Virginia

Researchers seek a snacking pepper that thrives in CEA

Fri, 24 Mar 2023 18:49:52 GMT

Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce and berries are thriving inside. As the indoor ag industry matures, more growers are looking to find more efficient, sustainable and delicious varieties to grow in controlled environment agriculture systems.

To meet this growing need, Virginia Tech researchers are pioneering new cultivars of peppers that thrive inside. Most recently, scientists have begun trials on newly developed snacking pepper varieties designed to flourish in controlled environments.

Related news: Tops partners with greenhouse grower Little Leaf Farms

The timing is ideal. The CEA industry is growing at a rapid clip in Virginia, with more growers heading east to put roots down in the burgeoning mid-Atlantic state.

Developing the perfect pepper

“Our work centers on making the plant compact and accelerating growth all while maintaining the color, scent, nutrition, and sweetness,” Bingyu Zhao, the principal investigator of the project, said in a news release. “The plants need to be able to grow in a crowded environment while maintaining high yield rates to ensure profitability.”

Researchers are tackling this work in partnership with the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, Virginia Tech’s School of Plant and Environmental Sciences and the university’s Department of Food Science and Technology.

To pioneer innovations in agriculture production, including CEA, Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences created the Center for Advanced Innovation in Agriculture to spearhead work at the intersection of agriculture, science and technology. Professors Zhao and Yun Yin will lead the ag-focused research, according to the release.

Related news: BrightFarms plans to build four regional greenhouse hubs

In collaboration with Yin, a food chemist, Zhao will evaluate the pepper’s flavor experience and ensure it can compete with its outdoor counterpart. Once the pepper is perfected, seeds will be available for purchase by producers.

After scientists have moved on from the snacking pepper, they plan to tackle more spicy variants.

“Flavor-important components will be evaluated and determined through instrumental and sensory combined techniques,” Yin said in the release. “We will also look into nutritional value of cultivars suitable for controlled environment agriculture production.”

Plenty's deal with Realty Income funds up to $1B in development

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 17:13:45 GMT

Realty Income Corp. and indoor grower Plenty Unlimited Inc. have partnered in a strategic real estate deal to grow and develop of Plenty’s indoor vertical farms, including the build out of one of the largest indoor vertical farming campuses near Richmond, Va.

Under the terms of the agreement that is set to provide up to $1 billion, Realty Income will acquire and fund development for properties housing Plenty’s indoor farms. These properties will be leased to Plenty under long-term net leases, according to a news release.

“This represents an advancement in the way indoor farming assets are capitalized and paves the way for their development as an asset class,” Plenty CEO Arama Kukutai said in a news release.

Realty Income also has agreed to acquire the land and provide funding for the first farm at Plenty’s indoor vertical farm campus near Richmond, announced last year.

Related news: Driscoll’s heads to Virginia to grow strawberries in world’s largest indoor vertical farm

“Scale is a critical component of advancing indoor farming’s role as a core contributor to our global food supply,” Kukutai said in the release. “Teaming up with Realty Income is a significant step forward in accelerating the deployment of our farms with vertical farm facilities that are purpose-built to support Plenty’s proprietary growing technology.”

The predictability of Plenty’s high-tech indoor farming approach makes it possible to use more traditional forms of funding, like the alliance with Realty Income, Kukutai added.

Related news: Plenty makes plans to dive into R&D at new Wyoming facility: A Q&A with Nate Storey

Plenty expects the future multifarm campus to deliver more than 20 million pounds of produce across multiple crops annually. The first farm to be developed on the campus will grow strawberries with Plenty partner Driscoll’s and initially serve the Northeast market, according to the release.

Plenty already supplies grocers on the West Coast and will further expand its California footprint to include Walmart, which is also an equity investor in the company, when it launches its Compton farm in Los Angeles County, according to the release.

USDA files action against Virginia company for alleged PACA violations

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 17:16:43 GMT

The USDA has filed an administrative complaint against GoGreen Farms Inc. for alleged violations of the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act.

The company, operating from Virginia, allegedly failed to make payment promptly to three produce sellers in the amount of $313,036 from September 2021 through April 2022, according to a news release .

GoGreen Farms will have an opportunity to request a hearing, the release said. Should USDA find that the company committed repeated and flagrant violations, it would be barred from the produce industry as a licensee for three years, or two years with the posting of a USDA-approved surety bond. Furthermore, its principals could not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee for two years, or one year with the posting of a USDA-approved surety bond.

For more information, contact Corey Elliott, chief at the Investigative Enforcement Branch, at 202-720-6873 or PACAInvestigations@usda.gov.

Cold temperatures, rain delay Mid-Atlantic’s crops

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 18:55:55 GMT

Mark Hickman climbed out of a hole in the ground where he switched on his irrigation pump for his potatoes and green beans.

