Vegetables
New breeds of pumpkins, calabazas making headway in Florida
Peanuts cartoonist Charles M. Shultz yielded popularity to an almighty pumpkin in the 1966 animated TV Special “It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown.” Today, pumpkin popularity for holiday decor, healthy snacking, and scrumptious recipes during... more »
E. coli outbreak linked to Salinas, California romaine
FDA, CDC, and state health authorities are investigating an outbreak of illnesses caused by E. coli O157:H7 in the United States. Epidemiologic, laboratory, and traceback evidence indicates that romaine lettuce from the Salinas, California growing region is... more »
ITC: Mexican tomato dumping threatens US growers
In a unanimous decision on Nov. 22, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) made an affirmative determination that dumped Mexican tomato imports threaten the U.S. industry with material injury. This determination comes on the heels... more »
Defending Domestic Produce Production Act gains support
On Nov. 21, Congressman Bill Huizenga, R-Michigan, announced he is cosponsoring the Defending Domestic Produce Production Act, bipartisan legislation designed to defend family farms from illegal trade practices used by foreign nations to undercut American... more »
Salad products recalled due to possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination
Missa Bay, LLC, a Swedesboro, New Jersey, establishment, is recalling approximately 75,233 pounds of salad products that contain meat or poultry because the lettuce ingredient may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s... more »
Researchers ID an accomplice to late blight
Descendants of the fungus-like pathogen that caused the Irish potato famine in the 1840s – Phytophthora infestans – may have had a "helping hand" in recent U.S. outbreaks of the costly blight disease. Reporting in the September 2019... more »
Tomato brown rugose fruit virus concerns growers
Growers and officials across the country are watching produce aisles for imported tomatoes with tomato brown rugose fruit virus, or ToBRFV, which they say could disrupt domestic growers of tomatoes and peppers. Although tomato seeds... more »
Fruit research center in Michigan to be near asparagus research field
A fruit tree research center in northern Oceana County is being planned by the newly formed West Central Michigan Horticultural Research Inc. According to Nov. 17 story by the Mason County Press, the West Central Michigan... more »