Yes, it was hot enough for me, thank you...

The California heat wave took a toll on agriculture - especially the huge CA dairy herd.

With 12 days of blistering temperatures over 105 degrees in the Central Valley, dairy cattle -- the state's largest agricultural sector -- may have been rocked the hardest. Exact figures are being tabulated, but dairy farmers have suffered an estimated loss of more than $1 billion, says Michael Marsh, chief executive officer of the Modesto-based trade organization Western United Dairymen.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has requested federal disaster assistance for the state's $5.2 billion milk industry.

For consumers, it's unclear whether higher prices for milk and other dairy products will result, Marsh says, because there's no direct correlation between what a farmer gets paid and what consumers pay. [More]

The last paragraph is the most interesting. Obviously some in the media have realized the disconnect between farmer prices and retail, which also means they can figure out that farm programs are not a consumer benefit.

Whether it is global warming or not, people will be more likely to think so after a very hot summer. Our minds don't stray too far from the present.

[via Slashfood]