Pacific Northwest
New director named for key Washington State University weather service
Washington State University's AgWeatherNet system has been growing rapidly in the last few years. Professor Lav Khot was named interim director of AgWeatherNet with the goal of maintaining the momentum of that growth and increasing... more »
Arctic apples now available for purchase on Amazon Fresh in select areas
Summerland, British Columbia-based Okanagan Specialty Fruits, developer and grower behind the Arctic apple, announce d5 oz. and 10 oz. packages of Arctic Granny and Arctic Golden fresh apple slices will be available on Amazon Fresh... more »
Pace introduces postharvest biorational fungicide for cherries in Washington state
Pace International, a leading provider of sustainable postharvest solutions and technologies for the fresh produce industry, announced April 22 the introduction of BioSpectra 100SC for decay control in cherries. BioSpectra is the first naturally derived... more »
RipeLocker raises $5M to pursue postharvest life of perishables
RipeLocker, a Seattle, Washington-based company specializing in extending the postharvest life of perishables, announced April 21 it has raised $5 million in series B capital from angel investors. The investment round is all from previous... more »
Ruling favors Washington farm groups in suit over unreasonable COVID rules
Yakima County Superior Court Judge Blaine Gibson ruled in favor of agriculture groups, prohibiting the state of Washington from enforcing unreasonable emergency COVID-19 regulations farm leaders say don’t incorporate best science, the arrival of vaccines... more »
Drought spreads water shortages throughout California
The 2020-21 California drought has led to significant water cutbacks, compelling farmers to fallow ground and public officials to respond with legislation intended to address the state's chronic water shortages. Farmers in more parts of... more »
Northwest Pear industry doubles down on its commitment to flavor
The pear industry in the Pacific Northwest has added a regulation for Anjou pears in a move to increase consumer satisfaction when they purchase pears in the early season. “The pear industry understands that flavor... more »
Global Harvest Automation Initiative launched by Western Growers
Western Growers is spearheading a Global Harvest Automation Initiative to accelerate harvest automation across the fresh produce industry, with a goal of automating 50% of harvest within 10 years. “For well over a decade, our... more »