Advisory Board Says Invasive Pests, Pricing Among 2018 Challenges

Labor woes are starting to be felt on the supply-side.

Florida and California have — so far — had different experiences with HLB, the incurable disease facing citrus growers everywhere.

Respondents to our 2018 State of the Industry Survey say there are unique challenges to being among the next generation of specialty crop growers.

Invite a grower you disagree with to coffee or a drink. You’ll both find out you know less than you think. And that’s a great thing to realize. 

Respondents to State of the Industry Survey say they plan to maintain production increases of recent years in 2018, though opinions on all the new varieties differ — and often conflict.

Although many growers say the market can sustain growth, others see the classic economic relationship between dropping prices and exploding production finally playing out.

Growers say exponential growth can be sustained.

While lack of chill hours put a damper on stone fruit seasons, growers say organic and high-quality fruits are the future of the industry.

Generally speaking, the smaller the vegetable operation is, the wider the array of crop types. And our 2018 State of the Vegetable Industry survey results reflect this in a dramatic way.

New technologies, new cultivars, and consumer demand are helping to boost berries.

A couple of years ago I wrote about running my first “serious” 5K race —the Scrumpy Skedaddle — […]

Scientists say grant proposals are the only way they can help you, but that chase takes away time from being in the field.