Other defenders of the huge federal farm bill make paeans to yeoman farmers "living under a yard light, trying to plow the land, plant a seed, harvest a crop. And still other senators mock the opponents of the bill that would send $32 billion over five years mostly to large farmers of a few crops during one of the biggest grain price booms on record. Democrats and Republicans on the Agriculture Committee, backed by crowds of lobbyists, are pulling out all the stops to pass a $288 billion,...

Rout's wheat crop, like most others in eastern Australia, has been ruined by the driest winter he has ever seen. Prime Minister John Howard, formerly a climate change sceptic, has acknowledged the need to curb the greenhouse gas emissions blamed for global warming, but has downplayed the threat it poses. He will also produce only a fraction of the barley he had hoped for, and is worried by the long-term effects of climate change. Enduring drought, frequent bushfires and rising temperatures...

For a larger perspective, according to information from the group, the 4.13 million bales to be harvested on the South Plains would make it the seventh largest cotton producing country in the world. In several areas, cotton acres had corn growing on them this summer or were reserved for winter wheat planting because of high prices for grain. The gin, now in its third season of processing, also is seeing high quality fiber from the crop. The gin is capable of producing 55 bales an hour,...

Wyeth is recommending that consumers with children in thetwo throughfive age group not use the medicines until replacement products with a new dosage cup are available. The recalled soups were shipped to 24 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wyoming. Wyeth, the company that makes a...

Let's make sure those are smart investments that recognize the wide array of parents' needs and create access to high-quality options for Minnesota's children. I have a particular problem with Hann's claims that local governments should claim more responsibility for school funding. If Hann is concerned about local control, I invite him to join me in working to stop anti-tax extremists who live in other states from misleading Minnesota voters -- hired hands like Paul Dorr, who lied to...

Ann Bearden, who owns the White Rabbit home-and-garden store on South Pine Street and also teaches cooking classes, said thawing is commonly overlooked by inexperienced cooks as an important part of turkey preparation. Bearden said the best thing to do, besides ordering a fresh bird, is to leave your thawing turkey in the refrigerator or cooler for at least three days. For Shirley Whiteside, preparing the favorite dish of any Thanksgiving culinary masterpiece - the turkey - is both an art...