Sound Bites: Rural MD Needs Immigration Reform | Update: Gather Baltimore | Why Bees Are Dying

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August 13, 2013 – Segment 4

It’s another episode of Sound Bites. We start by talking to Lucie L. Snodgrass, Maryland state executive director of the USDA’s Farm Service Agency about an op-ed she wrote for The Baltimore Sun titled, “Rural Maryland needs immigration reform.”

Later in the hour, current OSI-Baltimore Community Fellow Arthur Morgan gives us an update on his project Gather Baltimore, a volunteer-based program that collects and gleans fresh produce donated by farmer’s markets and farms for distribution to people with limited access to healthy food in Baltimore. He talks about a few upcoming events and initiatives.

Then, we discuss a new study done by the University of Maryland and the US Department of Agriculture that points to why large numbers of bees are dying. Scientists identified a mixture of pesticides and fungicides that contaminate pollen and subsequently kill bees. Joining us are:

• Dr. Jeff Pettis, Research Leader in the Bee Research Laboratory for the Agricultural Research Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture who co-authored the report;
• Steve McDaniel, certified master beekeeper and past President of the Maryland State Beekeepers Association;
• and Meme Thomas, director of Baltimore Honey, a nonprofit that works to maximize local honeybee pollination coverage for local food security.

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Written by Marc Steiner

The Marc Steiner Show currently airs on The Real News Network. The show covers the topics that matter, engaging real voices, from Charm City to Cairo and beyond. Email us to share your comments with us.