Vegetables news

• Western Growers picks ‘next generation’ to be part of leaders program

  14-01-2021 22:01 via vegetablegrowersnews.com
  
  To identify and prepare the next generation of Western Growers (WG) members for positions of leadership within the Western fresh produce industry, WG has inaugurated the sixth class of the Future Volunteer Leaders Program (FVLP).
  This year, for the first time in program history, the FVLP welcomes a future leader from Colorado, which became the third membership state in the WG family in 2015.
  The following nine individuals have been selected to represent the next generation of industry leaders:&b
  
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• Cornell’s Tony Shelton honored for pioneering work in IMP

  18-01-2021 18:14 via vegetablegrowersnews.com
  
  International professor of entomology Anthony Shelton has been named the winner of the 2021 Lifetime Achievement in Integrated Pest Management (IPM).The Lifetime Achievement Award honors an individual who has devoted their career to IPM. Shelton was recognized for significant contributions to enhancing IPM through team-building with various stakeholder groups, and addressing issues across pests, commodities, systems and disciplines.
  Shelton will receive the award and deliver the closin
  
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• More info needed to protect workers from pesticide exposure, GAO says

  18-01-2021 18:11 via vegetablegrowersnews.com
  
  Farmworkers exposed to agricultural pesticides need additional information on how to protect themselves, according to the Government Accountability Office.
  According to a news release, since 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has had a Worker Protection Standard (WPS) for agriculture that permits farmworkers to identify someone who can request a farm’s pesticide information for their benefit.   
  In a new 34-page report to Congress, the Government Accountability
  
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• Mechanized Pruning Tools Growing on More Tree Fruit Producers

  18-01-2021 17:51 via growingproduce.com
  
  Labor issues create change in the way growers tailor their trees.The post Mechanized Pruning Tools Growing on More Tree Fruit Producers appeared first on Growing Produce.
  
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• Lettuce supplants tomatoes atop organic volume list

  18-01-2021 02:20 via vegetablegrowersnews.com
  
  The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) of USDA released its latest survey of national organic food production in October. The first organic survey was initiated in 2008 and was conducted as part of the Census of Agriculture as a special study. The 2008 and 2014 surveys collected data from certified and exempt organic operations, while all other surveys (including the 2011 and 2019 surveys) collected data only from certified organic operations.
  The 2019 survey revealed that area devo
  
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• Massive, high-tech greenhouse opens in Mills River, North Carolina

  17-01-2021 20:01 via vegetablegrowersnews.com
  
  Lakeside Produce officials held public tours Jan. 15 to showcase the new company’s high-tech greenhouse in Mills River, North Carolina, a massive, 15-acre facility where a variety of tomatoes and mini cucumbers are grown for distribution from Maryland to South Florida.
  According to a story by BlueRidgeNow/Times-News, the 10-month-old business – which required an initial investment of $30 million to install specially designed lighting and countless other features – is part
  
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• Challenge Builds To Protect Florida Citrus Interests From Unfair Trade

  16-01-2021 15:31 via growingproduce.com
  
  Florida Citrus Mutual's Mike Sparks says addressing Mexican OJ is now at the top of agenda for industry stakeholders.
  The post Challenge Builds To Protect Florida Citrus Interests From Unfair Trade appeared first on Growing Produce.
  
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• Ag labor, wildfire research included in prestigious grant program

  15-01-2021 19:52 via vegetablegrowersnews.com
  
  Two new projects designed and led by University of California Merced researchers will address challenges facing many Californians – wildfire recovery and agricultural labor – but will also have global reach.
  Both are funded through the University of California’s prestigious Multicampus Research Programs and Initiatives (MRPI) Awards. In addition to these two projects, six UC Merced faculty members are co-primary investigators on projects led by other UC campuses and a
  
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• Who Owns the Most Farmland in America?

  15-01-2021 17:59 via growingproduce.com
  
  You might be surprised to know a computer software giant also rolls quite large in the ag world.
  The post Who Owns the Most Farmland in America? appeared first on Growing Produce.
  
