Latest News From Lettuce

Iron Ox is a Silicon Valley startup that aims to place its indoor, hydroponic “farms” near population centers and restaurants to supply green vegetables and herbs.

Loudon, N.H.-based Lef Farms has introduced a new blend of baby red and green leaf lettuce called Fusion.

Grower-shippers anticipate continued growth in the leafy greens and value-added salad categories, and many say they plan to expand their product lines with new organic offerings.

The number of lab-verified cases in a cyclospora outbreak linked to Fresh Express salads sold at McDonald’s restaurants continues to mount.

Interest in romaine increased in mid-August as iceberg prices rose due to supply issues — an about-face from the situation earlier this year when romaine demand dropped following an E. coli outbreak.

Brian Cook is the new president of greenhouse grower Pete’s Living Greens, Carpinteria, Calif.

Catch a few quick news updates from California grower-shippers and marketers of lettuce and other leafy greens.

Key Technology is introducing a new line of digital sorters for fresh-cut leafy greens.

Indiana State Police arrested the drivers of a tractor-trailer load full of fresh lettuce en route from Colorado to Florida on Wednesday morning.

Value-added items play an increasingly important role in California grower-shippers’ leaf and lettuce programs.

A springtime outbreak tied to romaine lettuce, along with erratic weather in California, rising freight rates and the usual competition from regional deals presented a challenge for California leaf and lettuce growers.

The 2006 North American spinach E. coli outbreak was the largest in U.S. history, causing at least 276 consumer illnesses and 3 deaths because of tainted produce.

Securing adequate labor has been a challenge throughout the California produce industry in recent years, and the labor market tends to get even tighter during the summer.

Food safety experts say there’s no cause for undue concern about the safety of California greens this summer, despite a foodborne illness outbreak in the spring attributed to romaine lettuce grown in Yuma, Ariz.

SALINAS, Calif. – Mark Adamek, director of romaine, artisan and mixed leaf production for Tanimura & Antle, said he has high hopes for the rest of the season despite challenges earlier in the year.

Misionero Vegetables, Gonzales, Calif., is expanding its organic Earth Greens product line with Little Gems and Butter Lettuce varieties.

The Food and Drug Administration reported June 28 that its investigation of the multistate outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections linked to romaine lettuce may have a connection to irrigation water.

Monterey County’s (Calif.) vegetable crop value rose slightly from 2016 to 2017, and fruit crop values dropped a bit, as overall agricultural production rose 4%, to $4.4 billion.

The Star Group is taking its greenhouse living lettuce line one step farther, cutting, washing and offering the lettuce in five new blends under the Inspired Leaves brand.

Just as immigration reform continues to elude lawmakers in Washington, D.C., a stable workforce continues to elude grower-shippers in California’s Salinas Valley.

Just as immigration reform continues to elude lawmakers in Washington, D.C., a stable workforce continues to elude grower-shippers in California’s Salinas Valley.

Fresh Express, NatureSweet and Litehouse Inc. are partnering for a national retail promotion during May, National Salad Month.

California spring vegetables are seeing increasing competition from Mexican imports.

Market conditions for California vegetables bounced higher in late February in response to cold weather in desert growing regions.

Fellsmere, Fla.-based B&W Quality Growers is partnering to support families affected by cancer.

Tanimura & Antle is set to launch a three-week “New Year — Fresh Start” promotion running Jan. 9-30 and featuring the company’s Artisan Lettuce and Artisan Romaine.

There have been worse years for weather, but 2017 was one where Mother Nature’s hand changed many fruit and vegetable markets.

The Public Health Agency of Canada has linked an E. coli outbreak to romaine lettuce.

Growers of winter desert vegetables anticipate ample supplies of good-quality product for the holidays.

Doubling previous informal estimates, a new study says Arizona’s leafy greens industry delivers $2 billion in annual sales.

Aided by more rain and mountain snow pack in California, U.S. vegetable shipments from January through August were up 2% compared with the same period a year ago.

McDonald's Corp. honored Taylor Farms with its Self-Managed Excellence award for its food safety, quality and sustainability efforts.

Bengard Ranch has hired produce industry veteran Steve Koran as its general manager.

A very wet winter, weather-disrupted plantings and reduced acreage have put the head lettuce market in a fairly solid position, grower-shippers say.

Organic produce continues to see sales increases, with organic lettuce and salad mixes one area of strong growth.

SALINAS, Calif. - Increasing automation in the field remains a priority for Taylor Farms.

California vegetable growers got relief from several years of intensifying drought conditions this season but were instead trying to cope with record rainfall.

Indoor farms are seeing increased demand as weather-related production issues in Arizona and California have affected the supply of leafy greens.

Supplies of some California vegetables may be in short supply.

For growers of California spring vegetables, the question isn't whether there will be supply gaps and possible quality issues this season. It's how bad will these challenges be.

An early finish for leafy greens in Yuma, Ariz., is expected to contribute to a gap in supply before production moves back to California.

Salinas, Calif.-based grower-shipper Tanimura & Antle has launched an employee stock ownership plan.

Iceberg lettuce has been the recipient of many snide remarks over the years, but it's in such high demand in England right now that the country's four largest grocery chains are rationing it.

Rijk Zwaan's pinking-resistant lettuce Knox won the Fruit Logistica Innovation Award in Berlin.

A weather-induced vegetable shortage in the United Kingdom has prompted some wholesalers and retailers there to turn to U.S. suppliers to meet demand. Iceberg lettuce, broccoli, zucchini and eggplant were among the item

Tanimura & Antle has promoted Brian Antle as president of PlantTape USA, its automated transplant technology company.

More than 80% of the greens Canadians toss into their winter salads arrive on a truck from California.

Recent rain in California has made harvesting and planting more difficult than usual and may eventually lead to some shortages.

Health officials will begin routinely asking listeria outbreak victims if they consumed leafy greens, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

SALINAS, Calif. - Red beets and baby leaf items were among the vegetables on view for growers and seed dealers at Sakata Seed America's annual California Field Days in Salinas.