We've had wet weather in the Midwest during the harvest season, resulting in higher grain prices.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a report on wholesale crop prices paid to farmers. Let's look at some prices:

• Corn rose 29 cents per bushel to $3.54
• Wheat jumped 8 cents per bushel to $4.56
• Soybeans dropped 1 cent per bushel to $9.74
• Wholesale milk prices jumped 7.1% in October to $1.19 per gallon. Milk prices, however are down 22% from last year.

This post is part of a feature on companies and products that our bloggers think are in need of a makeover. See all 26.

McDonald's has been hit by one serious critique after another of food safety and nutrition. The company has gone from being a family chain to something only those desperate to save time or money want. There have been half-hearted efforts to modernize, but what McDonald's really needs is a complete menu makeover.

I'm not talking about changing away from hamburgers in all their infinite variety, either. But over the last couple decades the eating public has gotten a lot more picky and worried about getting fat or sick from mad cow disease or some contaminant.

There have been many serious critiques of their impact on worldwide nutrition. Eric Schlosser described in Fast Food Nation how mega-producer McDonald's uses butchering assembly lines. In an era of food safety concern, "a single fast-food hamburger now contains meat from dozens or even hundreds of different cattle." Morgan Spurlock examined in the movie Supersize Me and a related book what happens when an individual -- or a whole country -- eats too much McDonald's.

Of course, McDonald's is facing pressure from the other side, too. We want cheap food. Especially in a recession, people love the dollar menu. But McDonald's has just got to improve the food.

While investors still hunger to capitalize on the double-digit growth in China, as well as strong growth in emerging markets like India, Russia, and other Eastern European countries, many have turned somewhat gun-shy when it comes to investing directly in those countries firms. With many speculating that we will see the market bubble pop in China, and the boomerang effect that will have for all emerging markets, the question becomes, how to still profit form the growth without getting caught up in the stock market bubble. The answer is look at fertilizers, notably Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan (NYSE: POT). The Canadian company is the world's largest that specializes in potash, a form of potassium carbonate, as well as nitrogen and phosphate.

With emerging economies booming, citizens have exited the cycle of poverty and joined the middle class. As such, with much more disposable income, they have changed their standard of living and are consuming much more meat than anytime previously. This means that as more and more cattle are raised, more and more feed is needed to feed the animals, which means more fertilizer is needed to help grow the feed.

Potash stock has grown faster than a weed this year. Even so, with fertilizer prices continuing to move higher, plus the boost in the U.S. as farmers have changed over their crops to grow ethanol, Potash is poised to keep growing well into 2008.

Aaron Katsman is the lead Portfolio Manager and Managing Director of America Israel Investment Associates, LLC. and Senior Editor of IsraelNewsletter.com. Disclosure: Writer has no position in any stock mentioned as of 12/20/07.