“It’s just been an all-around odd year as far as weather,” said Hickman, operations manager and food safety director of Dublin Farms , Horntown, Va.

Summer harvests are later than usual after a cold, wet spring delayed some plantings in the mid-Atlantic states of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.

And many of those crops that planted on schedule matured more slowly than typical, a trend that affected much of the mid-Atlantic region, said Delaware Secretary of Agriculture Michael Scuse.

Scuse expects much of the vegetable harvest to be delayed a week to 10 days.

“I don’t think that’s just Delaware. I think that’s across the mid-Atlantic and even into the South. It was a very cool, damp spring,” he said.

May frosts managed to leave many fruit growers unscathed, except for the damage some watermelon growers experienced, but “it was scary though, for our fruit growers, this late in the year,” Scuse said.

Vegetable volumes should be the same, as long as summer doesn’t bring too much rain.

DELAWARE

In Delaware, sweet corn under plastic could be ready by mid-June, he said. Snap beans may be ready by the end of June or early July, and cabbage, probably by mid-June.

Scuse expects watermelon to start shipping after mid-July.

Delaware ranks in the nation’s top 10 for sweet corn and watermelon, he said.

Smaller acreages of tomatoes, squash and cucumbers for fresh market will come throughout. Blueberries will follow strawberries in June, and then peaches come by the end of June, early July.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service reported that for the week ending May 31, in Delaware:

the cantaloupe crop was 75% planted, compared to 61% planted the same time last year and 73% for the five-year average;
for cucumbers, 47% of the crop was planted, compared to 50% same time last year and 42% for the five-year average;
for snap beans, 59% of the crop was planted, compared to 54% last year and 51% for the five-year average;
for sweet corn, 69% was planted, compared to 39% last year and 56% for the five-year average; and
for watermelon, 78% of the crop was planted, compared to 67% the same time last year and 78% for the five-year average.

MARYLAND

Maryland gets its first local sweet corn by the end of June, said Mark Powell, chief of agriculture and seafood marketing at the Maryland Department of Agriculture.

“It looks like plantings are basically on track, although we got an awful lot of rain,” Powell said.

National statistics show that by the week ending May 31, Maryland had:

51% of cantaloupes planted compared to 55% the same time last year, and 53% of the five-year average;
96% of strawberries were in full bloom, compared to 92% the same time last year; and
57% of the tomato crop was planted, compared to 62% the same time last year and 56% for the five-year average.

VIRGINIA

In Virginia, apples, grapes, peanuts, tomatoes, potatoes and pumpkins are top specialty crops, the first four ranking in the top 10 among all U.S. states, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service and the Economic Research Service.

According to the USDA’s 2019 State Agriculture Overview:

9,500 acres of apples were harvested, yielding about 20,000 pounds per acre, and excluding processed apples, it was valued at $0.25 per pound for fresh-market apples, resulting in $22.4 million in production value; and
5,600 acres of pumpkins were harvested, yielding 18,480 pounds per acre, for a total of 103.5 million pounds, $0.18 per pound, resulting in $16.4 million in production value.

Even though the growing weather was wet and cool until almost the start of June, much of Virginia’s harvests could be essentially on time, said Butch Nottingham, marketing specialist representing the eastern part of the state for the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

“Prospects look pretty good. We’ve got good moisture,” he said, acknowledging that the late frosts could affect some growers.

By the way it looked at the beginning of June, potatoes should start about June 20 and continue through July, possibly into early August, Nottingham said. Potato acreage dropped by about 500 acres for a total of about 3,000 acres this year, he said, as a large farm purchase transitioned some cropland.

Dublin Farms’ potato crop is 10 days to two weeks behind schedule primarily because of two frosts on April 19 and May 10, Hickman said.

About 300 of 500 acres of white, yellow and red-skinned potatoes burned from the frost, and the stressed potatoes haven’t been sizing up like they usually do since.

Typically, 60% to 70% of Hickman’s crop is the retailer-preferred A size, which is 2¼ to 2¾ inches in diameter.

Some potatoes are turning out grape-sized, which can’t be used. Others are more golf-ball sized, or the B size that’s 1½ to 2¼ inches diameter. Also called creamers, this size is typically used in foodservice for roasting.

“Right now, A size is the only thing with a home, because with restaurants closed, there’s no need for the smaller ones. The only thing moving is what’s sold in grocery stores,” Hickman said.

“We’re a little worried about it, so we’re hopeful things will open quickly, as some places go into Phase 2 of reopening restaurants.”

Hickman likes to start shipping July 1, but it may not be until about July 4, optimistically. Most of the potatoes end up at the terminal markets in Jessup, Md.; New York; Boston and Philadelphia, as well as at repacker facilities.

“We didn’t quite realize how much of our product was ending up at foodservice until now because someone else would buy it, and then it would go to foodservice,” he said.

