food safety questions 24 hours a day.

IN BELTSVILLE, MARYLAND FOR THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, I’M PAT O’LEARY.