Greens

North Carolina Growers Embrace Resilience Amid Extreme Drought, Spring Heat

Mon, 11 May 2026 00:22:06 GMT

Farmers in North Carolina are facing an uphill battle this spring as a severe drought combined with unseasonable heat has stunted early-season specialty crops from brassicas to berries.

As of early May, North Carolina was experiencing severe agricultural distress, with approximately 67 counties under extreme drought conditions and record-breaking dryness impacting 96% of the Southeast.

“These conditions are becoming quite apparent on our farms, with retention ponds getting extremely low, cracks in the soil, difficulty preparing land for summer production and reduced yields on many spring crops,” says Taylor Holenbeck, grower services coordinator for the Durham, N.C.-based Happy Dirt, a farmer-owned distributor of organic produce, specializing in connecting Southeast regional farmers with retailers and food hubs.

Spring greens have been hit particularly hard, says Holenbeck.

“One farm is seeing half the average yield on their broccolini crop, while others are seeing extremely slow growth on kales, collards, cabbage and other brassicas,” he says.

In the eastern part of the state, drought conditions and unseasonably hot temperatures that repeatedly reached the 90s during April have increased pest pressures in the area.

“Without the rain to help wash pest eggs off the crops, this has led to large hatchings of diamondback moths, compromising many of the tender spring greens,” he says.

Holenbeck says a number of Happy Dirt farms are behind on their spring plantings, with some delayed by at least two weeks due to dry conditions.

And it’s not only what’s already in the ground that struggles in drought conditions, says Holenbeck, who notes that preparing new beds when soil is extremely dry is also a challenge.

“Some farms are having to overhead water their land just to be able to prep beds, which is not how you want to be using your precious water resources in a drought,” he says.

Severe drought conditions in parts of North Carolina, like here at Randy Massey’s M&M Plant Farms, have led to retention ponds getting extremely low, cracks in the soil, difficulty preparing land for summer production, and reduced yields on many spring crops, says Taylor Holenbeck, grower services coordinator for the Durham, N.C.-based Happy Dirt.

(Photo courtesy of Happy Dirt)

‘Fast and Furious’ Strawberries

Weather conditions have also impacted the state’s strawberry production.

“Our strawberry season has been stunted as well, although this is due to not only drought, but [rather] the large swings in temperature this spring, causing the plants to be more vegetative rather than producing a lot of fruit consistently,” says Holenbeck.

Austin Hirsch, a strawberry farmer in Catawba, N.C., told AgDay’s Haley Bickelhaupt that while ripening usually takes a few weeks, in this year’s drought, it’s been “fast and furious.”

“The biggest challenge is trying to keep up with harvest,” says Hirsch of Bumble Berry Farms. The first-generation farmer says a hard winter followed by a warm week in early April accelerated picking of the farm’s early-season variety, which began April 8.

“We went out there maybe five or six days later, and the whole field was red … I’ve never seen anything like it,” says Hirsch.

Bumble Berry Farms grows five varieties of strawberries, all of which have been impacted by drought, he says.

But one silver lining for Hirsch has been sweeter berries.

“The conditions raise the sugar levels,” he says.

Bumble Berry Farms estimates it strawberry crop yields were about 50% of normal this season and is now turning its attention to its blackberry crop.

But Happy Dirt’s Holenbeck remains optimistic that there’s still time for some North Carolina strawberries.

“We still have the month of May to have a great strawberry season,” he says. “And so far, the sweet corn and summer squash crops are doing OK but will need rain soon.”

Altar Cross Farms’ Morgan Sykes and father Roy Sykes survey their North Carolina blueberry crop.

(Photo courtesy of Happy Dirt)

Blueberries in the Balance

Altar Cross Farms, a family-run organic blueberry farm in Ivanhoe, N.C., which tends more than 100 acres of certified organic blueberries between its own 40 acres and a lease on an additional 65 acres, says it’s managing the unusually dry conditions through strategic irrigation and a watchful eye on the weather.

“This has been a particularly dry start to the season, which is a change from what we typically see this time of year,” says Morgan Sykes, sales and packing manager for Altar Cross Farms and daughter of the farm’s owners, Roy and Donna Sykes. “We have been having to use our irrigation a lot more this year starting with the spring freezes to now this extreme dry weather.

“We are very blessed to have the irrigation system that we do, but nothing is as good as the natural rain,” she adds.

On the family’s 40 acres, they conserve as much water as possible using a ditching system connected to catch basins at the end of each row to flow the water back into its pond.

“Even with that, our pond is about 4 feet lower than what it should be,” she says.

On the farm’s leased acres, the pond system requires they pump water from a well into the pond, which costs more because it has to be hooked up to a generator, she says.

But a dryer blueberry growing season does have some benefits, says Sykes.

“The quality of blueberries on a dryish year are a little better because you really don’t have to worry as much about soft fruit,” she says. “It will impact the size of the berry; they will maybe not be as big. That is where we will be utilizing our irrigation to try and plump them up.”

Overall, Sykes says things are shaping up to be a “really good year.”

“We packed the highest number of berries we ever had last year,” she says. “This year we are hoping to do even more, [as] we have a few more fields that are just coming into production now.”

Sykes says this time of year usually presents the opposite weather problem — too much precipitation. To address this, Altar Cross Farms has planted varieties that can tolerate more water and still remain firm.

“We have some O’Neals that are drought tolerant, but if they get a little rain, they are bad about splitting,” she says.

While the family had been planning to move away from the variety as a result, this year, it looks as though they’ll be able to pack more of them.

“All of our other berries we are just having to keep an eye on and irrigate them to help the berries grow and size up,” she says. “We are praying for rain. We just don’t want it all at one time.”

Rising Input Costs vs. Market Realities

In North Carolina, the dust is rising just as fast as the overhead. While drought conditions have forced farmers to rely heavily on irrigation, global conflicts have driven diesel prices up by nearly 50%, making the cost of watering particularly steep.

Holenbeck says while irrigation methods vary widely from farm to farm in North Carolina, those that use diesel “are definitely feeling the effects of high prices.”

Soaring prices, not only for farms to run their irrigation pumps but also to operate tractors and on shipping costs for fertilizers and packaging, are putting a squeeze on the season.

“Higher fuel costs impact everything, down to the cost of the petroleum-based plastic used for mulch and clamshells that we pack small fruit into,” he says. “Unfortunately, our farmers are beholden to market pricing, so we are looking at the high end of pricing on each crop but have to balance being too high, otherwise sales slow, and that’s worse for the farms.

“Just because there is a drought here, doesn’t mean that the market isn’t low in other regions, so it’s a tricky balance,” he continues.

Farming for North Carolina’s Future

In the face of these soaring operational costs and a volatile climate, North Carolina’s specialty crop growers are no longer just reacting to the weather — they’re striving to outsmart it. By shifting toward heat-tolerant varieties they aim to transform drought from a seasonal crisis into a catalyst for long-term agricultural innovation.

“[The development of drought-resistant varieties] should be top of mind for both farmers and consumers, and there are some great initiatives in our region working toward more drought-resistant crops,” says Holenbeck, who says he’s never had more farmers ask him if they could grow okra for Happy Dirt than this year.

“Okra is a great example of a drought-tolerant crop, but unfortunately the market demand doesn’t match its utility for the farmers — yet,” he says. “Happy Dirt sees it as part of our work to help educate customers on what crops thrive in our increasingly warm climate in the South and why it’s important for consumers to learn how to integrate those fruits and vegetables into their diets.”

Holenbeck says Happy Dirt is looking to seed breeders to help Southeastern growers with more heat-tolerant varieties of vegetables.

“From lettuce to tomatoes, there are more and more heat-tolerant varieties available, which is giving our farmers the ability to stretch seasons and grow more of what eaters want locally,” he says. “This year we are implementing broccoli trials on two of our farms to observe which varieties do best in our quickly warming springs, and so far, despite the drought, we have seen some great results and plan to scale broccoli production if the varieties continue to perform.”

Happy Dirt says it has also conducted some smaller trials with regionally adapted varieties of butternut squash from Common Wealth Seed Growers and okra from Utopian Seed Project. This year it is also trialing and saving seeds from a specific okra variety grown by the Freed Seed Federation.

“All this seed work is important for farmers to be able to adapt over time and focus on what grows well here,” says Holenbeck. “We also see increased customer demand for the organic small fruit category, many of which are grown perennially, such as Asian persimmons, blackberries, figs, muscadines and blueberries to name a few. Due to the perennial nature of these crops, they can provide more resiliency to extreme weather and are a category that we plan to grow more of with our farmers.”

And when it comes to preventive measures, Holenbeck says one of the best things farmers can do is keep their soil consistently covered with cash crops and cover crops to help retain moisture and reduce erosion when there’s heavy rain.

