Crop Protection
Parks & Rec actor promoting soil, regenerative ag
Actor, author and woodworker Nick Offerman takes on his dirtiest role to date: a promotion to attract public attention to regenerative ag and healthy soil. Offerman, a former Parks and Recreation TV series star who... more »
The Organic Center grants focus on food safety, climate, pests
The USDA’s Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) research program is awarding The Organic Center almost $900,000 for four new projects. The projects announced will address a host of vital and diverse challenges facing... more »
USDA studies steam heat to target pests
Early in 2020, two colleagues in the Treatment and Inspection Methods Laboratory (TIML) of USDA’s Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) program began researching vacuum steam as an alternative for methyl bromide treatment for fresh fruits.... 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 »
Organic Growers Summit explores regenerative agriculture
“Regenerative agriculture” is a fast-growing term that is helping to reshape how food is grown, but what does it mean for the organic fresh produce industry? A panel of organic industry leaders will address the... more »
APHIS issues fruit fly quarantine in California
The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) have established an Oriental fruit fly quarantine in Santa Clara County, California. The quarantine includes portions of... more »
USDA Horticultural Research Laboratory adds vertical farming labs
AmplifiedAg, an agricultural technology company focused in controlled environment agriculture (CEA), was awarded the contract from the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Fort Pierce, Florida, to supply vertical farming research labs to the agency’s... more »
Fresh produce advisory committee accepts comments
The USDA's Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee (FVIAC) will be taking comments in person and virtually at its November meeting. The committee, which advises the USDA on industry issues, will be meeting from 8... more »