News

Applications accepted for ‘Michigan Agriculture Exporter of the Year’ award

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is now accepting applications for its annual “Michigan Agriculture Exporter of the Year” award. Each year, MDARD recognizes a leading food or agriculture exporter for its efforts to inc... more

Horticulture scholarship honors professional tie that led to friendship

As a peach and pecan producer in central Georgia, Al Pearson relied on the expert advice provided by University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. In addition to the valuable counsel provided by Extension peach expert Maurice E. “Butch” Ferree, Pe... more

Innovative harvesting system could be a game-changer for blueberry industry

In Oregon – part of the best blueberry growing region in the world – it’s expensive for pickers to hand-harvest the delicate fruit for fresh market. New harvesting technology developed by Wei Qiang Yang, associate professor and berry Extensi... more

Freezing stress, cold hardiness and managing winter damaged vines

The 2021 winter in the Midwest and Eastern U.S. was impacted again by the polar vortex; temperatures plunged into the sub-zero digits and the extended duration of the cold events severely affected the grapevines. Minimum temperatures dropped to 3 ... more

Senate confirms Vilsack as Secretary of Agriculture

U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and John Boozman, R-Ark., Ranking Member, announced Feb. 23 that the U.S. Senate voted 92-7 to confirm Tom Vilsack to serve as U.... more

Invasive SWD flies prefer untouched territory when laying eggs

A recent study finds that the invasive spotted wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) prefers to lay its eggs in places that no other spotted wing flies have visited. The finding raises questions about how the flies can tell whether a piece of fruit is... more

United Fresh releases Q4 2020 FreshFacts on Retail report

Fresh produce continues its steady growth at retail, with increased sales for both fruits and vegetables in Q4 of 2020, according to United Fresh’s FreshFacts on Retail Q4 2020/Year in Review 2020 report, sponsored by Mucci Farms. Among the find... more