“This effort pays off slowly, but as we face more erratic weather patterns, these types of practices become increasingly important,” he says. “We can’t fight nature, but we can try to learn from it and mimic it.”

Born Farms Shares How It Uses Microclimate Data to Outpace Arctic Blasts

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 20:52:22 GMT

Born Farms founder Christopher Safieh says while recent cold events in the U.S. impacted domestic distribution, the primary interruptions came from road closures and driving restrictions, which caused delays across several corridors.

Born Farms coordinated with multiple entry points in the U.S. to mitigate disruptions and worked closely with transportation partners, Safieh says.

“The main challenges were related to trucking routes from ports and border entry points to final destinations such as New York, Chicago and other major U.S. markets,” he explains. “On affected routes, we deployed team drivers to maximize allowable driving hours whenever conditions permitted. At the same time, we maintained constant communication with customers so they could adjust their receiving strategies based on real-time updates.”

While this cold weather severely impacted open-field production across Mexico and Guatemala, Safieh says Born Farms used its high tunnels to create a managed microclimate. These structures act as a natural buffer, but are also equipped with temperature sensors that trigger specialized irrigation systems for active frost protection.

“This increases relative humidity within the tunnel environment, which is a proven method to help prevent frost formation and protect plant tissue during cold nights,” he says.

Safieh says Born Farms also deploys technology to help determine elevation profiles of farms and the potential impact on temperature forecasts, humidity levels and wind data.

“When dealing with frost-driven events, the most critical factor is identifying high-risk microclimates within the farms,” he says. “We closely monitor low-lying and flat areas, particularly where wind speeds drop below 1.5 kilometers per hour, as these conditions create stationary cold pockets with a high frost risk.”

Born Farms is able to deploy preventive measures through identifying high-risk or vulnerable zones before frost develops.

“While we use several weather forecasting models, the key is integrating temperature, relative humidity and wind behavior to trigger preventive actions early rather than react after damage occurs,” he says.

While customers expect product delivered regardless of external conditions, Safieh says it’s critical to provide transparent and frequent communication at all times, especially during weather events.

“While exceptions can occur, our priority is maintaining transparent and frequent communication about production status and any climatic or logistical factors that may affect supply — whether cold events, excessive rain or transportation disruptions,” he says. “This real-time collaboration allows customers to optimize inventory decisions in the short term, avoiding both shortages and excess product.”

Safieh says Born Farms will evaluate this predictive model for sugar snaps, snow peas, Brussels sprouts, baby carrots and more.

“Each crop behaves differently and requires its own level of research and validation,” he says. “We take a disciplined, step-by-step approach to ensure that any expansion meets the same standards of reliability, protection and resilience that we have achieved with our core bean programs.”

Olivia’s Organics Launches New Greenhouse-Grown Line

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 18:41:03 GMT

Olivia’s Organics has launched its Olivia’s Organics Greenhouse Grown product line. The company, which is a part of the fourth-generation, family-owned State Garden, is also celebrating its 20th anniversary.

State Garden President and CEO Mark DeMichaelis says Olivia’s Organics’ new organic greenhouse line marks a breakthrough moment for regional agriculture.

“Our new organic greenhouse varieties represent a milestone once thought impossible: locally grown, certified-organic greens in the Northeast, available 12 months a year,” he says. “This 20-year pursuit has been powered by persistence, innovation and an unwavering commitment to our customers and communities.”

The new greenhouse-grown blends include organic green leaf and organic red and green leaf products, which the company says complement Olivia’s Organics’ full line of organic tender leaf salads and blends, butternut squash, celery and more.

“One of my long-standing career goals has been to deliver what our customers have consistently asked for: truly local, certified-organic greens grown year-round in the Northeast,” DeMichaelis says. “This strengthens our commitment to the region — supporting local grower networks, their families and the communities and charities that have been part of the Olivia’s story for two decades. This milestone represents both a promise kept and a dream realized.”

Olivia’s Organics Greenhouse Grown varieties unite rigorous food safety standards with trusted organic integrity, including the use of no natural or synthetic pesticides, according to the company, which highlights the two varieties currently available:

Organic green leaf offers a natural buttery bite and gentle crunch with a mild, clean flavor and is suited for salads, wraps, fresh dishes and more.
Organic red and green leaf offers a light, refreshing crunch with a mild flavor mix of red and green leaves and is suited for building vibrant salads and everyday meals.

“Olivia’s Organics Greenhouse Grown varieties are crafted for those with a more discerning palate, offering a bolder, more robust flavor profile that tastes closer to the earth, not engineered away from it,” says Tom Thompson, chief revenue officer for State Garden. “The result is a consistently fresh, crisp product with a satisfying crunch and versatile flavor that pairs well with everything from a light balsamic to a classic, hearty Caesar.”

The new greenhouse-grown blends are now available in all of Market Basket’s 90 stores throughout Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine and Rhode Island; on FreshDirect serving Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut; and in all 20 Roche Bros. locations throughout Massachusetts. They will be available in Shaw’s markets throughout Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont beginning in early March.

Bengard Ranch Adds Sales Executive

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 01:42:59 GMT

Vegetable grower-shipper Bengard Ranch says it has hired Christian Bengard as a sales executive to further its retail reach and label recognition across the U.S. and Canada.

“It’s exciting to see the next generation carry on this family business,” says Steve Koran, vice president of sales. “Christian has a strong reputation in the industry and will be a valuable asset to the team for years to come.”

A third-generation family member, the company says Bengard has long aspired to work for the family business, which has been rooted in California’s Salinas Valley agriculture since the late 1850s. He brings more than six years of produce sales experience from Well-Pict/Gem-Pack, along with years of exposure within the fresh produce industry.

“The most rewarding part of this role is being able to connect with people who understand and appreciate the agricultural community,” Bengard says. “I look forward to not only working with the family business but also continuing to build relationships within this industry.”

In this role, which began Jan. 10, the company says Bengard will be supporting sales, business development and product management with a focus on building customer relationships, activating commercial growth initiatives and contributing to strategic advancements across key markets.

“We’re pleased to welcome Christian into the sales office,” says Ken Silveira, president of Bengard Ranch. “His perspective as part of the next generation of the family will play an important role as we continue building on the strong foundation the Bengard family has already established.”

San Diego Farms Appoints New CEO

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 17:44:17 GMT

San Diego Farms (Fresh Origins, BrightFresh Microgreens) announced Dec. 9 that it has appointed Greg Cyr as CEO, succeeding Norma St. Amant, who is retiring after decades of service to the company. Cyr brings over 25 years of leadership experience, having served some of the country’s most notable brands in the consumer-packaged goods industry, with a focus on the produce and grocery sectors.

“This is an extraordinary time to join San Diego Farms,” Cyr says. “With its trusted brands and unmatched product quality, the company is well-positioned for accelerated growth. I look forward to helping drive the momentum while ensuring we continue delivering exceptional value to our partners.”

“Greg brings a powerful combination of experience, leadership and innovation that make him the right leader to propel the company forward,” says Matthew Garff, chairman of the board of directors at San Diego Farms. “His strategic approach and operational expertise will play a key role in expanding capabilities and elevating the customer experience.”

Taylor Farms Expands to U.K.

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 22:39:21 GMT

Taylor Farms announced a significant strategic move into the United Kingdom and European markets through the acquisition of Chichester, England-based Natures Way Foods, a well-known provider of freshly prepared salads, cole slaw and potato salads.

Mindi Mayhew, director of communications for Taylor Fresh Foods, says this partnership will pave the way for U.S. products and brands to enter retail and foodservice in the UK.

Both companies will remain as separate supply chains, Mayhew says, and the current employees, executives and management teams will all remain at the company. Natures Way Food employs more than 1,300 people.

Mayhew says the company seeks to build a foundation of plants that supply the largest retailers and foodservice operations in Europe.

“Unique opportunities came available,” Mayhew says of the opportunity for Taylor Farms to enter the UK market, noting this relationship will “create a strong foundation for serving our customers.”

Taylor Farms says, as part of this deal, it will introduce new fresh and healthy products that align with consumer trends.

“Consumers want to enjoy fresh and healthier food, and we want to help lead that transition with convenient, great-tasting, fresh products,” Mayhew says.

Bruce Taylor, chairman and CEO of Taylor Farms, says in a news release that the company looks forward to expanding its global footprint.

“At Taylor Farms, our mission has always been to deliver fresh, healthy and delicious foods that enhance the well-being and quality of our consumers’ lives, and that mission extends beyond North America,” he says.

Colin Smith, CEO of Natures Way Foods, says in the announcement that joining Taylor Farms will help the company continue to invest and innovate.

