Category: Farm Management
High tunnels help Sugar Top Farm fight insects, heat
Sugar Top Farms employs high tunnels to battle insects and winds. The tunnels help the central Florida area farm grow leafy greens on the highest point on the Florida peninsula.
CDFA seeks members for shipping point program
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is seeking candidates for vacancies on the Shipping Point Inspection Advisory Committee.
Cal Pol Strawberry Center Field Day sets attendance record
Nearly 500 strawberry growers, shippers, processors, researchers and agricultural stakeholders gathered for the seventh annual Cal Poly Strawberry Center Field Day.
Construction begins on USDA-WSU research building
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack participated in a groundbreaking ceremony for a new plant sciences building that will house scientists from the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Washington State University (WSU).
EFI offers tips on dealing with summer heat
As the nation experiences a summer of extreme heat, the Equitable Food Initiative (EFI) is raising awareness about the dangers and symptoms of heat and sun exposure.
What do farmworkers and NFL players have in common?
What do professional football players and farmworkers have in common?
Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance supports legislation
The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA), a national coalition of more than 200 specialty crop organizations representing growers, have endorsed legislation that addresses several key priorities in the 2023 Farm Bill.
Organic Grower Summit booth registration opens
Booth registration is open for the sixth annual Organic Grower Summit.
Resource on Strengthening Organic Enforcement available
Consumer confidence in the USDA organic seal has fueled industry growth and market expansion, according to the agency’s National Organic Program (NOP), which is tasked with ensuring rules protect the organic market as it grows.
Misionero celebrates 50th anniversary
Leafy greens grower Misionero, which markets organic and conventionally grown produce, is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
OTA names new president, board members
The Organic Trade Association’s incoming president for 2023-24 is Tracy Favre, vice president of sustainability for live operations at egg company Handsome Brook Farms LLC.
Legislators reintroduce farm labor bill in Congress
A bipartisan group in the U.S. House of Representatives has reintroduced the Farm Workforce Modernization Act for the third time, seeking a workforce solution to the labor-stressed specialty crop industry and other farm sectors.
Groups plan legal challenge to new Florida immigration law
A group of civil rights organizations plan to challenge Florida’s new immigration law that specialty crop growers say severely threatens their ability to hire a workforce.
Farmers advocate for urban ag, climate programs
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) and farmers from six states met with Congressional leaders and USDA officials to advocate for climate solutions and other issues in the 2023 Farm Bill.
New Jersey Ag Secretary Douglas Fisher retires
New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas Fisher is retiring after 14 years in the position, following a career as supermarket owner and operator and member of the New Jersey General Assembly.
FDA restructuring includes food safety regulatory arm
The Food and Drug Administration’s ongoing reorganization of its Human Food Program now includes a restructuring of the Office of Regulatory Affairs which could include a new name.
Organic standards experts fight fraud, advocate for industry
Respected organic industry advisors and specialists Gwendolyn Wyard and Kim Dietz have launched Strengthening Organic Systems LLC.
USDA names OTA as national partner in organic initiative
The USDA has chosen the Organic Trade Association (OTA) as a national partner for the Transition to Organic Partnership Program, part of an initiative to provide direct support and technical assistance to producers.
AgSharks competition opens to startups
Western Growers and S2G Ventures are accepting applications for the 2023 AgSharks Competition.