| You've earned enough for a year of food
Farm bureaus across the nation are celebrating Food Check-Out Week the amount of time it takes Americans to earn enough disposable income to buy all the food they eat for the year.
According to U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics, Americans spend, on average, just under 10 percent of their disposable personal income for food. The average household earns enough disposable income to pay for its annual food supply in about 36 days.
By comparison, Americans work 52 days each year to pay for health and medical care, 62 days to pay for housing/household operation and 77 days to pay their federal taxes, according to a press release from the Utah Farm Bureau.
To mark the occasion, women's committees from the county Farm Bureaus will go to various grocery stores and buy food items for a few lucky shoppers.
Briefs: Comcast, Sinclair still talking over broadcasting fees
Next week's episodes of "American Idol" are sure to be available to local Comcast subscribers. The cable company and Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. -- owner of Pittsburgh area Fox affiliate WPGH-TV -- on Thursday extended an agreement to keep Sinclair's broadcast signals on Comcast's system at least until March 10. Sinclair had threatened to pull 30 stations in 23 markets off Comcast's system as early as 2 a.m. yesterday, because of a dispute over Sinclair's demand for retransmission fees. The two sides agreed to continue talking; Comcast has said its subscribers shouldn't have to pay extra for a free, over-the-air signal. Alcoa to close plant Alcoa Inc. said Thursday it will close its Reynolds Food Packaging plastics manufacturing plant in Mt. Vernon, Ky., by mid-year, resulting in the loss of 115 jobs.
Grocers pull recalled peanut butter
Several area grocery stores pulled recalled jars of peanut butter off their shelves Thursday, taking no chances after the brands were linked to a salmonella outbreak. Food Lion in Stanleytown, Kroger and Wal-Mart all removed the recalled peanut from their shelves on Thursday. Wal-Mart carried both the Great Value and Peter Pan brands, while Food Lion had the Peter Pan brand. ConAgra Foods Inc. told consumers to discard certain jars of Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter after the spread was linked to a salmonella outbreak that has sickened almost 300 people nationwide, The Associated Press reported. Lids of jars with a product code beginning “2111" can be returned to ConAgra for a refund, the company said. Affected jars were produced by ConAgra at a plant in Sylvester, Ga.
GraceKennedy acquires UK food distribution company
GraceKennedy Limited has acquired the WT (Holdings) Limited Group ("WT Foods") of the United Kingdom, a leading ethnic and speciality foods supplier, from Bridgepoint Capital Limited, a European private equity firm. WT Foods comprises three main businesses: Enco, a leading supplier of Afro-Caribbean foods and drinks with principal brands being the Nurishment, Encona and Dunn's River brands, Chadha, a specialist supplier of oriental products to the grocery trade, and Funnybones, an American, Mexican, Cajun, Indian and Oriental food specialist for the food service market. The WT Foods Group operates from a modern distribution facility of 119,000 sq ft providing ambient, chilled and frozen space, and 20,000 sq ft of office accommodation located in Welwyn Garden City, approximately 23 miles north of Central London.
Food store proposal 'surprises' resident
UXBRIDGE -- Residents are wondering how many more times the site plan for a proposed grocery store at Toronto Street South and Elgin Park Drive will change. A public planning meeting was held Monday, Feb. 26 to review a new proposal from Greenapple Holdings Inc., owner of Vince's Country Market, which is requesting zoning be approved to include a 9,334-square foot building on the property to complement the 11,492-square feet food store operation and a 17,347-square feet Shopper's Drug Mart. The Township has pushed for high-density residential to be included, but the latest diagram makes no reference to housing. At a previous meeting in early February, planning consultant Matt West explained "housing units" could be built on top of the retail building. When pressed by Councillor Bev Northeast whether the plan still calls for residential, Mr.
After dark: A wonderful tribute to an all around great guy
On Tuesday night, hundreds of area residents rubbed elbows at The Rockfish to pay tribute to and raise funds for Charlie Bauer, the owner and executive chef of the Eastport restaurant and all around great guy. The event, which featured terrific music from the Unified Jazz Ensemble, Rick & Regina, The Joe Grimaldi Trio and The Mike McHenry Tribe, was a stunning success, with guests showing up a half-hour in advance of opening and packing the restaurant wall-to-wall. The silent auction, which featured items ranging from golf bags and free tee times to fine dining and wine tastings, drew bidders and lookers throughout the evening, until the very last minutes of bidding. The live auction, although somewhat drowned out by the vigorous crowd, offered up exciting bidding on items such as Jimmy Buffett tickets, a trip to Napa and a BBQ party for 20.
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