Food & Farm News
» May 21, 2008 «
Nursery plant sales begin to pick up 
Better weather in the Midwest and East improves the outlook for California nurseries. A Los Angeles County nursery operator says many saw plant sales slow this spring, because poor weather in other parts of the country prevented people from making plant purchases. Sales are now starting to pick up. Nursery producers will monitor retail sales as spring turns to summer, to gauge whether the economic slowdown is affecting plant sales.
Forecast sees smaller meat, poultry supplies in '09
There will be lots of beef, pork and poultry grilled this coming Memorial Day weekend, and many supermarkets will feature special prices on meats before the holiday. Government forecasters who look ahead to next year say meat production may be slightly smaller. Cattle ranchers, hog farmers and chicken producers all face higher costs for feed and energy. As a result, the report forecasts reduced beef and pork production in 2009, and only a slight rise in chicken production.
Report: Farm exports generate jobs
Exports of food and farm goods provide jobs and economic activity both on the farm and in the city, according to a government report. The U.S. Agriculture Department says each dollar in farm exports generates $1.65 in business activity. The report says agricultural exports provide some 841,000 jobs nationwide. California leads the nation in agricultural exports as well as overall farm production.
Study links modest wine drinking to liver health
A study on wine and liver health could bring a "paradigm shift," according to researchers at the University of California, San Diego. Their study shows that modest wine consumption could improve liver health. The study showed that people who drank up to one glass of wine per day had a lower risk of contracting the most common liver disease. The researchers said they'll now work to determine what components in wine may enhance liver health.
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