Labor

Pumpkin and winter squash harvest and storage

Continuing dry conditions throughout the state are hastening the decline of pumpkin vines in many fields. This raises the question of when pumpkins should be cut from the vine, and how best to store them... more »

Dutch company offers asparagus weighing machine

Christiaens Agro Systems, a Dutch company, is offering a weighing machine for making asparagus packages.The machine consists of a line with a conveyor belt and a packaging apparatus. The line weighs every single spear and... more »

Mississippi grower awarded for on-farm activities

Mississippi vegetable grower Allen Eubanks was recently selected as his state's winner of the Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year award. He was nominated by Patricia Knight of Mississippi State University's Coastal Research... more »

Ground truthing technology utilizes sensors to determine crop trends

Agriculture today has transformed into a high-tech enterprise that most 20th century farmers might barely recognize.Alex Thomasson, professor of biological and agricultural engineering at Texas A&M University, said it was only 100 years ago that... more »

Court rules Washington growers must pay for rest breaks

The Washington Supreme Court has ruled that piece-rate workers must be paid separately for their rest breaks, a decision that will have a significant impact on the way the state's growers pay their employees.Dan Fazio... more »

USDA schedules Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee meeting

The USDA's Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee (FVIAC) will meet on Sept. 15-16 in Washington, D.C. The meeting is open to the public.“This advisory committee represents the entire produce industry, and we look forward... more »

UC Davis: Drought costs California agriculture $1.84B and 10,100 jobs

The drought is tightening its grip on California agriculture, squeezing about 30 percent more workers and cropland out of production than in 2014, according to the latest drought impact report by the UC Davis Center... more »

New safety-training website made for agriculture

Farm and other agribusiness operations looking for convenient, cost-effective ways to improve workplace safety and meet compliance requirements under the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) have a new option available online.Good Day's Work is... more »