Water

A little rain and a lot of faith

In the heart of the drought that hammered much of central Illinois this summer, at least one farm got just enough moisture to pull off a good season. The Garden Spot in Princeville, Ill., owned... more »

Sandy causes market closures, wind damage

Hurricane Sandy, the largest Atlantic hurricane on record, was a tough blow to growers who already had to deal with a rough spring.Sandy was the second-costliest Atlantic hurricane in history, only surpassed by Katrina in... more »

Keeping muck soils sustainable takes monitoring

Muck soils are an economically important, non-renewable resource for Michigan agriculture. Satisfactory soil conservation and nutrient management practices are needed to sustain these soils for future crop production.Muck soils are the result of a transformation... more »

New MVC president wants to tackle labor, public relations

Ralph Oomen is in line to become the next president of the Michigan Vegetable Council (MVC). Currently the vice president, he'll start his two-year term as president in 2013.Ralph's family has been farming in western... more »

Tomatoes at the center of growing trade dispute

The 1996 tomato suspension agreement between the United States and Mexico is at the center of a growing trade dispute between the two counties. The agreement has governed the price of tomatoes imported from Mexico... more »

Processing pumpkins boost illinois acreage

For growers around Morton, Ill., the so-called Pumpkin Capital of the World, fall is a very busy time of year, said Mohammad Babadoost, a researcher with the University of Illinois who studies pumpkins and other... more »

Healthy living and buying local still driving seed trends

When it comes to vegetable seed trends, the story continues to be buying locally grown fruits and vegetables and knowing where your food comes from. Food trends expert Phil Lempert said that consumers have become... more »

Editorial: Reduce spray drift

In the August 2012 issue of VGN, I wrote a story that discussed pesticide drift and volatilization and the damage they can do to specialty crops like fruits and vegetables ("Herbicide-tolerant crops spark concerns," front... more »