The Deansboro agriculture advocate drives a Dakota Sport pickup with bumper stickers promoting his cause, including a decal on the passenger side panel that screams, "Raised to Graze. It's a message farmers seem to be listening to as their production costs continue to rise. So the fast-talking farmer, savvy in both marketing and farming, decided to put the nickname on a business card. Madison County farmer says the practice is best for farms, environment. His message is simple: Animals...

Not only have many dairy co-ops notified their farmers that they want an increasing supply of rBST-free milk, but Starbucks (Nasdaq: SBUX) recently said it was also bowing to consumer pressure and discontinuing the use of dairy produced with the substance. Not only have many dairy co-ops notified their farmers that they want an increasing supply of rBST-free milk, but Starbucks (Nasdaq: SBUX) recently said it was also bowing to consumer pressure and discontinuing the use of dairy produced...

Even as senators and representatives argued about withdrawal deadlines, they were busy stuffing the supplemental appropriations request with earmark spending and pork projects. I'm all for education in rural areas, and I'm even pro-sugar-beet, in a theoretical and impersonal way. But that doesn't mean they're appropriate projects for the federal government to fund. No doubt, some of these are worthy projects. And they're completely inappropriate additions to a spending bill meant to fund...

But despite longstanding treaty commitments to help poor countries deal with warming, these industrial powers are spending just tens of millions of dollars on ways to limit climate and coastal hazards in the world's most vulnerable regions - most of them close to the equator and overwhelmingly poor. But despite longstanding treaty commitments to help poor countries deal with warming, these industrial powers are spending just tens of millions of dollars on ways to limit climate and coastal...

The refining process was complex; it involved separating rough grains from the industrial waste known as molasses, usually dumped in the sea. When beet sugar began threatening the cane market in the 19th century, Martinique producer Homre Clment had the idea to squeeze fresh cane and ferment the juice as if it was wine before distilling. But beyond the cachet and the H, is rhum truly a different beast from plain old rum? To find out, I set off on a course of research armed only with hot...

Bush, Big Three brainstorm in Oval Office meeting By JUSTIN HYDE Detroit Free Press WASHINGTON President Bush on Monday reiterated his support for expanding the use of ethanol and other renewable fuels for cars and trucks in a meeting with the heads of Detroit's automakers, who are committed to making half of all new vehicles flex-fuel capable by 2012. Bush, Big Three brainstorm in Oval Office meeting By JUSTIN HYDE Detroit Free Press WASHINGTON President Bush on Monday reiterated his...

To decide the level of scrutiny a plant should get, the "risk-based" system will consider the type of product and the plant's record of food safety violations. No timetable has been set for shifting to the new inspection system, although the Agriculture Department is expected to release one within the next few weeks. Agriculture Department officials say the agency's 7,500 food safety inspectors conducted about 9.2 million inspections at about 6,000 plants last year. Recently, large batches...

Miscanthus is one of the leading candidates for dedicated energy crops for production of biofuels such as ethanol from lignocellulosic plant material. Mendel has relationships with leading agricultural, forestry and horticulture companies for the commercialization of improved seed and plant products, including Monsanto. Mendel is developing new seed products for the emerging bioenergy market, focused on seeds and feedstock products for the cellulosic ethanol industry. This acquisition...

The remainder was primarily comprised of group health and property and casualty placements with a small amount of personal lines and life thrown in for good measure. A few short years ago the Company placed virtually no crop insurance. It is not an oversight that crop is excluded from this list. More specifically, seasoned leadership is in place for all key product offerings - workers' compensation, health and benefits, crop, property and casualty, personal lines and life and the...