Melons

Social networking site caters to salad lovers

Salad enthusiasts now have a social networking site of their own called Love My Salad, an online destination that allows salad consumers to connect with fellow enthusiasts around the world. The website is one of... more »

Managing downy mildew in pumpkins

Cucurbit downy mildew is most serious on cucumbers, but can damage other vine crops, including pumpkins. Changes in the strain types (more aggressive and overcoming cultivar resistance) and early appearance in the northern parts of... more »

U.S. Dept. of Labor fines Jensen Farms owner

The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division has fined cantaloupe grower Eric Jensen, who owns and operates Jensen Farms in Holly.Jensen has been fined $4,250 in civil money penalties for failing to provide... more »

House committee releases listeria report

The U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee released a bipartisan staff report Jan. 10 that details the findings from the committee's investigation into the 2011 listeria outbreak in cantaloupes grown and processed at... more »

California cantaloupe farms regroup after listeria outbreak

A tragedy 1,300 miles away changed a way of life in this Central California farm town that proudly calls itself the Cantaloupe Center of the World. Chicago TribuneTo read more, click here. more »

Listeria hysteria

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were 29 reported deaths from last fall's listeria outbreak. As of November, CDC reported 139 people with severe illnesses.Last September, CDC traced the listeria... more »

Prison labor works for Colorado growers

With talk of farm-labor shortages across the country, can prisoners fill in the gap?Earlier this year, officials in Georgia and Alabama suggested using prison labor to replace missing migrant workers, but in Georgia at least,... more »

Five years after deadly E. Coli outbreak, Salinas Valley farmers struggle to rebound

Five years after their healthy-looking green fields became the epicenter of a national food disaster, farmers in the Salinas Valley are still working to regain something even the most bountiful harvest can't ensure: the public's... more »