Courtemanche lives a mile and a half from the site of a proposed 900,000-chicken farm, but she and other residents aren't putting out any welcome mats. Residents like Courtemanche--as well as developers of a nearby 11,000-home subdivision under construction--don't want the stench of egg farms near their homes. As California's agricultural heartland becomes increasingly suburban, the state's egg production has fallen to its lowest level in 50 years. Consumers are increasingly interested in...

Established rows of carrots, beets, parsnips and onions should be thinned so that three fingers fit between individual plants. Vegetables and fruits - It is full-speed-ahead on planting bush beans, pole beans, corn, cucumbers, melons and squash. Feed every two weeks with a water-soluble fertilizer at one-half strength. Trees and shrubs - Control growth of conifers by cutting "candles" of new growth in half. Flowers - Plant zinnias, cosmos, cleome and nasturtiums. Cover threatened tender...

But it's LaRue's jaw, wide and muscled like an alligator's, that separates the Hollywood resident from ordinary men and women who can't or won't eat 34 ears of corn in 12 minutes. His hands make a foot-long ear of sweet corn look the size of a stick of butter. Names such as Chip Simpson, ranked fifth in the world and best known for eating 156 chicken wings in 12 minutes in competition; Jason "Crazy Legs" Conti, who has eaten a world-best 31/2 pounds of pancakes and bacon in 12 minutes, and...

Together with Syngenta's expertise in corn breeding this will result in improved and broader product availability for Chinese growers. Syngenta is a world-leading agribusiness committed to sustainable agriculture through innovative research and technology. The company is a leader in crop protection, and ranks third in the high-value commercial seeds market. Such statements may be subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from these...

Dairy farmers have failed to keep pace with a 3 percent increase in annual milk consumption, according to Rabobank Groep in the Netherlands, the world's biggest agricultural lender. Rising demand for grain-based ethanol has increased the price of corn feed and may prevent dairy farmers from expanding their cow herds, agricultural analysts say. Raghuveera Reddy, agriculture minister for Andhra Pradesh, an east Indian state of more than 75 million people, said rising milk costs ''will have...

Kellogg co., for example, has raised the prices of some of its cereals and frozen waffles in recent months amid higher costs for corn, wheat and other commodities. The report underscores how favorable weather is needed this summer to produce a large enough crop to meet expected demand, some market participants said. Concerns about tight stocks triggered yet another climb in the grain prices that have been troublesome recently for for food companies. Among other commodities, precious metals...