News
Spudman: Michigan grower named National Potato Council president
According to VGN sister site Spudman, Michigan grower Ben Sklarczyk has been elected to serve as National Potato Council (NPC) president for the next 12 months. Sklarczyk was installed with the rest of the 2026 executive committee Feb. 23 at NPCâ... more
USDA, MSU Farm Market Survey open now through end of March
USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) in partnership with Michigan State University (MSUE) has officially launched the 2026 National Farmers Market Survey to gather data on how farmers markets operate across the United States. Thi... more
Price spreads explained: What USDA’s 2024 farm-to-retail data means for specialty crop growers
The USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) just published updated farm-to-retail price spread reports, and there is some interesting data to sort through as it pertains to U.S. specialty crops. Farm-to-retail price spreads measure the difference be... more
Living mulch 101: How vegetable growers can boost soil and suppress weeds
Living mulch is a powerful tool for farmers looking to improve soil health, suppress weeds and support beneficial insects. Unlike traditional mulches like straw or wood chips, living mulch consists of low-growing plants that grow between rows of veg... more
Ag Wage Reform Coalition petitions Congress for farm wage stability
National Nut Grower is reporting that members of the Ag Wage Reform Coalition gathered February 24 to urge Congress and federal regulators to make permanent changes to the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR), the wage formula used in the H-2A temporary ... more
SCOTUS blocks tariffs, ag groups urge trade policy stabilization
The U.S. Supreme Court has struck down a broad set of Trump-era tariffs, a decision that farm groups say could relieve U.S. farmers and growers facing rising costs for fertilizer, equipment and other critical inputs. The ruling removes the legal bas... more
Powerful partnership: How Jamaica’s H-2 workers withstood Hurricane Melissa
When Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica in late-October of 2025, the impact was swift and severe. Homes were destroyed, communities were flattened and the livelihoods of thousands were disrupted. For a period, the island’s airports were closed, c... more
Researchers unlock how plants regulate root growth
A pair of researchers with the Missouri University’s Bond Life Sciences Center are touting a recent discovery they say could “pave the way for [the breeding of] more resilient crops.” Walter Gassman and Jianbin Su have discovered a specific... more
Deep freeze saddles Florida vegetable growers with hundreds of millions in crop damage
Florida commissioner of agriculture Wilton Simpson shared a startling fact in the aftermath of the recent deep freeze that hit the southeast: total estimated crop losses from the storm eclipsed $3 billion across the state’s diverse agricultural se... more
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
