Blueberries
Consumer focus spurs Wish Farms’ success
Wish Farms, a Plant City, Florida-based grower-shipper of strawberries and blueberries, has expanded its Argentina blueberry program, seeing its recent harvest double in volume over last season. The Argentina blueberry season spanned from the beginning... more »
NCSU wins grant to curb SWD
North Carolina State University (NCSU) has won a $6.7 million grant from USDA to undertake research and grower education efforts aimed at better managing a major new pest that causes hundreds of millions of dollars... more »
MBG drops lawsuit against True Blue, former employee
The Michigan Blueberry Growers Association, also known as MBG Marketing, has dismissed its lawsuit against Brenda Reeves and her employer, True Blue Entities. “After we determined that MBG had not suffered any economic damage resulting... more »
Penn State: Final SWD update for berry growers
Spotted wing drosophila is present just about anywhere we look these days —even in berry fields where fruit is no longer present. At this point, this mainly matters to growers of fall raspberries, blackberries, and... more »
Washington’s organic blueberries growing more profitable
From 2009 to 2012, organic blueberry acreage in Washington state increased by 130 percent, while production tripled. In the same period, the farm-gate value of the state’s organic blueberries rose from $7 million to $23... more »
What to do about SWD-infested fruit?
The SWD monitoring network Counties are all positive for SWD as of last week, Aug. 28. A lot of SWD are being caught in traps in research sites now with population numbers expected to climb... more »
New certifications combat nursery tree viruses, costs
Fruit tree viruses cost growers and producers thousands of dollars each year, and increased expenses often get passed down to the consumer. New standards to test for viruses in fruit trees and small fruit in... more »
The Future of Farming: Over-the-row cherry harvester
Farmers have the same goal: harvest the highest quality fruit in the most efficient way. When it comes to cherries, it’s not the easiest task, but the way the fruit is picked continues to evolve.Don... more »
Fruit Crop Guesstimate shows winter’s impact
Coming off back-to-back winters that challenged Michigan growers, industry leaders gathered June 24 to guess the size of 2015’s fruit crops. “We’ve experienced two harsh winters in a row and we’re also continuing to experience... more »
USDA broadens crop insurance options for fruit producers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the expansion of crop insurance to provide additional options for fruit and nut producers. The Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) and the Actual Production History (APH) Yield Exclusion are... more »