China’s announcement of a possible future retaliatory 25 percent tariff on imported U.S. sorghum will not help China’s consumers or U.S. farmers, according to National Sorghum Producers.  Such tariffs would mean additional financial burdens on U.S. sorghum farmers, who are already in the midst of cooperating with China’s self-initiated anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations of U.S. sorghum.  More tariffs would also mean higher prices for Chinese consumers for whom sorghum is an important product. Chinese customers are valued trading partners of the U.S.

Zach Haase, the 2017-2018 Eads Future Farmers of America Chapter Vice President, is always striving for excellence. Zach has been named the state FFA winner for the Grain Production Placement Proficiency Award.

I’ve been reading conflicting information about milk.  We’ve always heard that milk is good for your bones, but I’ve read that it does just the opposite, that the pH of milk causes us to lose bone mass.  I’ve read it increases mucus production, making us more susceptible to infections. Also, I’ve heard that cow’s milk is made for cows; that humans are the only mammals that drink milk after infancy, and therefore, we shouldn’t need milk at all. Please clear this up. --Jake

Dear Jake,

High fire danger continues across portions of southern Colorado – and one northeast county – Wednesday.

It’s no accident that “Ready Player One” opened on Easter weekend, as this movie is obsessed with Easter Eggs. Not the kind one paints and puts in a basket, but little bonuses hidden in various forms of media. The characters in the film are on the hunt for an Easter Egg that gives them control over a virtual reality empire, but more importantly the film itself is full of Easter Eggs designed to delight those nostalgic for pop culture from the late 70’s through 90’s.

Makes:   8 Servings 

Want a side dish for your meal? This recipe uses corn flakes in a creative potato-based dish to make it crunchy. 

Ingredients

2 cups corn flakes cereal (crushed into crumbs)
2 pounds potatoes (peeled and grated)
1⁄4 cup margarine (melted)
1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
1 onion (chopped)
1 can low-sodium cream of chicken soup (about 10 ounces)
3⁄4 cup fat-free sour cream
1 cup low-fat cheddar cheese (shredded)

Fire danger returns to Colorado after a day that saw fires start in El Paso and Mesa counties that forced evacuations. Extremely strong winds are also expected Tuesday.

Hope everyone had a good Easter and didn't eat too many eggs or too much chocolate. I had my first bite of chocolate candy in six weeks and it was heavenly. Mmmm!

Dick, Kyle and I went to Granada to celebrate Easter with my sister, Jerene DeBono, and husband, Ian, and their son, Chad; my mom, Mary Huddleston; my two brothers, Mike and Larry; my niece, Gina Dechant and family; and Nancy Sutphin. We had a cook-out and everything was delicious.

Mike, Larry and Jerene and I will be traveling to Emporia, Kansas Monday to attend a cousin’s funeral Tuesday morning.

Dear EarthTalk: I’m in the market for a new mattress after two decades on “old faithful” and I figure it’s a good time to go green. What are the options out there these days for eco-friendly mattresses?  -- Betsy Langdon, Chicago, IL