Articles

Growers will give ag a voice in Michigan Legislature

In November, a vegetable grower and a fruit grower were elected to serve in the Michigan House of Representatives. Roger Victory, who grows vegetables in the Hudsonville area, will represent the state's 88th district. Dave Pagel, a fruit grower, pack... more

Seedway turns 50

Seedway will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2013.The Hall, N.Y.-based seed company is a subsidiary of GROWMARK of Bloomington, Ill. Its beginnings go back to 1923, when Robson Seed Farms, a small mail-order vegetable and flower seed company, was f... more

Robotic strawberry harvesters demoed in California

Agrobot, a company based in Huelva, Spain, recently demonstrated a robotic strawberry harvester at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis). The company is working to bring robotic technology to strawberry harvesting and hydroponic growing, wit... more

Keeping muck soils sustainable takes monitoring

Muck soils are an economically important, non-renewable resource for Michigan agriculture. Satisfactory soil conservation and nutrient management practices are needed to sustain these soils for future crop production.Muck soils are the result of a tr... more

Breeding programs focus on consumer of the future

Fruits and vegetables are important parts of a balanced diet, and making sure consumers have an abundant supply of them is part of the Agricultural Research Service's (ARS) mandate.Genetic improvements in fruits and vegetables are essential to meet t... more

New MVC president wants to tackle labor, public relations

Ralph Oomen is in line to become the next president of the Michigan Vegetable Council (MVC). Currently the vice president, he'll start his two-year term as president in 2013.Ralph's family has been farming in western Michigan for nearly a century, ev... more

Tomatoes at the center of growing trade dispute

The 1996 tomato suspension agreement between the United States and Mexico is at the center of a growing trade dispute between the two counties. The agreement has governed the price of tomatoes imported from Mexico into the United States, but not ever... more