Orioles also feed on seed vegetables, such as corn, peas and beans. You are in luck because elms resistant to Dutch elm disease are now available and grow fairly fast. Orioles feed insects to their nestlings, so it's critical that pesticides not contaminate insects. Our native wild cherry trees abound; you needn't purchase a domestic tree. Top arts/life headlines Soaking the competition Too many gizmos have too many bells and whistles Taking multiple dips in dating pool is tricky Artscape...

Feed corn prices are up 60% because of corn's demand in ethanol production. Beef prices are going up, and consumers are finding their favorite meats are costing more. Nationwide, beef prices are going up. Some shoppers are skipping the beef aisle, trying to avoid the sticker shock of recent price hikes. As summer approaches, backyard chefs are firing up their grills. Nationwide, the average price for a pound of chuck roast last year. The biggest reason for price hikes, the highest demand...

Hutjens and others said higher gasoline prices have increased the costs of moving milk from farm to market, and corn the primary feed for dairy cattle is being gobbled up by producers of the fuel-additive ethanol. By June, the milk futures market predicts, the price paid to farmers will have increased 50 percent this year driven by higher costs of transporting milk to market and increased demand for corn to produce ethanol. The USDA doesnt survey prices in California because the state sets...

Let us go back to depending on the American farmer to supply our food, and let our foreign friends decide it's time to improve on their quality control of agriculture products. At one time our farmers fed America and much of the rest of the world. Did we really think that pet food could be poisoned with melamine, mycotoxins, etc. Some of our politicians and CEOs are more interested in obtaining power and making money than keeping Americans safe at home. Our pets paid the price to warn...

Ganesan Srinivasan, director of the university farm, said there should be plenty of both white and yellow corn available through the summer and well into fall. Due to increased demand for sweet corn, we planted additional acreages this year, Srinivasan said. In spite of higher input and labor costs, we will keep our prices at last year s levels to serve our loyal customers, said Jennifer Sobieralski, Farm Market manager. Move over olive oil and wines, Fresno State s popular sweet corn has...