Vegetables

Field-grown Tasti-Lee tomatoes packaged for grab-and-go

Tasti-Lee field-grown round tomatoes for slicing and salads are now available in grab-and-go packaging and an all-new snackable size for retail sales. Tasti-Lee tomatoes by Flavorful Brands begin with a certain line of seeds, according to a... more »

Justin Oomen to lead Michigan Vegetable Council as president

Justin Oomen, a young family man from an old farming family, will be the next president of the Michigan Vegetable Council. Justin and Danielle Oomen with their son, Colton. Photos: Oomen... more »

Tomato varieties under high tunnel, open field management

Tomatoes are an important crop for small to mid-sized farmers selling directly to customers through farmers markets, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), and restaurant sales. In a multi-year study (2014-2016), researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison... more »

Boston’s Little Leaf Farms plans 10 acres under glass

A fast-expanding leafy greens operation outside Boston is another example of how consumers buying local are supporting new regional growers of leafy greens. Thirty-five miles west of Boston, Little Leaf Farms this spring celebrated doubling... more »

Smith served vegetable council with distinction, confidence

Dave Smith retired as executive director of the Michigan Vegetable Council (MVC) on March 31, 2018. Greg Bird was selected as his successor and the MVC’s office was moved to Mason, Michigan. Dave was recognized... more »

New product approved for mosaic tomato plant virus

Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) recently approved a novel new crop protectant, Pepino mosaic virus, strain CH2, isolate 1906. The new inoculant, branded PMV-01, is a mild form of the Pepino mosaic tomato plant... more »

Scientists fight for the pickle against downy mildew

With failed harvests, fewer growers are taking a chance on cucumbers. According to USDA records, pickling cucumber acreage declined nearly 25 percent between 2004 and 2015. Globally, downy mildew threatens fields as far flung as India,... more »

Celery’s top times: Thanksgiving, Christmas and football

Peak football season is the third highest celery consumption time of the year next to Thanksgiving and Christmas, according to a news release from Duda Farm Fresh Foods. Duda, the parent company for Dandy Celery,... more »