Melons

Jensen Farms files for bankruptcy in wake of listeria deaths

Jensen Farms, the southeastern Colorado cantaloupe growers who were the source of a deadly listeria outbreak last year, filed for bankruptcy Friday.Lawsuits from the outbreak, which caused at least 32 deaths and dozens of hospitalizations,... more »

Workers showing up for vegetable harvests – so far

Will U.S. growers find enough workers to harvest their crops in 2012?It's tough to predict, but based on information from a smattering of different crops in different regions, it looks like the labor supply is,... more »

Farmers’ market association educates consumers

One of the missions of the Colorado Farmers Market Association (CFMA) is to educate consumers across the state about the value of fresh, locally grown produce, said Annie Catura, current CFMA board president.In the wake... more »

Agraquest gets OK to expand use of Serenade Soil fungicide

Agraquest has been given the green light to use its Serenade Soil fungicide for control of Verticillium in California strawberries.Available in the U.S. for tomatoes, potatoes and melons since 2010, Serenade Soil has proved effective... more »

Colorado cantaloupe farmers face uncertain future

Last fall, a listeria outbreak in cantaloupes traced to a southeastern Colorado farm killed thirty people and sickened dozens more in 28 states. The economic fallout from the tragedy has also been far reaching.Farms from... more »

Haygrove winner plans to ‘retire’ to farming life

As the winner of a 25-by-100-foot Haygrove Gothic tunnel in the 2012 Great American Giveaway, Kermit Cutter of Newfield, N.Y., said he plans to use it to get more into farming.For the past four decades,... more »

Industry’s cantaloupe safety meetings change to webinar format

A series of webinars will replace regional meetings scheduled to develop guidelines to improve the safety of cantaloupe.Growers, buyers, auditors, academic experts and state and federal regulators were being invited to attend regional meetings planned... more »

Experts, leaders target cantaloupe safety

One day. One hundred experts. One issue with exponentially greater implications.In a nutshell, those were the bones of the "Cantaloupe: Food Safety Priorities" meeting coordinated by the Center for Produce Safety (CPS) at the University... more »