Perdue: On the road again, to visit Mastronardi in Michigan

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, (foreground), visits with Lef Farms President Henry Huntington at the greenhouse company in Loudon, N.H., in early September during a “Back to Our Roots” RV tour. Perdue and USDA staff are again traveling in an RV this week, with plans to visit Mastronardi Produce in Coldwater, Mich.
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, (foreground), visits with Lef Farms President Henry Huntington at the greenhouse company in Loudon, N.H., in early September during a “Back to Our Roots” RV tour. Perdue and USDA staff are again traveling in an RV this week, with plans to visit Mastronardi Produce in Coldwater, Mich.
(Photo courtesy USDA)

Agriculture SecretarySonny Perdue and U.S. Department of Agriculture staff are on the road again, visiting farms on the third “Back to Our Roots RV” Tour.

Perdue, whose first-year anniversary in the post comes late this month, has visited numerous fresh produce farms, packinghouses and related facilities across the country, and like previous RV tours, has the produce industry on his traveling agenda.

The tour begins April 3 and wraps up April 6, with stops in Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky. One of his first stops will be Mastronardi Produce’s Coldwater, Mich., greenhouse facility. Perdue will tour the Leamington, Ontario-based Mastronardi operation, which first produced tomatoes in 2012, on April 3. Perdue will meet with local media following the tour, according to a news release.

The rest of the week includes visits to a floral greenhouse, a tent manufacturer, university and high school ag programs, a lumber company and state Farm Bureau Federation groups.

Throughout the week, Perdue will hear from local farmers, agriculture students and researchers, business owners and community leaders, according to the news release.

Tags

Produce Crops Produce - General USDA Tomatoes
 

Latest News

Sustainability
Industry alliance: European packaging rules raise trade and food safety concerns
Industry alliance: European packaging rules raise trade and food safety concerns

New packaging rules adopted by the European Parliament raise serious trade and food safety concerns, says the Alliance for Sustainable Packaging for Foods.

Tom Karst
Produce Crops
Consumers, retailers drive growth of new grape varieties
Consumers, retailers drive growth of new grape varieties

The world of table grapes has expanded exponentially from traditional red and green varieties to today’s plethora of cultivars with appearance, flavor and size characteristics.

Tom Burfield
Industry
CPMA president touts industry resiliency, global solutions to challenges
CPMA president touts industry resiliency, global solutions to challenges

In his State of the Fresh Produce Industry address, Ron Lemaire talked about the current political climate, the need for global sustainability goals and the need to focus on the consumer.

Christina Herrick
Retail
ShopRite and supermarkets to hold walk-up job fairs
ShopRite and supermarkets to hold walk-up job fairs

Wakefern Food Corp.'s supermarket banners, including ShopRite, Price Rite Marketplace, The Fresh Grocer, Gourmet Garage and Fairway Market, are hosting hiring fairs on April 27 across several states.

Aaron Gonzalez
Industry
Mushroom Council applauds WIC enhancements, offers recipe tips
Mushroom Council applauds WIC enhancements, offers recipe tips

The Mushroom Council is highlighting multiple ways families can incorporate fresh mushrooms and other WIC foods into daily meal plans.

Aaron Gonzalez
Social Responsibility
Harris Teeter and Consalo Family Farms donate 48,000 pounds of mandarins
Harris Teeter and Consalo Family Farms donate 48,000 pounds of mandarins

More than 16,000 bags of Little Smoochies mandarins were donated through the "Mandarins Making a Difference" campaign, aiding local hunger relief efforts.

Aaron Gonzalez
View More