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• Final rule set to modernize Department of Labor’s H-2A regulations

  15-01-2021 17:59 via vegetablegrowersnews.com
  
  The U.S. Department of Labor announced Jan. 15 a final rule that modernizes the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Labor Certification Program.
  According to a news release, the Department’s Employment and Training Administration, and Wage and Hour Division are issuing this final rule in response to the extensive public comments received from farmers, farmworkers, as well as advocates and associations for both groups from across the country.
  This rule will modernize the Department’s H-2
  
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• Virtual event planned for Colorado Fruit & Vegetable Growers; speakers set

  15-01-2021 17:41 via vegetablegrowersnews.com
  
  Kimbal Musk, chef, restauranteur, philanthropist and “real food” entrepreneur will open the Colorado Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association’s seventh Annual Conference the morning of Feb. 17.
  Participants can expect an informal keynote address where Musk discusses his experiences with entrepreneurship and working with farmers to source food for his restaurants. His presentation will be followed with a live webinar Q&A session.
  Day two of the virtual conference, Feb. 18,
  
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• Western Produce Industry Groups Call For Biden To Open Trade

  15-01-2021 17:22 via growingproduce.com
  
  Key asks include resuming negotiations with trade partners to resolve retaliatory tariffs and secure new or updated trade agreements.
  The post Western Produce Industry Groups Call For Biden To Open Trade appeared first on Growing Produce.
  
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• Check Out the New Digital Drought Portal From NOAA

  15-01-2021 15:37 via growingproduce.com
  
  Climate change continues to make headlines and impact growers. Learn how the redesigned Drought.gov better serves stakeholders.
  The post Check Out the New Digital Drought Portal From NOAA appeared first on Growing Produce.
  
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• Professor receives NASA Early Career award to help astronauts grow vegetables

  15-01-2021 15:22 via vegetablegrowersnews.com
  
  When in space, astronauts typically eat dehydrated, nutrient-dense food, but when it comes to longer space missions, that can become a problem as they’ll eventually lack nutrients from fresh vegetables.
  However, one chemical and biomolecular engineering professor will be researching ways astronauts can grow their own fresh vegetables more efficiently while they are on missions.
  Ying Diao was recently awarded the NASA Early Career Faculty award for her proposal: Remote Autonomous
  
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• Precision Ag Use on the Rise With More Fruit Growers

  15-01-2021 15:14 via growingproduce.com
  
  Cutting costs, especially in reducing inputs, is cited by many, but smaller growers remain reluctant.
  The post Precision Ag Use on the Rise With More Fruit Growers appeared first on Growing Produce.
  
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• Dollar General raises bar for employee welfare by paying workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19

  15-01-2021 14:28 via foodnavigator-usa.com
  
  Most grocery retailers are strongly encouraging employees to vaccinate against the coronavirus as more states expand access to the vaccine to frontline essential workers, but few are mandating it and even fewer are paying their employees to take the preventive measure.
  
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• Sakata Seed America increases food donations to Yolo Food Bank

  15-01-2021 00:00 via vegetablegrowersnews.com
  
  Sakata Seed America, through its Woodland Innovation Center, significantly increased the volume of fresh produce donations to the Yolo Food Bank in Woodland, California.
  “Sakata Seed has been an amazing partner,” Aliyah Moreno, Yolo Grown program coordinator for the Yolo Food Bank, said in a news relase “We have received various types of crops such as melons, watermelon, squash, tomatoes and peppers. Yolo Food Bank puts these crops to use by distributing them to the 60,000 Yolo
  
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• Produce sales conclude tumultuous 2020 with solid gains

  14-01-2021 22:59 via vegetablegrowersnews.com
  
  November and December sales were dominated by the holidays along with the consumers’ response to rapidly rising new COVID-19 cases across many states. Some states and cities enacted renewed shelter-in-place mandates which impacted grocery retailing in many ways.
  In December, consumers’ trip frequency fell below last year’s levels, much like it had in early April, while e-commerce transactions made a return to spring levels. Holiday celebrations were vastly different for Thanksg
  
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• Clemson Extension to hold organic crop production virtual meetings

  14-01-2021 22:50 via vegetablegrowersnews.com
  
  It’s a new year and a great time to learn or brush up on practices needed to successfully grow food crops.
  The Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service’s Horticulture Program has several virtual meetings planned to provide information from organic fertility to growing tomatoes and peppers, cucurbits and brassicas. These free meetings will be offered via Zoom. Pesticide credits will be offered. Registration is required.
  The first meeting, featuring Cle
  
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• Projects receive $70M to target ag pest problems in US

  14-01-2021 20:53 via vegetablegrowersnews.com
  
  The USDA is allocating more than $70 million to support 383 projects under the Plant Protection Act’s Section 7721 program to strengthen the nation’s infrastructure for pest detection and surveillance, identification, threat mitigation, to safeguard the nursery production system and to respond to plant pest emergencies.
  Universities, states, federal agencies, nongovernmental organizations, nonprofits, and Tribal organizations will carry out selected projects in 49 states, the Distric
  
