Meanwhile, rising obesity rates, mad cow disease and documentaries like "Supersize Me," which chronicled the ills of fast food, cast a spotlight on the conventional methods of growing and processing food. Organic food makes up the largest segment of the green market. Organic farming is practiced without the use of genetically modified organisms and applies standards that protect the land and water supply. The small cooperative grocery -- which specializes in organic and natural foods and...

The rising prices will be spurred in large part by increasing fuel and feed costs incurred by dairy farmers and a growing global demand for milk products, the economists say. The reasons include rising fuel and feed costs for farmers and increasing demand for milk products around the globe. Department of Agriculture forecast also predicts an increase in the price that processors pay to farmers for raw milk. USDA nutritional guidelines, for instance, recommend that most Americans drink 3...

However, increased corn acreage will help moderate grain prices, and that keeps livestock farms and ethanol distilleries financially healthy, Hart said. Friday's numbers were welcome news to livestock producers, although they'll be watching nervously to see if farmers grow as much as they've told the Department of Agriculture they will. Barring bad weather, that's good news for everyone from grocery shoppers to ethanol producers and hog farmers, because the big crop would help moderate...

With higher gas prices, a demand for ethanol and the increased production of bio-diesel, it's not going to get any cheaper to be in the dairy business. Corn costs have doubled and feed costs represent about half the production costs for farmers, making it tough all the way around. This will only see more and more average workers having to get state help to feed their families and/or all of the other state help that they are able to get to meet their bills and feed their families a good...

The meals are planned in line with the new USDA food guide pyramid, which was introduced in 2005, giving food service managers an idea of what growing kids need to thrive. If you would focus on one day, it may seem to be a higher fat content, but if you do it over a range of five days you will find the average. The new pyramid emphasizes whole grains and proteins, and unlike the previous pyramid, includes a notation about the importance of physical activity. We plan well-balanced meals,...

The Lowell resident still has deeds that list the purchase of 240 acres for $1. So he is intimately familiar with the history of the area and what makes the land special. Bryant said nitrogen wears off, so farmers replenish their nitrogen levels regularly. Bryant said the soil isn't as fertile as farms in central Indiana, but it's pretty good soil. The initial effect was high levels of nitrogen and organic materials in the soil. The organic matter develops from decomposed plants and...