Fruits
Robots on the farm
Commercial farms of the future may be staffed by robots that will identify, spray and pick individual pieces of produce from plants, even when their targets are grapes, peppers and apples that are as green... more »
Washington apple crop projected to be largest ever
The Washington apple industry is on a pace that will make the 2010 crop its largest ever. Based on projections of the number of packed boxes each remaining bin of fruit will yield, total shipments... more »
Public comment accepted for organic control of fire blight
Two tools over the past 30-plus years for the control of fire blight in apples and pears, oxytetracycline (tetracycline) and streptomycin, are on the verge of being eliminated from use by organic growers of these... more »
Community supported agriculture gains steam
Those apples you buy at your local organic farm may not have the smooth, glossy look of those displayed in supermarkets – but they also aren’t bombarded with pesticides to “debug” them. To Josh Morgenthau,... more »
Novel sweet cherry system getting attention
A group of tree fruit growers recently got a look at a high-efficiency growing system for sweet cherries called the UFO – short for Upright Fruiting Offshoots. It was March 1 at Hanrahan Orchards near... more »
J1 Visas offer alternative labor source
Finding quality labor is an issue most growers must deal with. Many fruit and vegetable growers are aware of the H-2A visa program that allows U.S. employers to bring foreign nationals to the country to... more »
RosBREED bringing fruit breeders together
It’s an exciting time to be a fruit breeder. That much was evident March 8, when breeders of rosaceous crops – including apples, peaches, cherries and strawberries – got together in Lansing, Mich., to share... more »
Maryland family celebrates 50 years for farm market
Nestled in the rolling hills of the Catoctin Mountains in Thurmont, Md. is the Black family farm, Catoctin Mountain Orchards. The Blacks grow fruits and vegetables, have a farm market and bakery, build a pumpkin... more »