“Our commitment to delivering exceptional fresh food products for our valued customers remains at the center of everything we do,” he says. “We are known for strong relationships and for quality, service and value.”

New Greens Blends, Eco-Friendly Packaging from Earthbound Farms

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 20:41:09 GMT

Salinas, Calif.-based Earthbound Farm, announced Oct. 9 that it will feature new greens blends at the upcoming International Fresh Produce Association’s Global Produce and Floral Show in Anaheim, Calif., Oct. 16-18. The company says it will also present new size and variety additions in the Plant Tray, which uses recycled plant fibers.

“This year at IFPA we’re excited to introduce our new Beet Greens blend and expanded offerings in our Plant Tray — products that reflect our ongoing focus on solutions that improve health and experience while reducing environmental impact,” says Jenny Panziera, director of product, organic salad and Earthbound Farm Brand.

“This show is a fantastic opportunity to highlight new ways to drive excitement and growth for the category. At Earthbound Farm, we’re continuing to deliver innovative, practical solutions that meet the needs of today’s consumers while staying rooted in our commitment to sustainability and quality.”

On Friday, Oct. 17, and Saturday, Oct. 18, Earthbound Farm will host happy hour with beer and wine from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in Booth No. 4139.

Environmental Monitoring is Key for CEA Leafy Green Safety

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 17:02:52 GMT

As the phrase goes — you can’t manage what you don’t measure. But in that same vein, how you measure something matters. When it comes to pathogen contamination in leafy greens, it really matters.

That was a key take away at the most recent Center for Produce Safety webinar, held Oct. 6. During the webinar, researchers presented the findings of a study into the food safety of leafy greens grown in different controlled environment agricultural systems. The study was partially funded by CPS.

“We were trying to identify if CEA systems are safer than open fields, and we can conclude that they are not inherently safe,” says Ana Allende, from the University of Spain’s Center for Soil Science and Applied Biology and the study’s principal investigator.

“What we can do to make it safer is not magic,” she continues. “We recommend implementation of an environmental monitoring program. It will be essential for early detection and prevention of any microbiological contamination.”

About the study

According to Allende, there is a perception among consumers that CEA-grown produce is inherently safer. However, illness as a result of CEA-grown leafy greens contaminated with salmonella has happened, and listeria is a pressing food safety concern for field-grown leafy greens. Allende says there was a knowledge gap in the CEA industry regarding risk for listeria that this study, in part, tried to address.

The research was conducted at commercial CEA growing facilities in Spain, though the facilities selected mirrored U.S. and Canadian growing practices. The study looked at three different types of CEA growing conditions — soil-based, hydroponic and substrate-based systems — growing a variety of leafy greens for listeria and salmonella contamination.

Researchers also looked at persistence of pathogens in the environment and on common surfaces such as harvesting crates after intentional inoculation. They also looked at the efficacy of crate washing systems for removing contamination.

The study’s main findings included:

Water is a primary contamination vector: Salmonella was found in the substrate-based system’s irrigation water and nutrient solutions, and listeria was found in the hydroponic system’s drainage water.
Soil or growth media can serve as pathogen reservoirs: Listeria was found in the soil-based and hydroponic systems, especially on workers’ boots.
Normal work in CEA systems can spread pathogens: Workers’ boots and cart wheels inoculated with listeria could spread the pathogen to other parts of the CEA facility, though persistence after 24 hours was low, particularly for cart wheels.
Dirty harvest crates can harbor pathogens: Insufficient cleaning of harvest crates that allows organic matter to remain can protect pathogens.

One of the most surprising findings according to Allende came from the portion of the study that looked at the cleaning of the harvesting crates.

The study collected swabbed samples from harvesting crates before and after being run through a commercial tunnel washing system. While the researchers didn’t find listeria on either the dirty or clean crates, they did find other bacteria. A lot of them. The study reported that “the total bacterial levels were very high” and washing did almost nothing to change the total bacterial load on the crates.

“I must say that the experiment dealing with the crates was really surprising because the growers were using these automatic systems, which seemed to be very advanced, but they are failing in the most basic task,” Allende says.

Key takeaways for growers

The researchers had a few key recommendations to CEA leafy green growers that came out of the study. The primary one was to have a rigorous environmental monitoring program that focuses on key contamination vectors, or hotspots as Allende calls them.

“We identified soil and floor surfaces as a hotspot, as well as the reusable plastic crates. Also, the water is a key risk factor for contamination, and of course the recirculating nutrient solution that is used in the hydroponic and the substrate-based systems.”

When it came to monitoring water, which the study identified as the primary contamination vector, Allende stresses you cannot do initial tests and then assume the water will stay safe.

“You have to check as the days go on,” she says.

Mabel Gil, a co-principal investigator on the study and also from the University of Spain, adds that the volume of water sampling sizes is important. The bigger the better.

“For irrigation water, our growers were surprised about the results because the labs normally have a very small sample size like 100 milliliters or something similar,” she says. “In our case it was 10 liters. When you increase the sample size, you have more possibility of finding positives.”

When it came to the apparent failure of the automatic washing systems for reducing bacterial load on the harvesting crates, Allende says there are a lot of potential advantages to automation. However, she says growers must both implement the systems properly and validate their efficacy.

Ultimately, however, both researchers stress the need to monitor for contamination and to monitor properly based on the risk factors of growers’ specific facilities and growing systems.

“If you don’t want to find, you will not find, so you really have to look,” Allende says. “If you don’t use the more sensitive sampling methods, you probably will think that you don’t have any positives in your system. But you have to look carefully to really detect the contamination points.”

How Water Sanitizers Help Reduce E. Coli on Leafy Greens

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 11:30:08 GMT

Remember the aphorism, “Perfect is the enemy of good”? It applies to water sanitizers for keeping leafy greens safe.

The Center for Produce Safety (CPS) hosted a Sept. 30 webinar presenting the findings of a study on food safety in leafy greens. The study , partially funded by CPS, looked at how effective common irrigation water sanitizers are at reducing or eliminating E. coli already present in the soil or on leafy greens. It also looked at which E. coli infection scenarios posed the biggest risk.

Generally, the researchers found both common water sanitizers used by industry reduced microbial loads on plants and in soils. They also found that the “animal intrusion” scenario — for example, deer entering fields and leaving droppings — posed the highest and most persistent contamination risk.

“Hopefully, the results of this study are helpful to industry, not only growers but also regulators, because it really helps us understand … additional positive impacts of water treatment to ultimately reduce risks for consumers,” said the study’s principal investigator, Channah Rock of the University of Arizona.

Background on the Study

The research was spawned in part because food safety attention surrounding illness-causing E. coli in leafy greens has shifted to agricultural water. Researchers found a problem, however.

“While significant progress has been made in understanding pathogen reduction within water, a critical knowledge gap remains regarding the impact of treated water on pathogens already present on plant surfaces or in soil,” the report’s abstract reads.

In an attempt to fill that gap, researchers inoculated romaine and the soil the greens grew in with different strains of E. coli. These strains included the 2006 spinach outbreak strain, the 2018 romaine outbreak strain and a generic strain. Plants were inoculated at differing concentrations of E. coli — one intended to mimic atmospheric deposition, one mimicking animal intrusion and the last replicating a treatment failure.

The plants were then treated with irrigation water containing common sanitizers — either peracetic acid (PAA) or calcium hypochlorite (chlorine) — at low and high concentrations. Researchers then looked for the level and persistence of illness-causing E. coli on the plants and in the soil.

Study’s Findings

Overall, both of the trial sanitizers reduced — but did not eliminate — illness-causing microbial loads both on plants and in the soil, regardless of contamination level.

“No sanitizer was completely effective, nor at differing concentrations,” said Kerry Cooper of the University of Arizona, one of the co-principal investigators (PI) on the study. “We see a lot of variation within the different concentrations as well as between the different strains when it comes to the efficacy of the different sanitizers and the different concentrations.”

For example, PAA was more effective at reducing pathogens on the plant in the short term, but chlorine was more effective in the long term. The different strains also showed different reactions to the sanitizers, both on the plant and in the soil.

Efficacy also differed depending upon the contamination scenario. Of the three contamination scenarios tested, the animal intrusion mimicking fecal contamination posed the most risk. It had the greatest microbial load and persisted longer on both plants and in soil.

“Essentially what we’re seeing is bacteria is able to hold on for extended periods of time when we’re comparing it to the other two contamination type scenarios,” Rock said. She also reported that the animal intrusion contamination scenario had the least response to the two sanitation treatment methods.

Still, water sanitizing treatment did reduce microbial loads. And that reduces risks to consumers; an important takeaway.

