So now we're going to fight about bactrian and dromedary, instead of Jerseys, Guernseys, Holsteins, et al. That is, if a couple of Californians have their camel milk dreams fulfilled. Gil and Nancy Riegler own the nation's largest camel dairy near San Diego, and they'd love to sell you a gallon of their favorite drink, except that it's illegal. And they'd have to charge you $40 to $60 a liter, which is right around $200 a gallon. Sue Manning, an Associated Press reporter writing in the Los Angeles Times, tells us that the FDA may eventually develop a test to establish the safety of camel's milk - which, if it weren't safe, would there be any baby camels running around? - but until that day they'll have to be content with selling camel's milk soap. The Rieglers say that drinking camel's milk will give you everything but a 48-inch vertical leap, it's that nutritious, but the producers of milk from cows, goats, and even water buffalo (which got the FDA's nod in 2003) have nothing to worry about. A lactating camel produces only about a gallon of milk a day and it comes in 90-second spurts so you've got to be quick about it. And anyway, how many lactating camels do you know? And would you want to try hooking a milking machine up to a camel? If you're undecided, you might want to check out the LATimes report here: http://www.latimes.com/business/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-us-food-and-farm-camel-dairy,0,2970136.story

     Lavender rescued George and Patti Lyons from a year-'round hectic lifestyle that had them growing vegtables and herbs, with the help of 20 employees, for sale to nearby restaurants. They had a nice business, but it was draining them. Ten years ago they switched to growing lavender on one of their five acres. Now they work hard at tending their 3,000 plants and making soaps, lotions, bath products and other lavender goodies. They also sell live plants, dried plants and parts of plants. But they have only three part-time employees, and count January and February as downtime. Anne Harnish, Lancaster Farming food and family features editor, visited the Lyonses at their Bucks County farm/home/business and prepared a report for our current edition. Or you can read it here http://www.lancasterfarming.com/node/3072



     Can't ever get enough watermelon! Been there. Haven't exactly done that.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZPcJ15Z6pY&NR=1