Food & Farm News

Audio Actuality

Comments about the opening of the Pacific Ethanol plant in Stockton

It's a good year for date lovers

Date lovers should find plentiful supplies of large-size fruit this year in retail stores. Growers say weather has been ideal and most of the dates on the trees are large sizes. Date palms are alternate bearing, meaning there is a heavy crop every other year--and this is the heavy year. Harvest began last month and is expected to continue into January. California ranks first in the nation in date production. Farmers here produce 82 percent of America's supply.

Some farmers must wait for grapes to sweeten

Some San Joaquin County winegrape growers are experiencing delays in grape ripening. Farm advisors say the immature grapes are in widely scattered vineyards. The grapes lost sugar during the rain and warm spell. Most are the cabernet sauvignon variety. Growers are gradually sending their workers picking the grapes as they mature. Warmer daytime temperatures and morning dew should hasten the ripening process. The majority of grape growers have finished picking their fruit.

Local farms will provide corn for new ethanol plant

Pacific Ethanol has scheduled grand opening ceremonies today (Friday) at its Stockton plant. The facility is expected to produce about 60-million gallons of ethanol each year. The company will get most of its corn from Nebraska, but will obtain about 20 percent of it from farms in the San Joaquin Valley. The plant will also produce about 500,000 tons of distiller's grain annually, which will be sold as high-protein animal feed. The plant will have a payroll of about a million and a half dollars a year.

Researchers study vitamin C's role in preventing osteoporosis

Findings from a new study suggest vitamin C may help prevent bone loss in older men. During the four years, 344 men and 540 women over age 50 were checked. The men who increased their consumption of vitamin C--through fruits and vegetables as well as supplements--appeared to lose less bone density. It worked best in men who never smoked. However, the researchers did not observe significant effects of vitamin C on bone density in women.

Top