“Ultimately, what we see is that applying the chemical sanitizer decreased the relative risk in all cases,” said Hunter Quon of Arizona State University. Kerry Hamilton, also of ASU and one of the study’s co-PIs, added that while there is no way to remove all risk, water sanitizer does help reduce the risks to consumers.

Advice to Growers

From the findings, researchers had some recommendations for growers. The first is to optimize their approach to using sanitizers for leafy greens.

“That ultimately is going to help maximize microbial reduction and limit some of that treatment variability,” Rock said.

Regarding the high-risk contamination potential of animal incursion, the report recommends growers “develop enhanced mitigation strategies” to deal with the potential.

“The last recommendation or take home is monitoring of your systems can really help to support confidence that they are operating as intended,” Rock said. She cited the changing requirements of the Food and Drug Administration’s Produce Safety Rule , specifically in Subpart E , backing the importance of water systems data.

“We believe that FDA and other state inspectors are going to be looking for is confidence in your water treatment system,” she added. “The only way that you can do that is to have monitoring information and data that you can present to show their efficacy and to show that they are operating as intended.”

BrightFarms Unveils New Look for Greenhouse-Grown Greens

Thu, 17 Jul 2025 15:22:02 GMT

BrightFarms, a Cox Farms brand, has debuted its new packaging and rebrand spotlighting the benefits of greenhouse-grown greens as the category continues to build.

With a vibrant new visual identity, brighter colors and updated product names, BrightFarms says is making it easier than ever for shoppers to identify its pesticide-free salads on shelves. The rebrand follows a milestone year for the company, which opened three greenhouse hubs in Illinois, Texas and Georgia — expanding accessibility of its fresh, locally grown greens to two-thirds of the U.S. population, according to a news release.

“The greenhouse-grown category is truly flourishing, with consumers understanding and searching for them more than ever,” says Abby Prior, chief commercial officer for Cox Farms. “In fact, we’ve seen the greens segment alone has grown over 30% in the last year. This rebrand marks a significant step forward as we evolve to meet the expectations of today’s consumers and retailers. What ‘greenhouse-grown’ meant five years ago isn’t what it means today — consumers now care more than ever about freshness, value, shelf life and about how their produce is grown. Our updated brand reflects those priorities, helping to drive more value across the category.”

Designed with shoppers in mind, BrightFarms says its new packaging aims to better educate consumers on the benefits of its indoor-grown produce. It features consumer priorities like “Pesticide-Free,” “Guaranteed Fresh” and “Responsible Produce,” alongside the brand’s tagline — Salad Done Bright — clearly communicating the benefits of greenhouse-grown salads, the release said.

As part of the revamp, BrightFarms says it has also renamed its signature varieties: Sunny Crunch becomes Crunchy Green Leaf, and Harvest Crunch becomes Green & Red Leaf — a move intended to highlight the crunch and freshness found in every bite.

“Our new look stays true to our core values and bold personality, while delivering a fresh, elevated experience,” says Jessica Soare, vice president of marketing. “We’ve always said our lettuce is exceptional — and now, our packaging reflects that. With bright colors and our greens front, center and more visible than ever, the new look puts our freshness on display, making it easier for shoppers to see and experience the difference.”

Nonprofit Sets Its Sights on Connecting Agtech with Growers

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 22:48:28 GMT

Danny Bernstein, founder and CEO of The Reservoir, a nonprofit on-farm ag innovation incubator, has a vision for the future of agtech in the specialty crop industry: an agtech village within the Salinas Valley.

This village, he says, will help bridge the gap between technology and growers, where there’s often a disconnect between the agtech startups and the growers using the technology. Bernstein says the next generation of agtech startups must build from the ground up in agricultural communities, where there’s more of a direct connection to the work being conducted and the needs of the ag community.

And what makes Reservoir Farms unique is The Reservoir leases 40 acres from Tanimura & Antle to create a research and development plot of land. The Reservoir has also partnered with Tanimura & Antle and Naturipe Berry Growers, where both companies will grow specifically for research and development purposes. The site will also feature co-working facilities, infrastructure for equipment testing and shared services to support early-stage ventures.

Naturipe will manage five acres of strawberries at Reservoir Farms and oversee all aspects of farming. The company will also work with the team at The Reservoir and participating startups.

This, Bernstein says, will help mitigate the hesitation many specialty crop growers have when working with agtech startups and ultimately further innovation.

“What we hear from growers is things like, ‘Yep, you can test on my property, but I have a zero tolerance policy for failure,” he says, but a designated research and development plot changes the equation for agtech startups. “You basically get the best of both worlds as a startup. You get professional-grade, high-value crop farming, but in an okay-to-fail environment.”

Being located in Salinas, Calif., also helps growers understand the challenges that agtech startups face, Bernstein says. That immersion from an agtech CEO is critical to building relationships.

“When a grower sees that same level of commitment from a startup, their tolerance level for failure goes way up because they see what’s happening, and they see that effort,” he says. “I think that there’s this sort of new generation of agtech CEOs that’s going to live it, and they’re going to connect much more authentically with the grower.”

Bernstein says The Reservoir will focus its attention on three key areas of innovation: autonomous solutions and harvest assist equipment; smart implements and precision agriculture and AI-enabled software.

“We think we can increase their success rate by immersing them into agricultural communities,” he says.

Bernstein says he’s noticed a lot of positive response to The Reservoir within the industry. And partnerships with Tanimura & Antle, Naturipe as well as support from Western Growers, Taylor Farms and others within the industry have helped bolster the nonprofit’s profile.

“We’ve gotten an extremely strong signal, and now it’s how do we build on this? Where do we go from here?” he says. “Now, the next questions are, can we start to accelerate agtech and make it more efficient and make it more cost-effective.”

Little Leaf Farms offers fresh fix for 'lettuce letdown' revealed in survey

Mon, 19 May 2025 17:57:07 GMT

In a new national survey from Little Leaf Farms, more than 60% of U.S. lettuce buyers admit their greens spoil before they can eat them, and nearly a quarter say this happens “often” or “almost every time,” according to a news release.

“Forgetfulness” (44%) and “how quickly lettuce goes bad” (36%) topped the list of reasons why leafy greens go uneaten, the company said. Still, people keep tossing lettuce into their carts, hoping this time will be different, the grower said — even though a third of U.S. consumers admit they “like the idea of salad more than the reality of eating one.”

And that’s exactly the cycle Little Leaf Farms says it is out to break.

This National Salad Month, Little Leaf Farms said it is inviting consumers to come clean on their bad lettuce habits — no judgment, just fresh starts — with its Lettuce Confessions campaign. Whether it’s a forgotten head of lettuce in the back of the fridge or too often settling for soggy greens the company said it is here to help shoppers turn over a new leaf.

Little Leaf Farms said consumers can confess their lettuce sins , pledge to switch to its fresh, long-lasting greens and enter for a chance to win a year’s supply of its crisp lettuce and a $2,500 grocery gift card. Plus, for every lettuce confession submitted, Little Leaf Farms will donate $1 to ReFED, a nonprofit advancing solutions to food waste, up to $10,000, according to the release.

“For too long, sad, tasteless lettuce that’s already halfway to wilted when you bring it home has been the norm — no wonder it ends up in the trash,” said Jeannie Hannigan, marketing director for Little Leaf Farms. “Our survey showed 86% of Americans would be more likely to finish their lettuce if it stayed fresher longer, and that’s exactly what Little Leaf Farms delivers: greens that stay fresh and crisp and taste great.”

“In homes across the country, Americans waste more than 26 million tons of food each year at a cost of more than $151 billion — and nearly 40 percent is produce,” said ReFED President Dana Gunders. “We’re excited that Little Leaf Farms is driving attention to this problem and hope their campaign raises awareness of the small behavior changes that make a big difference in reducing wasted food, from proper storage to checking what’s in your fridge before you go shopping.”

Little Leaf Farms said its lettuce is delivered to the grocery store in about 24 hours after harvest and is grown using captured rainwater, natural sunlight and no chemical pesticides or herbicides.

CBS News segment examines how leafy greens growers are prioritizing food safety

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 16:21:42 GMT

In the wake of cuts to federal food safety programs, California leafy greens farmers want to assure consumers that their farms continue to follow mandatory, government-enforced food safety practices every day.

During a segment on “CBS Sunday Morning,” the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement sought to show how leafy greens growers in the state are being proactive about product safety, according to a news release.

Reporter David Pogue visited the cabbage farm of Jack Vessey in Holtville, Calif., and spoke with LGMA CEO Tim York about the mandatory food safety program that leafy greens farmers implemented in 2007 to ensure science-based food safety practices are being followed on leafy greens farms.

