Articles

Washington State water project expands grower options

A unique five-year study in Washington’s Columbia River Basin, which has some of the most intensively irrigated land in the U.S., is looking at how to make the most of the available water. “Technology for Trade: New tools and new rules for wat... more

Veg Connections: Seedless cucumbers in high tunnels

Seedless cucumber is a popular and high-value crop. High yield, climbing growth habit and parthenocarpic characteristics make seedless cucumber a valuable crop for growing in high tunnels. Cucumbers are sold for premium prices in the early season ... more

Duda Farm Fresh Foods nears century of sustainability

When Andrew Duda took his first crop of celery to market in 1926, he probably wasn’t thinking of sustainability goals. But sustainable practices have kept the company he founded, Duda Farm Fresh Foods, growing produce — including its legacy ce... more

Robots perform field work at FIRA USA

Allowing growers to watch the latest AgTech products operate in the field was a big part of FIRA USA. Through demonstrations and static displays at the Sept. 19-21 event in Salinas California, technology providers focusing on agriculture showed of... more

FIRA USA sessions: Do your homework before adopting robotics

As growers seek automated solutions to solve some of their labor challenges, they and tech companies are working to determine how soon that can become a reality. Some of the considerations were tackled during sessions at the Sept. 19-21 FIRA USA i... more

Autonomous tech invades the ‘Salad Bowl’

Despite a limited number of robots and automated machines being deployed in some grower fields, more buy-in is needed by venture capital (VC) firms that fund AgTech products. The challenge of making robotics and smart machinery more mainstream was... more

2023: The year in review

To specialty crop growers, and farmers in general, 2023’s big news in the industry wasn’t totally unforeseen: lack of labor is still an issue, severe weather damaged crops and technology continues to advance automation in fields and orchards. ... more