Farmers have produced a record-high corn crop for the sixth year in a row, reports Bloomberg News.

The construction of a 30,000 square-foot art museum in Aspen, Colo., is drawing ever closer with each day. According to the Aspen Daily News, a generator contractor has been chosen. Construction is set to begin in 2012, with the museum slated to open sometime in 2014.

At some point in the near future, work is set to begin on a prototype Apple Store in downtown Palo Alto, Calif. According to Mercury News, this new store could potentially be the company's first attempt at a redesign of their iconic establishments.

The construction of a biomass power plant in Rothschild, Wisc., has proven to be a boon for the local economy. According to Central Wisconsin Hub, about 75 workers are currently employed as the initial phases of construction are wrapping up. That number is expected to climb to 250 by summer 2012.

Work has resumed on a $53-million addition to the Seneca Allegany Casino and Hotel in Salamanca, N.Y. According to the Salamanca Press, a second tower will be added to the hotel, effectively doubling its capacity. The casino consistently sees occupancy rates of about 95 percent, so the project will help them accommodate more guests as they look for rooms.

As 2011 draws to a close, Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey is completing his tour of every single county in the state. According to the Daily Globe, Iowa is second only to California in terms of agriculture sales. In fact, Northey suspects that there's no reason the increased demand for various crops should decrease anytime soon.

Chobani - a Greek company best known for its yogurt - officially broke ground on what is expected to be a large new plant in Twin Falls, Idaho, earlier this week. However, the ceremony may have been little more than a formality. According to The Magic Valley Times-News, construction crews have been hard at work ensuring the site is ready for work to begin.

Apartment constructions have jumped somewhat dramatically recently, and the increased number of permits indicates that the housing industry may soon be working its way back up.

City officials in Naperville, Ill., recently indicated that the town's construction of single-family homes rebounded sharply in 2011, reports the Naperville Sun.

With demand growing for locally-sourced food rather than major agricultural businesses, many small farms and entrepreneurs are seeing an uptick in business, reports Voice of America.

The local food revolution has resulted in a number of new farms and agricultural initiatives starting, and has also increased the business to small farms that aren't part of the industrial agricultural system, according to the news source. Even those without a background in agriculture are beginning to take an interest in setting up a farm, such as recent Duke graduate Emily Sloss, a public policy major who helped start a farm on campus. That farm now supplies over two tons of food to the local area.