Pogue describes the LGMA as a “coalition of farmers overseen by the California Department of Food and Agriculture who’ve agreed to adopt food safety protocols sooner and more stringent than the government’s. Ninety-four percent of the nation’s leafy greens are covered by this agreement.” He also mentions how government auditors verify required food safety practices are being followed by farmers like Vessey.

“This ‘CBS Sunday Morning’ show offers a quick look at what leafy greens farmers are doing to prevent outbreaks,” York said in the release. “We want to emphasize that the LGMA program is unaffected by changes at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Lettuce farmers are following required practices and we continue to update and improve our food safety program independently.California Department of Food and Agriculture auditors are regularly in our fields to verify farmers are in compliance with our stringent practices.”

“California produces the majority of our nation’s fresh fruits and vegetables. We take food safety very seriously here,” said California Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross. “For decades, California has implemented and enforced some of the most stringent regulations in the world when it comes to agricultural pesticide use, environmental and worker protections and ensuring the overall safety of the healthy foods our farmers produce. We want to assure consumers that California state safety auditors are continuing to inspect leafy greens farms like those depicted in the ‘CBS Sunday Morning’ piece.”

York says the LGMA program was enacted by leafy greens farmers themselves to address past food safety outbreaks associated with their products.

“For leafy greens farmers, food safety is a top priority,” York said. “Most of the time leafy greens are eaten raw and they are grown outside. Every precaution possible is taken to prevent contamination. That is exactly why California lettuce farmers took steps to create and fund our own program. We are supportive of federal food safety laws, but we are not relying solely on the federal government. It is our responsibility to ensure our products are safe.”

York went on to say that, in addition to the LGMA food safety program, most retail and foodservice operations in today’s environment insist that their suppliers have food safety programs. This means leafy greens farms are not only audited by the CDFA, but retail operations have their own food safety inspectors who regularly visit farms to verify food safety practices are being followed.

In addition, York says the LGMA requires its members to have in place a traceback program so that, in the event of a foodborne illness outbreak, the products potentially involved can be quickly recalled.

In the “CBS Sunday Morning” segment, Vessey explains that his company performs mock product recalls two times per year to ensure the traceback program is working. As part of the drill, his food safety director will identify a box of cabbage or lettuce that has been shipped, the release said.

“Within 30 minutes, I can tell you who was in the field, what fertilizer was used, what seed company provided the seed and what harvest crew worked that day,” Vessey said. “Because the ability to stop a truck and bring product back is very important.”

“No one wants to experience foodborne illness, least of all the leafy greens community,” York said. “We will continue to work to ensure our products are safe with or without the government’s assistance. We urge everyone in the produce industry to share this ‘CBS Sunday Morning’ piece and to communicate with consumers all you are doing to produce safe food.”

California leafy greens season back on track

Mon, 15 Jul 2024 18:16:56 GMT

Late winter rains in California caused planting gaps in Salinas Valley production, says Bill Wynne, sales executive and commodity manager with Pacific International Marketing. The gaps, as well as disease pressure due to a wet start to the season, impacted production, he says.

While these challenges might have slowed the company’s start to the season, Wynne says it did have a positive effect on the market.

“These gaps along with reduced yields caused by disease pressure resulted in very good market conditions to begin the season,” he said.

John Amaral, sales manager for the Nunes Co., says cooler weather in spring also brought smaller head sizes and lighter than usual weights.

As the season has progressed, Wynne says its production in the Salinas Valley and Santa Maria regions looks steady. And its iceberg acreage remains unchanged, too.

Amaral says he expects the crop to improve in size, weight and quality, too.

“As we head into July and get into summertime plantings, our production is getting back on track,” he said. “The healthy crop has good sizing and normalized weights.”

Wynne says while production remains relatively unchanged for Pacific International Marketing, it’s a different story for the Salinas Valley.

“Overall planted acres are down this season in the Salinas Valley,” he said.

Some of this is likely due to the challenges that all farmers face — weather, labor and increasing costs. Wynne says these challenges are often exacerbated by additional legislation in the Golden State.

“In California, there are so many state regulations that growers in other states don’t have to deal with. It puts us in a competitive disadvantage,” Wynne said. “This especially hurts the smaller growers.”

Amaral says increased competition from Mexico, Canada and other states also challenges the leafy green growers in the state. Despite these challenges, the state’s leafy greens growers can still compete in the marketplace, he says.

“There are always opportunities to compete in the marketplace if you can continue to grow, harvest, cool and load and sell at a high-quality level,” he said.

Wynne says sustainability is a key focus for growers, given the fact that growers have been farming in the Salinas Valley for hundreds of years.

“It doesn’t do a farmer any good not to take care of his land or not be concerned about soil health since it is the key to his livelihood,” he said.

Amaral, too, says the team at the Nunes Co. is paying close attention to the state-level discussions to remove single-use plastics from leafy green packaging.

“We monitor these discussions closely, as any movement will have a big impact on all aspects of our industry,” he said.

South Texas growers expect high-quality, light volume this winter

Mon, 21 Nov 2022 21:33:14 GMT

“For the next seven months, Texas is a great place to source your vegetables, fruit, onions and melons,” Dante Galeazzi, president and CEO of the Texas International Produce Association, told The Packer. “Combine Texas-grown with produce crossing from Mexico, you’ve got the whole shopping list in one little area.”

Winter vegetable season is well underway, and South Texas is ramping up for slightly lighter volume early in the season. This soft start is a result of hot and dry summer months that burdened an already tight water supply in Texas, stretching reservoirs thin and reducing soil moisture across the state, Galeazzi said.

“These hot temperatures can be challenging as we start the season, but we’re already starting to see the temperatures cool off a little,” he said. “We’re very fortunate in a sense because things are growing quickly because of those dry, warm temperatures; We’re just looking for a balance.”

Because of the water shortage and dry conditions, Texas acreage is down across commodities this year.

“Buyers can expect smaller supplies,” Galeazzi said. “But the quality is going to be superior, because if you’ve got less acres to look over, you’re going to give more attention to the product you do have.”

Jeff Brechler, head of sales and marketing at Little Bear Produce, said that despite planning water conservation and rationing measures, the Edinburg, Texas-based produce grower and shipper still ran out of water in South Texas irrigation districts.

“We had to scramble around and move plantings, which we were able to do. We started getting some rains [late summer] and they fell in the right area. We’re thankful for what we got, but we didn’t get enough to really get us over the hump,” Brechler said. “All it did was put us back to the level we were prior to conserving and rationing.”

Despite irrigation shortages and dry weather, a deluge of rain in August and September damaged the first fall cabbage crops at Little Bear Produce. Normal supplies of cabbage are expected as early as the second week of December, along with leafy greens, which were unaffected by the rains and maintained a steady supply.

“It’s been a bit of a rocky road,” Brechler said. “Hopefully, this pattern will change, and we’ll get into a bit wetter El Niño pattern. But that’s the life of the farmer, right?”

Once Texas growers recover crops from the summer heat, the focus turns to February. Two years after what has been dubbed the St. Valentine’s Day produce massacre — when many growers completely lost entire crops to an unexpected, extreme freeze — growers are still skittish.

“February seems to be the witching hour,” Brechler said. “Two years in a row we’ve had extreme weather in February. In 2021, it was the Valentine’s Day freeze. And last year we even had some cold damage that came in. As long as we can get through February, I think we’ll be OK.”

Inflation and labor pressures

At TIPA, Galeazzi has witnessed overhead expenses increase for growers this August by an average of about 22% to 23%. Meanwhile, grocery store prices for Texas produce have only seen about an 9% increase, he said.

This results in a 12% to 13% gap that produce growers must bridge, even if expenses and prices remain at this level, which is unlikely. According to Galeazzi, this estimate doesn’t account for rising diesel, fertilizer or labor costs. While the math indicates narrowing profits for growers staying competitive, for better or worse, these challenges are not unique to Texas, he said.

Beyond rising expenses, as costs associated with labor rise, labor shortages continue to worsen for growers throughout the Lone Star State.

“Texas was one of the last states to feel the pinch on labor shortages, and this is likely because we are a border state” Galeazzi said. “But we have felt that pinch.”

The situation has become more and more dire every year, he added.

Little Bear Produce is experiencing the labor shortage firsthand, according to Brechler. The challenge, he said, is finding staffing across the company; The shortage is not limited to one specific type of job.

“It’s just finding labor, period,” said Brechler. “Other folks are dealing with the same issues that we are with labor and, you know, everyone seems to be short-staffed. It’s just a tough period right now.

“The folks on the production floor have been doing a really good job of putting out fires,” he added. “But I think what leads to someone’s success rate has been just the culture of the company. You know, [Little Bear Produce] is a family-owned company … there’s a sense of pride.”

