News

Nominations sought for Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee

The USDA announced March 30 it intends to renew the charter of the Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee. It is also seeking nominations from specialty crop stakeholders to serve on the FVIAC. The deadline for nominations is May 31, 2022. ... more

Preventing cross contamination: spring chores

Warmer than average March temperatures have started the growing season ahead of “normal.” Springtime brings a seemingly endless series of things to do in the field, plus the picking and packing of early-season high-tunnel crops. With so many t... more

WSU’s first endowed potato chair seeks to grow state industry

Launching Washington State University’s first distinguished program serving potato agriculture, Steve Culman will delve below the surface to keep a $7 billion Washington industry strong. Currently a state specialist in soil fertility for The Ohi... more

Fire damages Rio Fresh onion warehouse facility

A structure fire caused significant damage to a large portion of key fresh onion packing facilities in south Texas. On March 31, fire struck Rio Fresh Inc.’s San Juan, Texas, warehouse and packing operations. According to the company, “a massi... more

Corteva Agriscience works with Symborg to distribute nitrogen-fixation product

Corteva Agriscience has been named the exclusive distributor of a nitrogen-fixation product for both specialty growers and row crop farmers by biotechnological company Symborg, the companies announced March 31. The agreement builds on established ... more

Project seeks bio-based coatings to minimize cross-contamination

Nitin Nitin, Ph.D., with the University of California, Davis, doesn’t want to reinvent the wheel when it comes to ways to minimize potential pathogen cross-contamination with produce. As a result, he is leading research into food-grade bio-based co... more

California farmers’ markets receive state grants for healthy foods

The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s California Nutrition Incentive Program (CNIP) has selected seven projects to receive $750,000 in total grant awards to facilitate the purchase of California-grown fruit and vegetables at participa... more