Sunrise Magic & Protecting Seed

An apple is getting a second release with a new name. WSU has launched a second release of WA 2 with a new commercial licensing and marketing program in partnership with Proprietary Variety Management. Cristy Warnock with PVM talks about Sunrise Magic.

WARNOCK: The first thing we did was to do some consumer focus groups to come up with a brand name that resonates with consumers. We did two different focus groups, one in Seattle and one in Spokane. The color of WA2 is kind of a pinkish, glowing, orangy-red kind of color that reminded people of a sunrise and then the flavor is really mild and refreshing and everyone kept picturing eating an apple in the orchard at dawn, you know for like breakfast to get your day started fresh.

Oregon farmers are dealing with some contention over House Bill 4122. HB 4122 would give back to all local governments in Oregon the right to protect farmers from contamination by genetically engineered crops. Katy Coba, director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture, has admitted that Oregon has neither the expertise nor the resources to address issues of contamination by genetically modified organisms. The contention is that some say 4122 is not about protecting seeds but about telling farmers what crops they can or cannot grow on their land.

That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network of the West.