Northeast

APHIS updates Spotted Lanternfly Control Program

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has completed a supplemental environmental assessment (EA) for the spotted lanternfly. The EA is required under the National Environmental Policy Act for its Spotted... more »

USDA session tackles H-2A, labor shortages

To combat increasing labor shortages, growers are adapting labor-saving technology and modifying their cultivation practices, including lessening and delaying pruning and weeding. The gravity of the crisis was highlighted in a session at the Feb.... more »

Vertical farming operator Oishii introduces new indoor strawberry

Vertical farming operator Oishii has introduced its newest strawberry varietal. The Koyo berry is touted as “bursting with sweetness” and an indoor grown strawberry that offers “exceptional flavor unlike any other,” according to a news... more »

Apple packing, selling spotlighted in Mid-Atlantic convention bus tour

Cider doughnuts and apple packing and grading were some of the highlights at this year’s Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention bus tour. Around 100 people began their convention with the pre-convention bus tour, which visited... more »

High attendance marks Mid-Atlantic convention

Attendance at the 2023 Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention exceeded the attendance at the 2022 convention, according to preliminary counts from a news release from show co-sponsor Pennsylvania Vegetable Growers Association (PVGA). Total attendance is... more »

Penn State Extension offers pesticide recertification options

Pennsylvania certified pesticide applicators looking for ways to earn recertification credits may want to consider the wide variety of options provided by Penn State Extension, which is offering a 25% discount on all pesticide recertification... more »

Purdue workshops to focus on generational transitions

To successfully guide farm operations from generation to generation, farm owners and families need plans for where they are going and knowledge of how they will fund that transition. The Purdue Extension Succession Planning Team... more »

Peterson Farms buys Fresh Innovations California

Apple processor Peterson Farms Inc. has purchased Fresh Innovations California. Fresh Innovations California, LLC, based in Stockton, California, specializes in organic and conventional fresh-cut apple slices. It ships under the brand Prize Slice, supplying schools... more »