Labor

Michigan growers urged to fill out survey

Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) Director Jamie Clover Adams is encouraging the state’s fruit growers to complete the 2014 Fruit Acreage Inventory being conducted by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.“The fruit industry... more »

South Tyrolean growers cooperate to survive

South Tyrol’s apple industry gives new meaning to the word “cooperative.” Members of the International Fruit Tree Association (IFTA) saw that firsthand in November during a tour of the Italian province, which is nestled in... more »

Big Washington apple crop brings marketing challenges

Can Washington state’s apple industry come close to successfully marketing 2014’s record crop of 155 million 40-pound-boxes? The consensus is resoundingly positive, based on comments made during the state’s largest gathering of growers, packers, shippers... more »

Washington growers claim H-2A wages are too high

Last month, the minimum wage for thousands of workers in Washington jumped by nearly 5 percent to $12.42 an hour.The new pay raises apply only to a select group of people: foreigners hired as seasonal... more »

Oregon blueberry growers settle with Department of Labor

Two Oregon blueberry farmers who were strong-armed into paying $220,000 rather than risk losing an entire harvest, according to a federal judge, have reached a settlement with the U.S. Department of Labor.Click here to read... more »

New vineyard establishment cost resource published

One of the major categories of wine grapes grown in the Great Lakes region is the hybrid. Developed primarily from European and American parents, these grapes combine favorable wine characteristics with pest tolerance and often... more »

Hard cider: New industry faces shortage of trees, labor

Despite being a very old practice, the making of hard cider is virtually a new industry in the United States. The recent growth in sales has been “staggering,” and the U.S. apple industry as a... more »

Precision agriculture poised for growth

An agricultural engineering professor, in the forefront of high-tech innovation, believes there are significant advantages for specialty crop operators who pursue and adapt precision agriculture technologies. The bottom line – impacted by such trends as... more »