News
House agriculture leaders advance farm bill draft with new support for vegetable growers
The U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture Committee released the first draft of a new farm bill late last week, according to reporting from the University of Illinois’ Farm Policy News. The next step forward for the proposed bill is a Feb. 23 ... more
USDA announces $1B aid package for vegetable growers
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced USDA will provide $1 billion in grower relief payments through the Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers (ASCF) Program to help offset market disruptions, rising input and labor costs and export co... more
Michigan Agritourism Convention marks 20th anniversary with education, farm tours
Michigan’s agritourism community will gather March 10–11, 2026, at the Bavarian Inn Lodge in Frankenmuth as the Michigan Agritourism Association marks the 20th anniversary of its annual statewide convention. The 2026 Michigan Agritourism Conventi... more
Specialty crop groups join coalition to preserve USMCA, strengthen ag trade
Forty farm and agricultural groups — including USApple, the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA), the Northwest Horticulture Council, the FreshProduce Association of the Americas and USAPulses — recently launched the Agricultural Coali... more
Winter blast prompts Florida officials to push for USDA disaster assistance
The ongoing winter blast hitting the southeast has prompted Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson to request a disaster declaration and assistance for specialty crop growers throughout the state. Simpson wrote a letter to USDA Secret... more
Crookham launches 2 early-season Vidalia onion varieties with disease-tolerance
Crookham Company is introducing two new Georgia Vidalia onion varieties for the 2026 growing season: Augusta (4022) and Athens (4021). Crookham said both varieties are designed to mature at the beginning of the harvest window, offering growers ea... more
Take VGN’s 2026 Farm Market Pricing Survey
Farm market operators are invited to participate in Vegetable Growers News' 2026 Farm Market Pricing Survey. The survey gathers information on pricing for fruits, vegetables, baked goods and other market products, helping growers benchmark their pri... more
New on-demand webinar explores labor challenges and opportunities for growers
Labor challenges continue to create uncertainty for specialty crop operations, and rules are changing fast. A new on-demand labor roundtable webinar from Vegetable Growers News sister publication Greenhouse Product News brings together lead... more
Farm labor outlook improves as H-2A wage rules stabilize, attorney says
There’s a pair of ag labor wins that farm employers can feel good about heading into 2026. That’s according to attorney Chris Schulte with the Fisher Phillips law firm. Schulte told attendees at the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conf... more
Specialty crop leaders sound alarm on $100B farm losses, seek $5B in support
A large contingent of specialty crop organizations — including the U.S. Apple Association, International Fresh Produce Association, Georgia and Florida Fruit and Vegetable Associations, Organic Trade Association and the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Al... more