Pairwise introduces first food made with CRISPR technology in the U.S. market

Tue, 16 May 2023 17:55:35 GMT

Durham, N.C.-based startup Pairwise has unveiled Conscious Greens, which it says is the first food introduced in the U.S. that was developed with CRISPR technology.

Conscious Greens is the inaugural product under Pairwise’s Conscious Foods brand. Conscious Greens Purple Power Baby Greens Blend is a mix of colorful superfood leafy greens with a unique, fresh flavor and up to double the nutrition of romaine, according to a news release.

CRISPR is a gene-editing technique used to make changes to the DNA of a plant, bush or tree to bring out desired characteristics or to dial down undesired characteristics.

Using CRISPR technologies to improve taste and nutrition in produce, Pairwise says Conscious Greens are field-grown superfood greens that eat like lettuce, offering a versatile new option for chefs and salad lovers alike. Conscious Greens are derived from mustard greens and are part of the same family of vegetables as Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and kale.

“Featuring luxe purple and deep green leaves, Conscious Greens taste great, both in a salad or cooked in an entrée,” Pairwise said in the release, adding that the blend is available in select restaurants and outlets in the PFG operator network, including locations in Springfield, Mass.; Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn.; and St. Louis.

“We’re proud to be bringing the first CRISPR food product to the U.S. We set out to solve an important problem — that most lettuce isn’t very nutritious, and other types of greens are too bitter or too hard to eat. Using CRISPR, we’ve been able to improve new types of nutritious greens to make them more desirable for consumers, and we did it in a quarter of the time of traditional breeding methods,” Pairwise co-founder and Chief Business Officer Haven Baker said in the release. “Launching Conscious Greens through this exciting partnership with PFG, is a major milestone in achieving our mission to build a healthier world through better fruits and vegetables.”

Pairwise has partnered with Performance Food Group (PFG), which will offer the Purple Power Baby Greens Blend co-branded under its Peak Fresh Produce premium brand.

“We are committed to bringing innovation to our customers and pleased to partner with Pairwise to help take Conscious Greens products to market,” PFG Vice President of Produce Bob Warnock said in the release. “These products are innovative and make a great addition to our existing top-quality line of Peak Fresh Produce products.”

The CRISPR process does what the centuries-old practice of crossbreeding could do, but in a much shorter amount of time, according to the release. All Conscious Foods products are reviewed by the USDA before entering the market and meet or exceed all Food and Drug Administration and state food safety laws and regulations, the release said.

“It is exciting to see the first CRISPR food coming to market to address consumers’ demand for nutritious and fun fruits and vegetables,” said Vonnie Estes, Vice President of Innovation at the International Fresh Produce Association. “If we are to reach the goal of doubling the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, offering consumers a wide diversity of fresh products is a must. It also demonstrates how innovative technology can deliver results for our changing climate. We applaud Conscious Foods’ efforts to bring new and clearly differentiated product to the market.”

Conscious Greens will be shipping to U.S. grocery stores later this year as part of a broader Conscious Foods portfolio of produce developed with CRISPR technology, according to the release. In addition to leafy greens, Pairwise says it is currently developing new types of berries, cherries, and other produce under its Conscious Foods brands.

The company says it has grown to over 150 employees in five years, with additional growth anticipated this year as the company enters the foodservice and retail channels. For more information, visit pairwise.com and consciousfoods.net .

Hippo Harvest launches organic packaged salad product line

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 18:08:45 GMT

Controlled environment agriculture startup Hippo Harvest says has launched its USDA-certified organic packaged salads.

The new offerings include baby spinach, spring mix, arugula, 50:50 mix, power greens, baby kale, baby romaine, crispy leaf, and tender greens, according to a news release. The product line is available at San Francisco Bay-area retailers, including Amazon Fresh and Gus’s Market, and Hippo Harvest said it plans to expand outside of the Bay Area in the coming year.

The company said the new leafy green product line is from its controlled environment agriculture greenhouse, as well as a hybrid blend of greenhouse and field-grown leafy greens.

Hippo Harvest says its growing system decreases food safety risks including water-borne pathogens, mold and mildew ads its leafy greens grow in a patented closed-loop, non-recirculating direct-to-root fertilizer and watering system. Its modular growing system also allows for tray sanitation between each harvest cycle, according to the release.

Hippo Harvest said it utilizes machine learning and robotic tools to monitor, tend to and harvest plants, and it can customize water, nutrition and monitoring of its modular grow trays to optimize production every 10 square feet of plant growth. The growing system uses 92% less water, 55% less fertilizer and 94% less land compared to conventional in-field production, the company said.

The company said its greenhouse-grown leafy greens have a 30% higher shelf life than traditionally field-grown greens.

Hippo Harvest was founded in 2019 and operates out of its Pescadero, Calif., greenhouse facility.

“Traditional field-grown and greenhouse-grown produce have each had limitations,” Hippo Harvest CEO Eitan Marder-Eppstein said in the release. “Our USDA organic-certified packaged salads provide the best of both worlds as it relates to cost, quality, surety of supply and scalability for both consumers and grocers.”

Wild, wet weather batters some of Georgia’s crops

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 18:36:29 GMT

A warm winter and rainy spring with a few hail storms and tornadoes have put a damper on some of Georgia’s crops, which peak in marketable volume mid-May to mid-June.

The wild, wet weather could mean as much as 20% of the Vidalia onion crop will be lost, said Bob Stafford, manager of the Vidalia Onion Committee .

“But it’s hard to tell right now,” Stafford said April 27, while harvest was underway since April 16 shipping began.

“They sat in the water for awhile. It did stop the sizing, but we’re still going to have a marketable amount.”

At Baker Farms at Norman Park in southwestern Georgia, two to three inches of rain have fallen every week for several weeks on the farm’s kale, turnip greens, mustard greens, collards, turnip roots, beet roots, chard, cilantro, cabbage and broccoli, said Heath Wetherington, director of operations.

But Baker Farms grows year-round and benefits from warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico, helping crops avoid deep freezes in winter and droughts in summer.

Some crops came in early during “extremely warm” temperatures in January and February, but the heavy rains in February made the younger plants sit still for awhile.

“What I’m seeing in our fields is a split season,” Wetherington said. He expects volume to remain the same as previous years.

A&M Farms, Lyons, Ga., will have a 15% to 20% reduction in yield of Vidalia onions, said owner Aries Haygood. He’s also president of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association and chairman of the Vidalia Onion Committee.

Related content: Rain, hail take out some of the Vidalia onion crop

“I think what I see is probably a good snapshot for the industry,” Haygood said.

“It’s been a challenging year. Our crop is not as big as it has been in the past, and then you throw in the coronavirus — you don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Haygood said his farm received back-to-back heavy rains during growing season, which kept the ground saturated while onions were trying to bulb, creating size issues and more seed stems. Also, heavy rain on growing onions leads to more disease, such as center rot.

Expect more medium-sized Vidalia onions this season, Haygood and Stafford said.

Hail at the start of April at Generation Farms , Vidalia, Ga., damaged a few fields, causing a loss of about 85 acres, or 10% of the Vidalia onion crop, said Lauren Dees, sales and marketing manager.

Rainfall delayed harvest several times at Bland Farms, Glennville, Ga., said Delbert Bland, president and owner.

Like other Vidalia onion growers, Bland’s acreage hasn’t increased this year, but volume is good because more onions are being grown on less land.

However, John Shuman, president and CEO of Shuman Farms , Reidsville, Ga., said the Vidalia onion industry will see lower yields per acre compared to the past three to four years, as well as a smaller size profile.

“This year, we experienced record rainfall throughout the winter along with warmer temperatures, which has put a tremendous amount of stress on the crop,” Shuman said. “However, we will still have a markable crop; the quality is sound.”

The extra-wet spring has caused trouble getting into the fields and more disease, but overall, crops look like they’re doing OK, agreed Charles Hall, executive director of Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association.

Related content on Georgia Produce

Corbett Bros. Farms , Lake Park, Ga., part of the Grower Network, had some tornado damage in mid- to late April, said Eric Bolesta, Grower Network salesman. The farm, situated in the southern-central part of Georgia close to the Florida border, produces cabbage, cucumbers, bell peppers, eggplants, hot peppers and citrus.

On April 23, a storm with hail and tornadoes damaged blueberries during harvest, and one farm in the southwest lost parts of a squash field from a tornado the week before, Hall said.

“What percentage of the crop it got, we don’t know yet. These were the early crops,” Hall said about highbush blueberries, adding that he wasn’t sure if the later season variety, rabbiteye, was hurt as well. “But we haven’t had a good blueberry crop in awhile.”

Late freezes in 2017, 2018 and 2019, plus hurricanes Irma and Michael, tore into the crop.

