Grapes

Earliest grape insects ever this spring

The early heat of 2012 has pushed insect development ahead rapidly, just like the vines, and so scouting should start in vineyards to help ensure vines are protected from insect damage if needed.I saw my... more »

Unseasonably warm weather puts fruit growers on alert

The growing season is off to a very early start across the Great Lakes and much of the central and eastern U.S., according to Jeff Andresen and Aaron Pollyea in the Michigan State University Extension... more »

Arkansas peach trees bloom early; late freeze still possible

Record warm temperatures have peach trees blooming in western Arkansas, leaving growers worried that a late freeze could hurt their crop.After a similarly mild winter in 2007, a freeze in early April wiped out the... more »

Tiny wasp could be stink bug’s downfall

Starker Wright shared a horror story with New York state growers in January. A scientist with USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, Wright was a speaker at The 2012 Empire State Fruit & Vegetable Expo in Syracuse,... more »

Fruit, vegetable crops need honeybees

Every third mouthful of food we eat, directly or indirectly, depends on honeybee pollination, according to Donald Lam, a beekeeper and member of the Holland Area Beekeepers Association in Holland, Mich. Lam gave a presentation... more »

Winegrape output declines

California winegrape production declined last year, the crop hampered by unusually cool weather and rain, but growers statewide and in the Lodi area saw the drop more than offset by higher prices.Industry experts said years... more »

How global economic shifts changed the wine industry

The international wine market was a favorite subject for classical economists in the 18th and 19th centuries to help explain the benefits of free trade. TIMERead more: http://business.time.com/2012/02/07/how-global-economic-shifts-changed-the-wine-industry-for-better-and-for-worse/#ixzz1lnxkEQAI more »

Success allows Michigan winery to expand into new areas, products

One of the stops on the 2011 Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and Farm Market EXPO Bus Tour was the Round Barn Winery, Distillery and Brewery in Baroda, Mich., founded by Rick Moersch and his family.... more »