Capitol press reports, an analysis by the food and agricultural policy research institute found that adopting California's fluid milk standard nationally would increase prices to dairymen.
California requires milk producers who reduce butterfat, to replace the nutrition by way of nonfat solids. The Western United Dairymen says if California's standard was adopted nationally, it would push up prices to everyone by expanding the demand for non-fat dairy solids. But the International Dairy Foods Association, opposes the idea.
It says it would raise dairy prices, increase processing costs and the costs of government nutrition programs, and harm exports.
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Gardens are the hot new trend in restaurants this year as more chefs decide to grow their own tomatoes, herbs and other produce.
A third of the 2,000 chefs surveyed by the national restaurant association named gardens the top trend.
The association says it costs restaurants less to grow their own produce than to buy it elsewhere and have it shipped. Gardening also gives chefs better quality control.
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California strawberry production is moving south.
The harvest is shifting from the Watsonville-Salinas area to Oxnard and other southern regions. The California Farm Bureau Reports, the harvest will continue along the central coast until rain begins in earnest.
Farmers remain on pace to establish a new production record. They've sold about 4-percent more strawberries so far this year than they had at this time last year.
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Pumpkins don't grow on trees, but tell that to an Iowa farmer.
Neighbors outside a home near Des Moines were a little perplexed when they saw this pumpkin tree. People noticed the first pumpkin, suspended in mid-air, about twelve feet off the ground. Then, a second pumpkin grew.
A farmer says a pumpkin vine grew up the tree, spread down a branch and started growing pumpkins.
Many crops in Iowa are growing faster this year, after heavy rain over the summer.
