Promising Alternatives To Antibiotic Fire Blight Control

Today you have several options for protecting your crops from nuisance birds.

Prices fluctuate year-to-year, but even as the category becomes more mainstream, the market premium for organic apples is holding strong. USDA-Economic Research Service numbers for Atlanta and San Francisco, for example, show a steady increase in organic prices — especially in comparison to their conventional counterparts — over the last four years.

Use these pointers to see if your trees are suffering from bacterial spot and bacterial canker and how to manage these diseases.

For Jim Koan of Almar Orchards in Flushing, MI, organic production began as an experiment as he converted part of his 150-acre orchard 20 years ago, without the resources and guides available today.

The recent release of USDA’s Census of Agriculture shows some interesting trends in the demographic makeup of our nation’s farms and farmers.

It’s not for everyone, but with the concerns about water in the West, here are some key concepts and lessons learned from California growers you may want to consider.

This naturally produced material means you can ‘color up’ more of your table grapes — and still ship them overseas.

Let’s not get distracted by the GMO debate. Instead, let’s focus on the health benefits of fresh fruits and vegetables (GMO or not) while quietly promoting transparency via GMO labeling.

Mohr-Fry Ranches one of first vineyards to join first of its kind third-party certification in the country for grape growing.

Setting goals and plotting how to reach them can help young farmers successfully navigate today’s financially troubled waters.

Keeping your Facebook strategy fresh — and experimenting with social media tools — will help you engage with your produce buyers in as many ways as you can.

Man’s best friend is being trained to use scent detection to identify contaminated produce.

The Western Institute for Food Safety and Security is focusing on rural communities and making them aware of threats to crops or livestock.

“The strategies the coaches employ, particularly those of the underdogs, fascinate me. And I can see how these tactics would be of benefit to fruit growers, though the particular tactic depends on the size of the grower.”

A lack of winter nut sanitation will result in a higher population of overwintering navel orangeworm (NOW) and greater kernel reject damage at harvest in almonds.

Michigan State University Extension specialist reflects on what researchers have discovered from a few years of confronting spotted wing drosophila.

“The story seems different for specialty crops, like apple, that are directly consumed, viewed as inherently healthy and perhaps held to a different standard. Like it or not, the apple industry has apparently won the opportunity to be a pioneer in testing the consumer’s response to a GMO variety.”

A Fresno, CA, survey shows many growers don’t use delayed pruning or pruning-wound protectants.

Red blotch gets all the attention, but don’t forget about other viruses.