News

NYS Food Hub will improve access to healthy foods, support farmers

New York state announced Dec. 10 the "topping off" ceremony of the New York State Regional Food Hub in the Hunts Point neighborhood of the Bronx, where the final beam of the 60,000-square-foot, $40 million cold-storage facility was put in place. T... more

Fresh apple holdings at 100.2 million bushels, 2.6% less than 2020

The U.S. Apple Association has released a revised version of the latest USApple Tracker report. This revised version corrects for significantly overstated processing holdings. While the fresh holdings number did change slightly, the difference is ... more

Michigan fruit growers honor Larry Gut, Ed Oxley

Michigan fruit growers gathered on Dec. 8 to honor two individuals for their outstanding contributions to fruit cultivation in the state. The late entomologist Larry Gut, best known for his work in mating disruption and other methods of integrated... more

Ocean Shipping Reform Act applauded by Western Growers

The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 4996, the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2021 on Dec. 8 with an impressive 364-60 vote, making clear its support for U.S. farm exporters that are reliant on maritime shipping transport. The Ocean Shippin... more

Labor department finds Florida beekeeping farms violated H-2A rules

Three Florida beekeeping farms felt the sting of civil money penalties for failing to comply with federal laws regarding pay practices and the employment of migrant and seasonal workers. In separate investigations, the U.S. Department of Labor’s... more

On-farm compost research site for farmers, ranchers set by work group

The Federal-State On-Farm Compost Work Group announced Dec. 9 the launch of an On-Farm Compost Resource Website. The resources on this website include information and tools to help farmers and ranchers compost agricultural byproducts, including manur... more

California water dispute spurs judge’s review of biological opinions

A federal judge is reviewing a proposed order requesting approval of an interim operations plan for 2022 that would affect Central Valley Project and State Water Project agricultural water users. U.S. District Court Judge Dale Drozd in Fresno is r... more