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• COVID-19 emergency rules spur response from Washington ag groups

  14-01-2021 19:59 via vegetablegrowersnews.com
  
  As farmers across Washington state prepare for the first wave of nearly 15,000 guest workers to arrive in the first quarter of 2021, leading agricultural groups are appealing recently renewed state COVID-19 emergency rules to Gov. Jay Inslee they say are triggering a labor shortage that could force many out of business.
  According to a news release, agricultural groups representing thousands of Washington farmers say the state needs to prioritize testing and vaccinations and use best science in r
  
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• Members appointed serve on seven agricultural trade advisory committees

  14-01-2021 19:43 via vegetablegrowersnews.com
  
  U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer announced Jan. 14 the appointment of 67 members to serve on seven agricultural trade advisory committees.
  The Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee is comprised of senior representatives from across the U.S. agricultural community who provide advice to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative on trade policy matters including the operation of existing trade agreem
  
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• ZICO founder re-acquires brand from Coca-Cola via PE firm: ‘The cycle has swung back’

  14-01-2021 16:38 via foodnavigator-usa.com
  
  Speaking at Expo West in 2015 two years after selling his coconut water brand to Coca-Cola, ZICO founder Mark Rampolla observed that his nine years running the business had been âabsolutely brutal.â Six years later, heâs back at the helm, after buying ZICO back from Coke via growth equity fund Powerplant Ventures.
  
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• EFSA says mealworms safe for human consumption: ‘An important milestone towards commercialisation’

  14-01-2021 16:00 via foodnavigator.com
  
  The European Food Safety Authority has published its first scientific opinion on an insect-derived food. The conclusion? Mealworms are safe for human consumption.
  
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• Ritual Zero Proof relies on partnerships with Campbell’s V8, others to drive sales without sampling

  14-01-2021 15:47 via foodnavigator-usa.com
  
  With in store sampling off the table during the pandemic, the non-alcoholic spirits brand Ritual Zero Proof drove âexplosiveâ growth in 2020 and has high hopes for 2021 with help from partnerships with established CPG brands, including most recently Campbellâs V8, as well as lifestyle companies and passionate influencers who shared the companyâs ethos of living a full, balanced life.
  
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• Ritual Proof Zero relies on partnerships with Campbell’s V8, others to drive sales without sampling

  14-01-2021 15:47 via foodnavigator-usa.com
  
  With in store sampling off the table during the pandemic, the non-alcoholic spirits brand Ritual Zero Proof drove âexplosiveâ growth in 2020 and has high hopes for 2021 with help from partnerships with established CPG brands, including most recently Campbellâs V8, as well as lifestyle companies and passionate influencers who shared the companyâs ethos of living a full, balanced life.
  
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• Amazon tops dunnhumby Retailer Preference Index as consumers prize price, speed & safety during pandemic

  14-01-2021 15:32 via foodnavigator-usa.com
  
  Amazon blew past traditional grocers H-E-B and Trader Joeâs to secure the coveted title of best overall grocery retailer in dunnhumbyâs fourth annual Retailer Preference Index, which also placed the company at the top of its new âCovid Momentum Metricâ that evaluates customer safety ratings with an eye towards the pandemic.
  
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• Buell to join UGA as Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar

  14-01-2021 14:41 via vegetablegrowersnews.com
  
  Robin Buell, University Distinguished Professor at Michigan State University and a renowned plant genomics expert, will join the University of Georgia in fall 2021 as its newest Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar.
  GRA Eminent Scholars are acknowledged leaders in areas of science that are strategically important to the state of Georgia and its research universities. Buell, who will be appointed as a professor of crop and soil sciences in the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmen
  
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• PepsiCo doubles climate goal: ‘There is simply no other option but immediate and aggressive action’

  14-01-2021 12:33 via beveragedaily.com
  
  PepsiCo is targeting a reduction of absolute greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across its value chain by more than 40% by 2030. It is aiming for net-zero emissions by 2040.
  
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• Chobani enters RTD coffee category: ‘It’s a logical adjacency,’ says president Peter McGuinness

  14-01-2021 08:17 via foodnavigator-usa.com
  
  Chobani is moving into new territory with the launch of a Chobani Coffee, a line of ready-to-drink coffees made with single origin cold brew and the companyâs new oatmilks and dairy creamers, which might seem like a leap into the unknown, but in fact represents a move into a logical adjacency for the yogurt brand, claims president Peter McGuinness.
  
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