Wolford says growers in the FSA s local region estimate that they ve already lost between 35 percent to 90 percent of crops for 2007 from the drought. Wolford said financial losses to area growers from the cold snap and freeze that struck over Easter weekend, April 7-9, are estimated at more than $20 million. The accompanying one-two punch of the drought will add another devastating financial hit to farmers that could negatively impact area agriculture for years to come, Wolford said....

By Field Maloney Posted Friday, March 17, 2006, at 1:34 PM ET A scene from Whole Foods groceryIt's hard to find fault with Whole Foods, the haute-crunchy supermarket chain that has made a fortune by transforming grocery shopping into a bright and shiny, progressive experience. By Field Maloney Posted Friday, March 17, 2006, at 1:34 PM ET A scene from Whole Foods groceryIt's hard to find fault with Whole Foods, the haute-crunchy supermarket chain that has made a fortune by transforming...

In recent weeks he has written a string of essays on international affairs, often denouncing the use of food crops to produce ethanol. food and agricultural products can be sold directly to Cuba under a law passed by the U. trade embargo, with American farm producers anxious to do more trade with the island chiming in with their own objections. farm producers here since Fidel Castro fell ill last summer. Since then, he has been seen only in official photographs and videotapes, but...

Zoe Kenny 25 May 2007 The deepening of Australia s drought- and global-warming-driven water crisis has thrown into sharp relief the historical and current inadequacy of the Liberal-Labor political establishment to put the needs of working people before those of big business. Zoe Kenny 25 May 2007 The deepening of Australia s drought- and global-warming-driven water crisis has thrown into sharp relief the historical and current inadequacy of the Liberal-Labor political establishment to put...

Production of organic cotton increased 76% between 2005 and 2006, and demand for almost doubled, according to the Organic Exchange, a nonprofit group that promotes organic agriculture. Mainstream retailers are introducing organic cotton tops, pants and dresses into their mix, and design companies at the top of the fashion food-chain are experimenting with organic cotton, bamboo, hemp, soy and corn fiber. Clothes made from sustainable materials and manufactured in ways that do minimal...

soybean acreage is expected to slide 11 percent and cotton production 20 percent this year alone, the Agriculture Department said. They worry, too, about ethanol's fuel efficiency - lower than traditional gasoline - and its effects on both the environment and food prices as corn chews up more farmland. The corn-for-ethanol boom, however, could eat into the food industry's share of the crop, raising prices for everything from breakfast cereal to beef and beer. President Bush says the fuel...

Not only will this impact the honey industry, it also has the potential to impact our fruit growers who need bees for pollination. Crops that depend upon or benefit from honey bee pollination include alfalfa, almonds, apples, avocados, blueberries, cantaloupes, carrots, cherries, citrus, cotton, cranberries, kiwis, plums, pumpkins, seed crops, soybeans, squash, sunflowers and watermelons. Our nation's beekeepers provide essential pollination services for over 90 different food, seed and...

Heading up the West Tennessee Clean Cities Coalition (WTCCC), one of three regional programs in the state devoted to taking the biofuel cause mainstream, Couch has helped connect numerous city agencies and municipalities with biodiesel producers and distributors. Heading up the West Tennessee Clean Cities Coalition (WTCCC), one of three regional programs in the state devoted to taking the biofuel cause mainstream, Couch has helped connect numerous city agencies and municipalities with...

Despite holding steady in the standings, the amount imported from China has grown at a daunting rate: Since 2002, imports of Chinese agricultural, fish and forestry products have grown from $2. Compare that with only a 49 percent increase overall in agricultural imports, or a mere 26 percent jump in imports from Canada, the United States' number one provider. And the Chinese influx shows no signs of stopping: In the first three months of 2007, Chinese agricultural imports increased by 30...