Belgian dairy farmers last week loaded their manure spreaders with milk and sprayed three million litres back onto the land. They were protesting the fact that the current milk price being paid to farmers in the European Union is not enough to cover their cost of production. About 300 French-speaking farmers drove their tractors to a field in the country's southern Wallonia region and opened the valves on their spreaders, according to an Associated Press story out of Brussels.

Dutch-speaking farmers handed, concerned about public backlash from the images of so much good food going to waste, handed out free milk to consumers in their part of the country.

EU Milk Board chief Ronald Schaber told a press conference that more and more farmers were joining the milk price protest, which began gathering steam when agriculture ministers from the various countries could not agree on an aid package for the beleagured dairy industry. Other demonstrations have been held in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland.

Deep-fried butter. Try it. You'll like it. But you'll feel guilty. Even Abel Gonzales, the Texas State Fair concessionaire who brought deep fried butter to the table this year, thinks of it as a once-a-year treat. He's also the fellow who introduced his fellow Texans to deep-fried Coke and deep-fried cookie dough. You may have read out deep-fried butter - apparently not as totally disgusting as you might think it is - in the September 12 issue of Lancaster Farming. Or you can read a report from Fort Worth Star-Telegram reporter Mac Engle here:

http://www.star-telegram.com/entertainment/story/1632274.html

We were just coming in to visit our mom. She's over there. With the Slim Jims. http://www.break.com/index/cowboys-herd-cattle-in-convenience-store.html