Northeast
Nourse Farms expands with lab, greenhouses
Nourse Farms, a North American berry plant propagator, is partnering with an investment management firm to expand and modernize its propagation footprint. Nourse Farms has partnered with Solum Partners, which is focused on the food... more »
Rice Fruit’s Lee Showalter plans retirement
Lee Showalter, a longtime apple industry advocate, fruit grower and Rice Fruit Company’s grower services manager for more than 13 years, plans to retire at the end of the year. In announcing his retirement, the... more »
BioSafe Systems’ Michael Larose dies
Michael Joseph Larose, of BioSafe Systems LLC, has died. Larose, 40, died on Sept. 21. He was the eldest of the third generation of BioSafe’s founding family. Born Sept. 28, 1982, in Hartford, Connecticut, Larose... more »
Harvests start with high hopes for apple season
Apple growers in Washington, Michigan and New York are optimistic for the 2023-24 fresh apple season. With weather described as “near-perfect,” Washington dodged the heat and cold from the past two seasons. The U.S. Apple... more »
Social media photo contest highlights New Jersey apples
The New Jersey Department of Agriculture is sponsoring a social media photo contest featuring the state's apples. The #JerseyFreshApples contest begins Sept. 6. Fans can share photos of Jersey Fresh apples and mention the orchard... more »
U.S. apple crop forecast at 256 million bushels
The U.S. apple crop for 2023-24 is expected to top 256 million 42-pound bushels, according to the U.S. Apple Association. USApple’s forecast is about 6 million bushels over the USDA’s annual forecast. The USDA released... more »
New York blueberries fare ‘surprisingly well,’ despite freeze, drought
The New York State Berry Growers Association is urging consumers to visit their local farm markets and U-pick patches before weather curtails fruit production. A wet summer in the Northeast has produced excellent berry crops... more »
Farm Market & Agritourism: You can benefit from consumer trends, too
A handful of Extension educators with the Food, Family and Health unit contacted me and asked if I could connect them with some farmers market managers. These educators received a small grant to create a... more »