The value of other crops--soybeans, cotton, wheat, rice and vegetable crops--also will likely climb as farmers switch to corn and cash in on prices as high as $4. In the past six months, the rush to produce more corn-based ethanol has doubled the grain's value, increasing costs for foods that include corn as an ingredient or rely on it as animal feed. Department of Agriculture said in January that if corn prices rise by $1 a bushel, grocery shoppers should see the price of pork rise about...

With more stringent water restrictions and a lingering drought, Southwest Florida farmers are growing more concerned about their crops, from citrus to tomatoes. If rain doesn t fall soon, more growers could find themselves under Phase III restrictions and that s worrisome for an industry that depends so much on water for its survival. It has been a tough season all around for the region s vegetable growers, with so much competition coming from Mexico this year. He said larger growers in...

Spurred by the growing movement to reduce trans fats from the diets of Americans, members of the cottonseed oil industry are ramping up efforts to reintroduce cottonseed oil as a versatile, trans-free oil, ideally suited to meet the needs of food processors, foodservice operators and restaurateurs. National Cottonseed Products Association :: New Campaign Brings Cottonseed Oil, America's Original Vegetable Oil, Back Into The Spotlight. Despite its prevalence in a multitude of everyday...

There's a frequently-asked-question section in the back, and a "Cheat Sheet" inside the front cover that includes a guide to fertilizers and shade-loving plants. The book is packed with easy-to-follow instructions for gardening enthusiasts. Hey, not everyone has a natural green thumb - folks sometimes need help getting started. Chapters on pest control, weed management, growing fruits and vegetables, and gardening for kids accompany how-tos on annuals, perennials, bulbs, roses, lawns,...

Beekeepers say their industrious workers have been vanishing mysteriously from their hives since last fall -- leaving behind well-stocked food stores, their developing offspring and a forlorn queen and her attendants. Bigger operators, who truck hives by the thousands from citrus groves in Florida to berry farms in Maine, have been alarmed by losses of up to 90 percent. Pollination fees are already increasing sharply because of rising demand, and significant bee losses could reduce crop...

Children generally will adopt the eating patterns of their parents, so it is essential for you and your husband to be good role models and demonstrate healthy eating patterns, they say. My kids are refusing to eat vegetables and other foods my husband avoids. Ask your husband to talk to your kids about why he doesn't eat vegetables, Freedman says. When you talk to your husband, discuss the increase in the number of diabetes cases in young children. I don't want my children to grow up with...