“We’ve just had a lot of Mother Nature problems down here,” Hall said.

By farm gate value, blueberries are the biggest Georgia fruit crop, followed by the state’s official fruit, the peach.

Most other crops, such as squash and cucumbers, come in April, but peppers in start early to mid-May.

There don’t seem to be any major shifts in crop acreage from last year.

Related content on V idlia Onions

Traceability pilots to reveal insights

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:48:41 GMT

Leafy-greens-focused traceability pilots being conducted by industry operators now will help reveal insights about industry gaps in traceability.

Jennifer McEntire, senior vice president of food safety and technology for the United Fresh Produce Association , said six industry associations have launched the pilots and are working collaboratively with the Food and Drug Administration to share some of the learnings.

The three pilots have three separate traceback scenarios, industry leaders said.

Frank Yiannas, deputy commissioner for food policy and response for the Food and Drug Administration, said he was hopeful that the pilots would be helpful to both the industry and the FDA.

Pilots can help discover an issue or a problem that couldn’t be defined before, and can help reveal blind spots, Yiannas said.

“It’s very difficult to do that trace back, and so what I really appreciate is that folks in industry want to see what it looks like in a day in the life of the regulators, to see how difficult it is to really do this,” he said.

Yiannas said there are shortfalls in industry surveys that report that current levels of traceability compliance are very good.

“I don’t agree with those results, because they’re not concerned from the vantage point ... of a person that is (looking) from consumer all the way to source,” Yiannas said.

The recent industry pilots were done so that the FDA is an observer, only putting data elements in the pilot scenarios that were needed for a realistic exercise.

“I can’t wait for the announcement of the results,” Yiannas said at the United Fresh Produce Association’s Washington Conference.

“The pilot could uncover root issues that can help use solve the issues better,” he said.

The pilots were not quite complete at the end of September, said Ed Treacy, vice president of supply chain and sustainability for the Produce Marketing Association.

He said the pilots were expected to be instructive for the industry.

So far, he said the pilots were doing everything they were expected to do.

The pilots started in August and are expected to conclude by mid-October. The industry will share redacted results of the pilots with the FDA.

The FDA will make their conclusions about the results of the pilot, and industry leaders will also draw their own conclusions, Treacy said. The industry and the government will compare notes and later issue recommendations.

Even before the results of the pilot are published, Yiannas said the industry had advanced traceability compared with 10 years ago.

“The industry is making progress, but there is still work to be done.”

Related Content:

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First class of United Fresh Produce Safety Immersion Program to carry over to 2021

Course focuses on harmonized GAPs auditing

North Shore adds Kale and Spicy Red hot organic microgreens

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:40:34 GMT

North Shore Living Herbs and Greens , Thermal, Calif., is showcasing its new organic potted microgreens at the Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit.

The company promotes the Kale and Spicy Red Hot microgreens tiny but mighty, and good for heart health, and high in nutrients and antioxidants.

They can be used for everything from pasta, sandwiches, omelets, smoothies, and as a lettuce replacement, according to North Shore.

North Shore Living Herbs and Greens will be at Fresh Summit expo Oct. 18-19 in Anaheim, Calif., at booth No. 3577.

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Time Magazine names AeroFarms as a best invention

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:20:17 GMT

AeroFarms , the Newark, N.J.-based indoor aeroponic grower of leafy greens and microgreens, has been named as one of Time magazine’s 100 Best Inventions.

In the online listing, Time calls the company’s patented technology a key advance, specifically the growing medium: “rather than grow in dirt, these crops grow in a reusable cloth made from recycled water bottles. Instead of being doused with water, the crops are hydrated with a gentle mist.”

Co-founder and CEO David Rosenberg said the company has a culture of constant innovation, which is leading to a reduction in operating costs with its proprietary technology.

“We are working with great strategic partners and continue to welcome more on our journey, appreciating our ambitions are high and our impact is greater collaborating within the broader ag-tech and food ecosystems,” Rosenburg said in a news release.

The company has 70,000 square feet of product space at its headquarters with a capacity of two million pounds a year, and another Newark facility with 30,000 square feet of production space.

The company has received numerous other recognitions, from Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies of 2019 and World Changing Ideas of 2019, a Thrive Top 50 agtech company and a Dell Tech Innovator Award recipient. In 2018, the United Fresh Produce Association named Ed Harwood, AeroFarms chief science officer, the United FreshTEC Achievement Award recipient.

Related stories:

NJ-based AeroFarms receives sustainability award, launches microgreens

AeroFarms has new products in the works

United Fresh to honor Veggie noodle, indoor tech wizards

New Jersey crops even out after warm, cool spells

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 18:56:04 GMT

With the way the crops in New Jersey are going, you would hardly know there’s a pandemic.

“In June, we’ll be rolling strong,” said Bill Nardelli Jr., vice president of sales and marketing for Nardelli Bros. Inc ., Cedarville, N.J.

“Even with this whole COVID-19 pandemic we’ve been going through, we’ve stayed pretty steady.”

A mild winter gave way to a chilly spring in New Jersey, causing some growers to plant earlier than previous years but harvest at typical times.

“Mother Nature always has a way of evening things out,” Nardelli said.

Early crops show good size and quality, which is expected to continue as the Garden State’s summer and fall seasons unfold, said Joe Atchison, marketing and development director of the state’s Department of Agriculture, Trenton, N.J.

“While it is early in the season, the outlook is positive,” Atchison said.

Related content: Snapshot: NJ produce season through the eyes of Nardelli Bros.

The Vegetable Growers Association of New Jersey reported that a few farmers had a bit of a slowdown, but by May 20, they were back on track in the fields, agriculture commissioner Douglas Fisher said on a May 23 video for the Eastern Produce Council , New Providence, N.J.

Sweet corn was about two feet tall in southern Jersey, he said.

“There are tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash all coming along, as well as a large variety of greens, looking very fine and being harvested right now,” Fisher said in the video.

As May unwound and June kicks off, growers were finishing up asparagus and strawberries while still harvesting leafy greens, spinach and herbs. Squash, beans and cucumbers start in June and continue into July, when growers start with volumes of sweet corn, tomatoes, peaches, eggplant and peppers, among other specialty crops, Atchison said.

The New Jersey Peach Promotion Council reported that peaches should start about July 1, “and we’re expecting an excellent, healthy crop,” Fisher said in the video. An especially cold week in May helped the thinning process, so losses were minimal, according to the peach council.

BY THE NUMBERS

Some of New Jersey’s biggest specialty crops are blueberries, peppers, peaches, asparagus, cranberries, squash and spinach, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.

In 2019, the state harvested:

9,300 acres of (not wild) blueberries, yielding 5,090 pounds per acre for a total of 47.3 million pounds and $85.3 million value;
3,500 acres of bell peppers, yielding 33,600 pounds per acr to produce 117.6 million pounds, worth $45.9 million;
3,900 acres of peaches year, yielding 10,000 pounds an acre to produce 39 million pounds and a $25.7 million value;
2,000 acres of asparagus, yielding 3,584 pounds per acre, for a production of 7.2 million pounds, valued at $16.3 million;
2,700 acres of cranberries, yielding 196 barrels per acre for a production of 529,000 barrels and $14.5 million value;
3,200 acres of squash, yielding 10,080 pounds per acre for a total of 32.3 million pounds and a $13.7 million value; and
1,900 acres of spinach, yielding 13,440 per acre for a total of 25.5 million pounds and a $6.7 million value.

In June 2019 alone, New Jersey shipped 17.8 million pounds of blueberries, compared to 16.4 million pounds in June 2018, according to USDA’s annual Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Shipments report.

Peaches came next by weight, followed by nectarines and cranberries.

Related content: New Jersey produce news

FAMILY FARMS

After the unseasonably cool spring that delayed harvesting most crops seven to 10 days, the warming trend before Memorial Day should help Consalo Family Farms , Egg Harbor City, N.J., catch up on production.

That will “put all vegetable crops in full swing,” said Chelsea Consalo, vice president of produce. The Consalos also have a farm in Hammonton, a sales company, Freshwave Fruit and Produce, in Vineland, N.J., and farm partnerships nationwide.

Blueberries are at the front edge their season, which should run through July, Atchison said.

Consalo’s initial estimates were to begin harvesting the New Jersey blueberry crop June 3-5. Instead, because of the cooler weather, she expects to begin about June 13.

Meanwhile, Consalo Family Farms began harvesting cooking greens and herbs May 1 and romaine and leaf lettuce May 8.

“Even though the cool weather caused delays in harvest, it has resulted in outstanding quality on all of our items,” Consalo said.

Customers can expect a full line of New Jersey vegetables and blueberries during the spring, summer and fall with great sizing and quality, she said.

