Labor
Crops rot as Mexican labor dispute continues
For the last week, striking farmworkers in Baja California have all but stopped the winter harvest, right at its peak. While crops rot, indigenous pickers are rallying on streets and plazas as police and army... more »
Growers considering tunnels must weigh pros and cons
Every good reason to grow tomatoes and other high-return vegetables and small fruits in high tunnels has a compelling argument to counter it, according to a Cornell University Extension vegetable specialist."These potential pitfalls of tunnel... more »
Climate change will force adaptation
Last year was Earth's warmest since 1880, according to NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).The two agencies recently announced that Earth's average surface temperature has warmed by about 1.4˚ F since 1880,... more »
H-2A project expanding to include vegetable growers
For Michigan's fruit and vegetable growers, use of the federal H-2A program – which allows agricultural employers to hire foreign workers on a temporary basis – was almost nonexistent before last year, when four apple... more »
Organic growers face challenges and opportunities
David Coveyou, owner of Scenic Farm in Petoskey, Michigan, who works with farm manager Laura Judge, discussed how they "cultivated farm resiliency and transitioned to organic production" during a presentation at the 2014 Great Lakes... more »
Michigan H-2A project expanding to include asparagus
For Michigan's fruit and vegetable growers, use of the federal H-2A program – which allows agricultural employers to hire foreign workers on a temporary basis – was almost nonexistent before last year, when four apple... more »
Precision agriculture poised for growth
An agricultural engineering professor, in the forefront of high-tech innovation, believes there are significant advantages for specialty crop operators who pursue and adapt precision agriculture technologies.The bottom line – impacted by such trends as a... more »
Obama actions ‘not expected’ to ease farm labor concerns
A call for a more targeted approach to help improve the farm labor environment marked early reaction from the agriculture community to President Barack Obama's issuance of a series of executive actions to grant as... more »