News

Study: White clay spray mix repels tomato pest

Tomatoes are big business in Florida, the nation’s top producer of the popular fruit, but an insect no bigger than a grain of rice threatens growers’ fields each season. The whitefly prefers the underside of leaves, enjoying a variety of p... more

IFPA announces Class Three of Produce Safety Immersion Program

International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) announced Jan. 26 the Class Three Fellows of the Produce Safety Immersion Program, sponsored by Calavo Growers/Renaissance Food Group at the gold level, and Ecolab as a silver sponsor. The 11 fellows ... more

Gene discoveries could lead to heartier, less gritty spinach

Most of us are familiar with “spinach teeth” – the harmless but gritty-chalky mouthfeel caused by the vegetable. A team of researchers from Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) and six Chinese universities has identified genes in spinach that regu... more

US organic produce sales top $9B in 2021, up 5.5%

Organic fresh produce grew sales by 5.5% in 2021, topping $9 billion for the first time, and outpacing conventionally grown produce in year-over-year gains in both sales and volume, according to the 2021 Organic Produce Performance Report released Ja... more

Alliance for Food and Farming makes appointments, OK’s plans

At its recent meeting, the Alliance for Food and Farming (AFF) appointed Kyla Oberman, Director of Marketing for California Giant Berry Farms, to serve as its new Secretary/Treasurer and Lauren M. Scott, Chief Strategy Officer for the Internation... more

Square Roots opens farm in Kenosha, Wisconsin; expanding in Midwest

Square Roots, a technology company in indoor farming, and Gordon Food Service, a food distributor in North America, announced Jan. 26 the opening of a new climate-controlled, indoor farm in Kenosha, Wisconsin. “Our partnership with Gordon Food S... more

Researcher studies transforming tomatoes with molecular biotechnology

James Duduit, a North Carolina State University horticultural science doctoral student, utilizes molecular biotechnology to transform tomatoes and improve the crop’s resistance to bacterial wilt and other common pathogens. Molecular biotechn... more