Sitting down to a beautifulfamily meal is all the more meaningful when you know that the ingredients are free of toxic pesticides and other worrisome chemicals and that the dishes have been prepared with care, keeping our earth's most precious resources in mind. Sitting down to a beautifulfamily meal is all the more meaningful when you know that the ingredients are free of toxic pesticides and other worrisome chemicals and that the dishes have been prepared with care, keeping our earth's...

But whether organic chicken or pesticide-free lettuce represent "healthier" alternatives has long been a subject for debate. Organic livestock may have had the run of the farm and eaten pesticide-free grain, but that doesn't mean they won't come to slaughter loaded with bacteria. To avoid that, organic chickens (or any organic meat) should be handled the same as a regular product -- observing cleanliness rules in the kitchen and making sure they are cooked to the proper temperature: 180...

Losses were posted on the CME cattle futures, boxed beef cut-out values, and the cash fed cattle market which lost 2.00 for the second week in a row to close at mostly 91. The expected large slaughter pace this week drove packers to reduce pricing levels to stay current, and this in turn produced renewed interest from buyers. Forward business was slower with the exception of Choice boneless chucks trading steady with the spot market. End meats were under some pressure as well, with the...

Holstein steers on Bart Vogel's farm south of Fairbank eagerly gobble up feed containing dried distillers grains from the nearby Hawkeye Renewables ethanol plant. Cattle experts say feeding DDGs saves money and should promote growth in the cattle industry statewide. Some corn, minerals and protein, roughage and dried distillers grains --- a byproduct of ethanol production --- go into the feed wagon, and out comes a mouth-watering feast. Since Iowa leads the nation in ethanol production,...

The lounge is accused of serving someone who was in an intoxicated condition and of allowing liquor to be taken from the premises. In February, the bar had its licence suspended because the bar sold liquor to someone who was intoxicated and didn't provide reports revealing the separate retail values of liquor and food sold. Last month, officials from Environmental Health warned the West Prince bar to take corrective action to clean and repair its kitchen or face closure. The bar also made...