Corn

The country's corn, soybean and wheat inventory fell steeply from last year, according to a report released Friday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In its latest grain survey , the agency reported that as of Sept. 1, old corn stocks -- grain harvested last year -- totaled 988 million bushels, a decline of 12% from the same time last year. That is the lowest level since 2004.  Shortly after the survey was released, corn futures prices jumped by the 40-cent limit on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange on Friday, with delivery for December corn at $7.56 per bushel.

The French study published last week on genetically engineered corn and tumors in rats was, at the very least, not something on which public policy should be based. There were problems with the sample sizes, issues about the types of rats used and questions about why, if the genetically engineered corn was the culprit, rats that ate a lot of the corn did not get as sick as those that ate more moderate amounts. Perhaps the most troubling aspect of the study, though, is the effort made by the researchers to ensure that the first wave of coverage of their study would include no criticism of it. As Reuters reported: "In an unusual move, the research group did not allow reporters to seek outside comment on their paper before its publication in the peer-reviewed journal Food and Chemical Toxicology and presentation at a news conference in London.

  Total time: 30 minutes Servings: 4 Note: Adapted from "Seamus Mullen's Hero Food. " Aleppo pepper can generally be found at gourmet and cooking supply stores, and is available online. 1/2 cup diced slab bacon 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 24 littleneck clams 2 ears corn, shucked and cut into 2-inch lengths 3/4 cup dry white wine 2 teaspoons pimentón Aleppo pepper Handful fresh basil leaves, torn Healthy drizzle of olive oil 1. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, sweat the bacon over medium heat.

In what is bound to stoke the debate over the labeling of genetically modified foods, scientists in France have published a controversial study reporting that rats fed corn that was engineered to withstand spraying with the herbicide Roundup developed health problems, including tumors and trouble with their livers and kidneys. The study, which appeared Wednesday in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology, was embraced by opponents of genetically altered foods, including backers of Proposition 37, which if approved by California voters in November would require most foods with genetically modified ingredients to bear a label.

WOODLAND, Calif. - The worst U.S. drought in half a century is withering the nation's corn crop, but it's a fertile opportunity for makers of genetically modified crops. Agricultural biotechnology companies have been pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into developing plants that can withstand the effects of a prolonged dry spell. Monsanto Co., based in St. Louis, has received regulatory approval for DroughtGard, a corn variety that contains the first genetically modified trait for drought resistance.

The first Christmas news release of the year has crossed our desks here at Nation Now -- and it was almost enough to make us reach for the Halloween candy already clogging the supermarket aisles and have a good cry. The Outlets at Anthem , which bills itself as an upscale factory outlet in Phoenix, announced that it's kicking off the nation's holiday season by hosting America's tallest fresh-cut Christmas tree, soaring to 110 feet. The kicker? The unveiling will take place Oct. 25. That's almost a week before Halloween.

LAKE PROVIDENCE, La. - Eight grim-faced men sit in a cramped, impromptu war room in the shadow of a levee on the Mississippi River. With laptops opened to Web pages of the National Weather Service and the Army Corps of Engineers, the group of farmers, grain brokers and barge operators is engaged in what humans have grappled with for more than 200 years in the Mississippi Delta: puzzling out the latest blow from a stubborn river that refuses every...

  Total time: 40 minutes Servings: 6 to 8 2 tablespoons butter 1 zucchini 1/4 cup chopped green onions (about 2 onions, green parts only) 1/3 to ½ cup roasted, peeled, chopped green chile 1 cup corn kernels (about 1 ear) 6 eggs 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup grated Monterey Jack and sharp cheddar, divided 1. Heat the broiler. Melt the butter in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cut the zucchini in lengthwise quarters, then in crosswise pieces, about one-third to one-half-inch thick.

Global food prices jumped 10% in July from the month before, driven up by the severe Midwest drought which has pushed the price of grains to record levels, the World Bank reported Thursday. The price of maize and wheat rose by 25% from June to July, and soybeans rose by 17%, according to the Washington-based organization. Overall, the World Bank's Food Price Index, which tracks the price of traded food commodities, was 6% higher than July of last year. The sharp price jumps are attributed to the Midwest drought, which has destroyed more than half of the country's corn crop.

The worst U.S. drought in more than half a century has rallied critics of the federal renewable fuel standard, which will reserve about 40% of the nation's corn crop for ethanol production this year. Critics have long questioned the commitment of a growing share of a food source for fuel use. But the calls for change have grown louder because the widespread drought has killed more than 50% of the corn crop, driving prices to record levels - and U.S. ethanol is made mostly from corn.