From the upper slopes of Mauna Loa to the ocean -- an area so large that Oahu could fit inside it -- thousands of acres once covered in sugar cane are now dedicated to macadamia nuts, eucalyptus and grazing space for cattle. By Joan Namkoong Special to the Star-Bulletin Talk of coffee brings a smile to the face of Will Tabios, a former heavy-equipment operator for Kau Sugar co. Today he's a coffee farmer, tending about 5,000 trees he planted above Pahala, an old sugar plantation town,...

Palm oil prices unchanged -DAWN - Business; September 08, 2007 Palm oil prices unchanged KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 7: Malaysian crude palm oil futures closed largely unchanged in dull trade on Friday as the market awaited a string of crucial numbers, including production data, to be released next week. Palm oil prices unchanged -DAWN - Business; September 08, 2007 Palm oil prices unchanged KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 7: Malaysian crude palm oil futures closed largely unchanged in dull trade on Friday as...

Through mid-day Friday, USDA reported too few sales to establish a market trend, though the limited trade that did occur suggested basically steady prices with last week around $95 to $95. Last week, cash fed cattle prices moved another couple of dollars higher as wholesale beef markets continued to show some strength. Contracts through February fell on Thursday, weakened by lack of cash business and the perception that futures were carrying too much premium to cash. Short pasture remains...

Published September 08, 2007 06:34 pm - The bad news first: There is no help in sight from the federal government for farmers who are in the middle of finishing up a dismal growing year that was hammered by an Easter freeze, a drought that still hasn t ended and the wildfires that destroyed everything from timber to honey bees. Published September 08, 2007 06:34 pm - The bad news first: There is no help in sight from the federal government for farmers who are in the middle of finishing up...

When children are used to having greasy foods and sugar-laden drinks for lunch, finding a way to pack a brown-bag lunch that appeals to their picky taste buds can be challenging. News and World report, "More than 70 percent of schools allow kids to buy high-fat, salty, and sugared foods during lunch, and some 20 percent offer brand-name fast food as part of the USDA-supported school lunch or sell it a la carte. With the first day of fast approaching, many parents are looking for ways to...