Apples
August apple report reinstated
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) has reinstated its August estimate of the U.S. apple crop, according to the U.S. Apple Association.In February, USApple President Nancy Foster met with Catherine Woteki, USDA under secretary for... more »
MSU researcher named Fruit Man of the Year
Randy Beaudry was named Fruit Man of the Year in March, during a meeting of the Michigan Pomesters near Grand Rapids, Mich.Beaudry, a horticulture professor at Michigan State University, was given the award for his... more »
Donohue leaves Michigan Apple Committee
Denise Donohue has stepped down as executive director of the Michigan Apple Committee (MAC), the grower-funded, nonprofit organization devoted to promotion, education and research activities to encourage consumption of Michigan apples. Diane Smith is now... more »
Snowfall thrills local fruit farms
If local apple growers controlled the weather, they'd tell it to chill out. And Wednesday, they got their wish.Michael Fargione, a fruit education expert with the Cornell Cooperative Extension, said the snowfall was a "wonderful... more »
New technologies changing farm marketing
When farm market guru John Stanley spoke at the 2011 Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable & Farm Market EXPO in Grand Rapids, Mich., Dec. 6, one of the many things he said was that smartphones, such... more »
Michigan apple growers seeking OK to use antibiotic to fight fire blight
According to a story in Jan.16 edition of Great Lakes Echo, Michigan officials are seeking permission to use an unregistered pesticide to fight fire blight on up to 10,000 acres of apples trees. The disease... more »
Washington State Hort. Assc. opposes water bill
At a recent legislative hearing in Olympia, the Washington State Horticultural Association and its lobbyist Jim Halstrom publicly opposed legislation (House Bill 2192) that would provide a relatively small amount of new water to allow... more »
Apple holdings greater than last year
According to the U.S. Apple Association, fresh apple holdings on Jan. 1 totaled 82 million bushels, a 4 percent increase from last year. Processing holdings totaled 33.6 million bushels, 7 percent more than last year.... more »