Equipment

North Carolina Couple Propagates Rare Trees

North Carolina’s apple industry is among the prominent ones in the United States, with more than 4 million bushels produced annually. Most of the state’s 9,000 acres of orchards are planted in Golden Delicious, Red... more »

FDA: Companies Must Stop Promoting Health Benefits of Cherries on Labels

On Oct. 17, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent warning letters to 29 companies that manufacture, market or distribute products made from cherries and some other fruits. The letters instructed the companies to... more »

Willamette Valley Couple Thinks It’ll Work

The experts told David Lett he couldn’t grow Pinot Noir winegrapes in Oregon’s cold, soggy Willamette Valley. But Lett, considered by many the father of Oregon’s modern wine industry, proved them wrong. Now, four decades... more »

Scramble Toward Sweet Cherries Is On

Why do sweet cherries crack? The easy answer is, “It has something to do with rain.” But, conceded Mortiz Knoche, he didn’t have to come all the way from eastern Germany to tell growers that.... more »

High-Value Crops Perfect for High-Value Land

Over the years, northern Maryland has changed from a bucolic rural countryside into a high rent district. Soaring land prices have driven out certain kinds of farming, but farmers who have changed what they produce... more »

IFTA Conference Features Largest Eastern Fruit Packer

Touring orchards with Mark Rice is an experience to savor. It exposes you to his cryptic combination of broad production expertise and orchard knowledge, facility with English (and several other languages), political insight tinged with... more »

There’s Blueberry Production Potential in China

China is quickly reforming its economy to encourage entrepreneurial activity and exports. With the strong international demand for blueberries, it is no surprise that the Chinese are considering blueberries as a new crop. That’s according... more »

Washington’s Jim Koempel Named Apple Citizen of the Year

It’s a tradition in Washington state. Each year, the community of apple growers around Wenatchee selects the Apple Citizen of the Year. This year, it’s Jim Koempel of Cashmere, who grows 275 acres of fruit... more »

Pennsylvania Farm Specializes in Adding Value

Soergel Orchards sells fruit salad in a special basket for $54.99 – and people are willing to pay for it. The secret is the basket: a carved-out watermelon. Each hollow melon can hold 12 to... more »

Kentucky Couple Spreads the Good News About Blueberries

When Jenny and Larry Martin moved to Kentucky in 1995, they brought more blueberry bushes with them than there were in the entire state. It was the genesis of the burgeoning Kentucky blueberry industry. The... more »