Nardelli Bros. also has farm partnerships elsewhere but grows more than 80 commodities during New Jersey’s season, said Nardelli, part of the fifth generation who runs several hundred acres of family farms with his brother, Jimmy Nardelli II, vice president of production and operations, and their father, Bill Nardelli Sr., president.

Founded in 1898, the company also has cooling and packing facilities in Cedarville, a distribution center in Vineland, N.J., and a fleet of trucks to deliver the products to retail stores.

The Nardellis’ New Jersey season starts with asparagus in mid-April, continuing all the way through to summer dry items, such as peppers, cucumbers and squash, and then back to wet items such as lettuces and greens until Thanksgiving.

In June, the company will have a lot of wet greens, Nardelli said: romaine, red leaf, green leaf, Boston, endive, escarole, many cooking greens, parsley and cilantro.

Cabbages — green, red, savoy, napa, bok choy — come in early June. Come mid-June, expect green and yellow squash, then cucumbers. By the end of June and early July, Nardelli Bros. will harvest peppers and three flavors of corn.

June is prime time for variety from the Nardelli farm as spring and summer harvests intermingle.

“We can put as many as 30 items on one truck. That gives our customers a lot of variety with two seasons overlapping a bit,” Nardelli said.

About 90% to 95% of the acreage is conventional crops, but the Nardellis are gradually adding more organic crops to meet rising demand, he said.

INDOOR AGRICULTURE

While southern New Jersey is full of open, green, rural farmland, northern New Jersey — especially the densely populated northeastern region just across the Hudson River from New York City — is another beast entirely.

A growing trend there, as well as at other Northeastern urban areas, is indoor, controlled atmosphere agriculture, particularly vertical farms.

Related content: How indoor, vertical Bowery Farming is faring during COVID-19

Vertical farms, in which rows of crops are stacked one on top of another using LED lights and automated growing systems, are mainly reserved for leafy greens and herbs that don’t require much space and have quick growing cycles.

Bowery Farming’s headquarters is in Manhattan, but its original farm, which is now a research and development farm, is in Kearny, N.J. The company has since created a second farm in Kearny allowing for 30 times more output than the first farm, according to the company.

There are multiple grow rooms with different temperatures and humidity capabilities for different types of crops.

It’s a commercial, hydroponic, automated indoor farm to serve brick-and-mortar retailers within a 150-mile radius in the tri-state area, said Carmela Cugini, executive vice president of sales.

The proprietary technology includes machine learning, which means that all the growing tricks learned at the first farm are already in place at the second, where even more advancements can build upon the foundation of knowledge, Cugini said.

Bowery Farming grows arugula, baby kale, bok choy, butterhead lettuce, kale mix, romaine, spring blend, basil, cilantro and parsley.

Close by in Newark, N.J, there’s AeroFarms, another indoor vertical farm using its own proprietary technology to grow, not hydroponically, but with a patented aeroponic system that uses a mist of nutrients, water and oxygen and no sun or soil. The company began in 2004.

It’s in season year-round at these vertical farms.

Related content: These companies made Thrive’s Top 50 AgTech and AgFood lists

Bowery Farming introduces crispy leaf lettuce

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:37:46 GMT

Bowery Farming has launched crispy leaf lettuce.

The lettuce is “a reinvigorated version of iceberg lettuce that is refreshing and simple,” according to a news release.

Crispy leaf is grown at Bowery’s farms in Kearny, N.J., and White Marsh, Md. Beginning in June, it will be in more than 250 grocery stores in the Tri-State area and Mid-Atlantic region. The lettuce will also be sold online through Amazon Fresh, Peapod and Hungryroot.

The suggested retail price is $3.99 for each 4.5oz package.

“Crispy leaf is one of the most in-demand leafy greens from Bowery based on current retailer orders,” Carmela Cugini, executive vice president of sales at Bowery Farming, said in the release.

Bowery Farming increased production of crispy leaf lettuce to meet demands, making this release the largest new product introduced since the company’s inception in 2015.

“Early feedback from buyers indicates crispy leaf is poised to change the way consumers interact with lettuce by introducing a completely new sensory experience to the category,” Cugini said in the release.

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Braga Fresh gears up for fall

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:36:18 GMT

Soledad, Calif.-based Braga Fresh Family Farms plans to extend its Josie’s Organics Cut Veg product line by late October with an organic riced cauliflower option, said Heather Fuller, senior sales manager.

The company’s organic romaine , green leaf and red leaf lettuce crops as well as organic lacinato and red kale are scheduled to start by mid-September, she said.

Green kale is available now, and a strong organic celery program is planned for fall.

Sweet baby broccoli is available year-round.

Sales of the company’s newest organic commodity, purple baby broccoli, are expected to ramp up significantly by mid-March, she added.

Braga Fresh already was anticipating the seasonal transition from the Salinas, Calif., area to its desert growing region in California’s Imperial Valley for its Josie’s Organics brand product line, said Peter Cling, senior vice president of operations.

Broccoli and cauliflower are scheduled to start harvest in the desert in early December.

“We are also planning to have a longer overlap than normal given the COVID situation and have product in both areas for the Christmas season and strong early January demand,” Cling said.

Other desert start dates include spring mix and spinach in late October; romaine and romaine hearts, Nov. 1; iceberg, mid-November; bunching greens (kales), early to mid-November; cabbage, early December; and celery , late December/early January in Yuma, Ariz.

On the personnel side, the company has named a new vice president of operations and welcomed a new member to its sales team.

Colby Pereira, the new vice president of operations, has an extensive background in farming, harvesting and food safety and holds a bachelor’s of science degree in agricultural business with a minor in crop science from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

Jason Duran joined the Braga Fresh seals team in late July, Fuller said.

Duran is an expert in the organic produce industry, having spent more than 20 years at Whole Foods Market, she said.

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M&T Farms becomes A&M Farms

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 18:36:23 GMT

Aries and Megan Haygood bought the farm, but in the best possible sense of the phrase.

In 2019, the couple bought M&T Farms, which had been operating for more than 30 years in Lyons, Ga.

They re-named it A&M Farms after their first names, taking over about 350 acres of Vidalia onions and managing about 1,200 acres of other crops, such as corn and soybeans.

“We’re looking into getting into more leafy greens,” said Aries Haygood, who is also president of the Georiga Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association and chairman of the Vidalia Onion Committee.

“Keep supporting the local U.S. farmers, that’s for sure. Know where it’s grown.”

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Lakeside Organic Gardens offers 50 commodities

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:36:20 GMT

Watsonville, Calif.-based Lakeside Organic Gardens LLC has a year-round program of 50 commodities, said Marliese McWherter, creative marketing manager.

“We will ship everything,” she said.

Zucchini does especially well in August and September, she added.

“At our Watsonville ranches, we try to be consistent through November, all depending on the weather, then transition south and continue to grow everything with the exception of the summer crops — bell peppers , peas and cucumbers .”

The coastal climate has been mild this summer, said Juan Gonzalez, operations manager.

“Our romaine , red and green leaf, spinach , mei quing choy, radishes and broccoli quality has been phenomenal,” he said.

“The summer weather has definitely been in our favor.”

Gonzalez said he expected great quality to continue through late summer and fall.

Maintaining a high quality level is a team effort, he said.

“Sales is selling out, which allows us to keep everything fresh in our cooler,” Gonzalez said.

“It’s a fine balance, but over the years, we have really figured it out and nailed it.”

Volume should be about the same as last year at Lakeside.

“Annually we have a meeting with sales and talk in-depth about volume needs,” Gonzalez said.

“Statistically speaking, volume is up because production has been a killer,” he said.

The company continues to grow, McWherter said.

“COVID-19 is still in full force,” she said.

“Americans are looking to stay healthy in any way they can.”

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North Shore Living Herbs hosts cocktail hour

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:49:42 GMT

At the Produce Marketing Association’s virtual Fresh Summit, North Shore Living Herbs + Greens hosted a Zoom video Oct. 15 on how to make craft cocktails with living herbs .

That was one of the ways the company connected with customers at its virtual booth, said Jules Buehler, business development manager at North Shore Living Herbs + Greens, Thermal, Calif.
“We’ve been very pleased with buyer interaction and interest in our booth,” she said.

She said part of that comfort level of the event is because the format is similar to popular social media platforms.

“Most engagement has felt very natural and productive,” Buehler said.

The company also hosted a live question-and-answer session for visitors, with facility tours, demos and samples delivered on a video platform.

While the virtual Fresh Summit was “positive and productive,” Buehler said North Shore looks forward to resuming the traditional trade show format and seeing people in-person.

The Packer’s Fresh Summit Coverage

The Packer’s Herbs Coverage