West
Marking 10 years in operation, SmartWash Solutions helps keep food safe
In its 10th year of serving the fresh-cut produce industry, Salinas, California-based SmartWash Solutions supports operations and food safety in eight countries, while effectively treating over five billion pounds of produce each year. This represents... more »
Tomato plants repel pathogens with ‘vaccine’ to boost defense system
Scientists knew that plants wage chemical war against bacterial, viral and fungal infections. Now they’ve learned how to “vaccinate” tomato plants with a natural chemical to boost their defenses against a pest that makes leaves... more »
Accurate spray targeting in strawberry fields helped by new app
Strawberry growers now have a free smart phone application tool to predict spray coverage to combat such pests as two-spotted spider mites, lygus bugs and leafrollers, thanks to a three-year collaborative project involving UC Davis... 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 »
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 »
Organic Grower Summit to feature showing of ‘The Last Harvest’
An exclusive showing of the award winning Driscoll’s documentary The Last Harvest, which shines light on the labor shortage and immigration reform, will be held at the upcoming Organic Grower Summit, followed by an open forum discussion among... more »
Nutrition grant supports incentives at California farmers’ markets, retailers
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has been awarded a Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) grant of $7,166,877 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to fund nutrition incentives at Certified Farmers... more »
Tour de Fresh raises $180K for school salad bars
Charity cycling event Tour de Fresh raised more than $180,000 to the United Fresh Start Foundation to provide 51 salad bars to schools. That donation total surpasses the annual amount raised each of five previous years,... more »
