Agriculture

Milk prices dropping

Prices that dairy farmers receive for their milk will drop 5 cents a gallon on Sept. 1, continuing the roller-coaster prices that have become common at the producer level.

The price will drop to an average $1.32 a gallon. That's the same price dairy farmers received in July before the nickel-a-gallon increase in August. The September price drop follows monthly increases in both August and July.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture expects volatile milk prices to continue at the farm level.

Each month the state agriculture department sets minimum prices, based on a complex formula, for the milk produced on California dairy farms.

The retail price of milk is not controlled by the agriculture department. Agricultural officials advise consumers to shop for the best prices because markups for milk vary widely and don't always reflect the prices paid to farmers.

A two-week residential "permaculture design" course will be offered Sept. 24 to Oct. 7 at the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, 15290 Coleman Valley Road in Occidental.

The course will cover land-use design based on the sustainable living philosophy of permaculture.

Permaculture - from "permanent" and "agriculture" - is the creation of sustainable systems that provide for their own needs, recycle their waste and do not pollute.

Topics to be covered include permaculture theory, food diversity, soil enrichment, water use, erosion control, natural building, organic gardening, forest farming and more.

Brock Dolman and Penny Livingston are the instructors. Those completing the course will get a certificate in permaculture design.

The course fee is $1,350, which includes lodging and meals. The fee is $1,250 for those registering two weeks before the course starts.

For more information or to register call 874-1557, ext. 201.

Consumer demand for beef remained steady in the first half of this year, according to a new report released by the California Beef Council.

Even though interest in the high-protein Atkins diet is waning, the trend hasn't had a major impact on the amount of beef Americans are eating. Interest in the Atkins diet was one of the factors bolstering beef sales in recent years.

Demand for beef has jumped 25 percent since 1998, so a flattening of demand was anticipated by the cattle industry.

Cattle prices usually soften in August. The decline this month has been less than usual, the Beef Council reports.

- Tim Tesconi