North Carolina
From high-tech DNA testing to advanced algorithms, new early detection tools aim to stop latent Neopestalotiopsis infections in nurseries before they destroy commercial strawberry crops.
Despite a cooler-than-average start, North Carolina sweetpotato growers are leveraging strategic irrigation and recent rainfall to meet a nearly 20% surge in retail demand, fueled by health-conscious consumers and the rising popularity of specialty varieties.
Severe drought and unseasonable spring heat in North Carolina are causing significant yield losses for specialty crops like brassicas and berries while simultaneously increasing pest pressures for regional organic growers.
Growers expect production to bounce back after weather challenges last year.
A recent nationwide used equipment scam resulted in nearly a quarter million dollars being lost to online scammers for farm machinery that was never delivered to buyers in seven states. Find out how you can stay safe when buying equipment online.
Driven by growing demand from national and local retailers, the family-run farm is now harvesting from 65 certified organic acres.
As the Adverse Effect Wage Rate continues to climb year after year for the H-2A guestworker program with little clarity on how the USDA calculates the rates, organizations are saying, “enough is enough.”
Growers have embraced change by expanding varieties and adapting for the future.
From license plates to social media influencers, here’s how marketing organizations in Mississippi, Louisiana, North Carolina and California are aiming to drive sales.
Sweet potato grower-shippers continue to see strong demand for their product but even greater volume to meet that demand.
Schmieding Produce, which ships watermelons grown in most of the major watermelon areas in the U.S., has acquired North Carolina grower Moore’s Produce.
Steven Ceccarelli, owner of Faison, N.C.-based sweet potato company Farm Fresh Produce Inc., has been named the Small Business Administration North Carolina Small Business Person of the Year.
Sweet potato grower-shipper Wayne Bailey Produce, Chadbourn, N.C., is closing after 85 years, and its customers will now be served by Jackson Farming Co.
The North Carolina State Ports Authority set a new record for refrigerated container volume.
In the Carolinas, spring and summer produce is an edible rainbow. And the harvest is looking good, growers say.
Marketing the spring harvest and stored produce of the Carolinas isn’t the same game these days.
Growing sweet potatoes is a labor-intensive business
Despite a challenging season, North Carolina’s premium sweet potatoes are set to hit supermarket shelves and dinner tables in time for Thanksgiving and winter holidays.
The USDA has imposed sanctions on First Fruits Holdings LLC, doing business as Four Rivers Onion Packing, (First Fruits), Wake Forest, N.C., for violating the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act.
Gov. Josh Stein recently recognized the significant impact of sweetpotatoes on the state’s agriculture industry.
The North Carolina SweetPotato Commission has named Michelle Grainger its new executive director.
Farm Fresh Produce Inc., Faison, N.C., has hired Oscar Avila as its lead salesman specializing in sweet potatoes.
Sysco Raleigh, Selma, N.C., has been awarded a maximum $120.9 million contract for full-line food distribution.
There is no use trying to pin down the precise amount of damage caused to the North Carolina sweet potato crop by Hurricane Florence and the remnants of tropical storm Michael.
PennRose Farms, Wimauma, Fla., a grower-owned company that has a network of growers in the U.S. and Mexico, is expanding its geographic footprint.
The North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission is planning to launch a branding program for sweet potatoes grown in North Carolina.
Spring typically brings a cornucopia of fruits and vegetables from the Carolinas, and this year is no exception, suppliers and marketers say.