Cucumbers

Growers renew push for immigration reform

For the last 14 years, Fred Leitz has been traveling to Washington, D.C., telling members of Congress that if they don't fix America's immigration system, fruit and vegetable crops are going to start rotting in... more »

CSA, farmers’ markets keep Ohio farm afloat

When Brian and Kelly Helser – owners of Paige's Produce in Stoutsville, Ohio – first looked into hosting their own Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, they had a hard time believing anyone would pay up... more »

Indoor vertical grower touts concept’s benefits

Emerging concepts that enable food producers to thrive in more sustainable ways continue to take shape.One of those approaches is known as vertical farming, and the operators of an indoor system being fine-tuned in a... more »

Greenhouse helps retailer sell local tomatoes year round

A Canadian produce company is helping a Michigan-based grocery chain offer fresh, vine-ripened, local tomatoes year round.Mastronardi Produce, based in Kingsville, Ontario, completed a 30-acre hydroponic greenhouse facility in Coldwater, Mich., in December 2011. That... more »

Food banks a destination for unsold produce

To John Hamilton, donating the excess produce he grows every year to feed the hungry is a "good deal."Hamilton is among dozens of Springfield, Ill., area farmers who participate in "Plant a Row for the... more »

Mich. pickle farm accused of cheating workers

The federal government is accusing a northern Michigan farm of failing to pay minimum wage to migrant workers who picked pickling cucumbers.A lawsuit filed in Grand Rapids federal court also accuses Darryl Howes and Ron... more »

California tomato grower goes green

When Casey Houweling was thinking about the future of his tomato operation in Camarillo, Calif., he thought mostly of his daughters and the legacy his company would leave for them, he said. That made his... more »

Ohio family grows with the market

Three farms. Four thousand acres. Thirty-five commodities grown. Another 30 or so bought from other growers. Those numbers give a sense of the size and complexity of Buurma Farms, based in Willard, Ohio.In the busy... more »