Food & Farm News
» November 6, 2008 «
Sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving? The crop looks great
There will be good supplies of sweet potatoes for the Thanksgiving holiday. A few California farmers are still harvesting their sweet potato crop. Thanksgiving is one of the main holidays when demand for sweet potatoes is high. Consumers should find top-quality sweet potatoes in retail stores, often at bargain prices. The Sweet Potato Council of California says weather hurt the crop this spring. But additional planted acreage will provide more vegetables than last year.
High school students get a glimpse at forestry careers 
Many young people have a misconception of what foresters do or even the marketplace in which they work. The Society of American Foresters hopes to change that. As part of their annual conference through Sunday in Reno, the group is hosting a high school forestry symposium to introduce students from California and Nevada to the rich diversity of careers in forestry. More than 100,000 Californians are employed in that sector. California is the third largest producer of lumber in the nation.
Changing seasons bring changing duties for dairy farmers
Dairy farmers are busy working with the changing seasons. Heifers are calves not yet ready to become milk cows, and at this time of year they are often moved to different pastures. Dry pastures this year have very little forage, so farmers will have to supplement their calves' feed with hay. Irrigated pastures provide some grass, but the heifers must be moved when the grass gets close to being overgrazed. Dairy and beef farmers hope for adequate rain this winter.
Dried plums tied to reduction in heart disease
Dried plums have long been touted for their digestive health benefits, but they are emerging as a heart-healthy food. An animal study published in the British Journal of Nutrition suggests that eating dried plums slows the development of atherosclerosis. The condition, better known as "hardening of the arteries," can lead to cardiovascular disease and stroke. California farmers produce 99 percent of the United States' supply of dried plums and 60 percent of the world's supply.
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