NEWS
October 22, 2012 | By Lisa Rathke, Associated Press
DANVILLE, Vt. - Small dairy farmers in the Northeast and Wisconsin say a tough year has been made worse by Congress' failure to pass a new farm bill before the old one expired. While many farm programs have continued through the harvest season even though the farm bill expired Sept. 30, a program that pays dairy farmers when milk prices plummet has ended. Many dairy farms were already struggling with low milk prices and high fuel and feed costs as the worst drought in decades dried up grazing land and pushed up the price of hay and feed.
BUSINESS
July 9, 2012 | By Lisa Rathke and ASSOCIATED PRESS
Consumers will pay a little more for coffee and chocolate to ensure that the farmers who produce those foods get a fair wage. So why not ask them to pay more for milk? That's the notion behind a Vermont-based program designed to raise money for struggling New England dairy farms while educating consumers about those family businesses. Keep Local Farms urges colleges, universities, and other institutions in New England to charge a little more for milk, with the extra money going to the farmers.
NEWS
June 15, 2012 | Vance Lehmkuhl
IF YOU DRINK cow's milk, it's likely that at one point or another you had to be talked into it. "Getting kids to drink milk" is a well-recognized meme (try Googling the phrase) in song, story and parenting guides, because the beverage is not, apparently, something we take to automatically. But with enough "wholesome" spin (in 2007 the Federal Trade Commission forced the National Dairy Council to retract unfounded health claims) and government-funded campaigns (remember the U.S. Department of Agriculture's team-up with Domino's to sell more cheese per pizza?
NEWS
June 9, 2012 | Inquirer Editorial
Drink size a public-health issue New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's decision to limit the size of sugary-drink containers in that city has resurrected the age-old debate over the role of the state in protecting the public's health. In recent years, this debate involved bicycle helmets, car seat belts, tobacco, trans fats, saturated fats in meat and dairy products, and sugar (or, more aptly, high-fructose corn syrup). Public subsidies for tobacco, meat, dairy, and corn production added fuel to the debate.
NEWS
June 2, 2012 | By Walter F. Naedele and INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
When Francis G. Brown received his draft notice for World War II military service, he replied: "My beliefs upon which I claim exemption stem from a very fundamental religious principle. ... "There is something of God in every man. I believe that all men, viewed thus, are infinitely precious and are therefore entitled to be treated with respect. ... "War submerges the good in men and brings out fear, hate, and distrust. ... Therefore, I affirm that all war, whether offensive or defensive, is morally wrong.
NEWS
April 29, 2012 | By Jason Straziuso, Associated Press
NAIROBI, Kenya - Got milk? Pass the butter? Not in Kenya, where both of those staples are increasingly scarce because a drought-induced dairy shortage is wreaking havoc on the milk, butter, and yogurt shelves. Grocery store owners, restaurant managers, and customers are annoyed and frustrated that an item as basic as butter is almost impossible to find in what is frequently billed as East Africa's largest economy. Farmers are producing only 30 percent of the country's needs, causing milk prices to shoot up in recent weeks by nearly a third.
NEWS
April 12, 2012 | Craig LaBan
Kristian Holbrook's been trying to perfect Hummingbird for nine years. "And I'm still trying," says the cheesemaker at Doe Run, the Chester County dairy on Urban Outfitters founder Dick Hayne's estate. Holbrook's modesty is really admiration for Robiola Bosina, the luscious Italian that was his inspiration. But creamy Hummingbird, which flows with the fresh tang of both sheep and cow's milk, was good enough for a coveted first prize in 2011 from the American Cheese Society. Holbrook makes several other fine cheeses, including an aged, gouda-like Seven Sisters.
NEWS
August 30, 2011 | By Kristin E. Holmes, Inquirer Staff Writer
William L. Rosenberger, 84, a retired president of Rosenberger's Dairies, which was founded by his father and grandfather on the family farm in 1925, died of complications from a stroke Thursday at the Dock Woods Community in Lansdale. In his 64 years with the family business, Mr. Rosenberger was known for doing whatever it took to make sure milk arrived on porch doorsteps or on supermarket shelves. Mr. Rosenberger delivered milk door-to-door in glass bottles and hauled large cans of it on company trucks.
ENTERTAINMENT
August 26, 2011
WATER ICE IS A cherished summer institution in Philly, and those of us who skip dairy, whether for ethical, health or other concerns, can appreciate this cool vegan treat. Sorbet, Popsicles, frozen fruit bars and the like are also delish. But let's face it: "You can always have water ice [or sorbet]" is the cool-treat equivalent of "you can always have a salad. " Nothing against salad or water ice, but we sometimes want that singular richness and flavor associated with ice cream.
NEWS
August 8, 2011 | By Mitchell Hecht, For The Inquirer
Question: I've heard that calcium can interfere with the absorption of certain prescription medications. Does that include almond milk, yogurt, and cheese, too? Answer: Dairy products and calcium can bind up certain medications in the stomach, reducing their absorption and efficacy. Almond "milk" is not actually a dairy product, however, so it does not have this effect. Medications whose absorption can potentially be reduced by the dairy products or calcium supplements include: Levaquin and Cipro antibiotics; iron supplements; osteoporosis drugs like Fosamax and Actonel; Synthroid (levothyroxine)