"Cal-Cot", the cotton growers cooperative, says farmers planted later than they would have liked, but weather the last few weeks has been favorable. Cotton plants emerged quickly and have been growing rapidly thanks to warming temperatures.
The California Farm Bureau says continued warm weather in the Central Valley will help the plants catch up from being planted late.
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Researchers may have found a new use for chicken feathers. Instead of stuffing for pillows, they may become a substitute for petroleum in some plastics.
At least two companies are working on items from flower pots to office furniture made from feathers. The technology would allow the U.S. to cut back on oil and give poultry producers another market for the more than three billion feathers leftover each year.
Researchers say the challenge is coming up with products that manufacturers and consumers want at a price that's right.