If foodservice business doesn’t pick up in time, Hickman is considering how the company can modify sorting lines so that after the potatoes are graded, it can pack the B-sized potatoes into 2,000-pound tote bags, which is typically what goes to a repacker.

And he’s looking into directing some to soup processing plants.

“It’s very cheap, but it is a way of getting rid of them. And Bs typically bring a premium because there are less of them. But at least you’re getting something for them rather than nothing,” Hickman said.

Dublin Farms also grows string beans for processing and fresh market for C&E Farms, Cheriton, Va. From there, the green beans will ship direct to retailers and to terminal markets.

The tomato deal ought to crank up July 1 and go through September, possibly into October.

“Although they might be a little late because it was kinda wet getting started,” Nottingham said.

He expects shipping to begin July 8 for cherry and grape tomatoes and July 11 for round and roma tomatoes.

Green beans from one of the largest growers of the commodity on the East Coast, C&E Farms, should be ready by mid-June.

More inland, flat or “donut” peaches should reach their peak in mid-July, most coming from near Charlottesville at Crown Orchard Co. , Covesville, Va., the largest donut peach producer in the state and a major player on the East Coast, Nottingham said.

Related news: Mid-Atlantic Produce

Switch to organic-only pays off for Shenandoah

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:43:17 GMT

Seven years ago, when Steve Wright signed on with Shenandoah Growers Inc. , a Rockingham, Va.-based herb grower, about 20% of the company’s products were organically grown and 80% were conventional.

Within a couple of years, volume of organic items doubled.

“We saw a strong migration of big retailers switching to organic,” said Wright, the company’s chief customer officer. “It was clear that the trend was there.

“We could either watch it and kind of go along with it or be super proactive and say we’re flipping the entire company to organic.”

The company chose the latter and, in 2018, decided to grow, pack, and market only organic herbs.

It was a risky move and an expensive one.

“We had to enhance our supply chain, which involved the creation of deeper supplier relationships and the development of indoor agriculture,” Wright said.

“Processwise, we had to find ways to take costs out of the system and be more efficient in everything we do.”

The company benefited from the natural synergies of not having to carry duplicate inventories on herbs, labels, packaging and the like, he said.

“The established intent was to provide our customers and consumers with organic herbs at the same price as conventional,” Wright said.

“Our goal is democratic organics,” he added. “Eating healthy and eating clean shouldn’t necessarily come at a higher price.”

Wright said he is not aware of anyone else in the industry who has made such a dramatic business change.

“It did not occur without some pain and learnings, but strategically, we believe we made the right choice for our partners and the consumer,” he said.

At the retail level, it’s really not an option for produce departments to carry both a conventional and organic line because of the “lower velocity of the herb category,” he said.

Consequently, retail customers have been pressing Shenandoah Growers to develop greater organic capabilities to make their herb sets 100% organic, Wright said.

“We know for a fact that if the retail price is the same, consumers, if given the choice, will unequivocally choose organic over conventional,” he said.

“They want a healthier and sustainable option for their families.”

Related Content:

Organic avocados no longer a niche

Organic sales surge during pandemic

USDA offers courses on organic fraud and traceability

Virginia leaders celebrate the state’s apple harvest

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 18:33:34 GMT

Pamela Northam, wife of Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, and Bettina Ring, Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry, visited Marker-Miller Orchards Farm Market and Bakery and Glaize Apples in Winchester, Va., to celebrate National Apple Month and the peak of the state’s apple harvest season.

Season begins in August and peaks in October and November, according to a news release.

“Now is a beautiful time of year for families to get out into the orchard and pick their own, or head to the grocery store and look for Virginia grown apples,” Northam said in the release.

Virginia apple orchards extend from southwest Virginia, through the central region and up to the northern Shenandoah Valley.

Virginia apples are sold nationwide and globally, according to the release. Seventy percent of Virginia apples are processed for products such as applesauce, apple juice, apple butter and cider.

“Apples are one of our top 20 agriculture products, and Virginia ranks sixth in apple production for U.S. states,” Ring said in the release.

Apples also provide an economic boost through agritourism and a growing hard cider industry.

“We have used agritourism for more than 30 years to diversify farm income, and more importantly, welcome visitors to our farm and orchard,” John Marker, owner of Marker-Miller Orchards, said in the release.

Related news:

AeroFarm building its largest facility in rural Virginia

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:39:53 GMT

Vertical farms company AeroFarms , Newark, N.J., is investing $42 million to build a 150,000-square-foot aeroponic facility in rural Virginia.

The operation, in an industrial park that’s a joint venture for the city of Danville and Pittsylvania, is the 10th facility for Aerofarms. Virginia was in competition with North Carolina for the project, according to a news release from the office of Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam.

Financing includes $200,000 from Virginia’s Commonwealth Opportunity Fund, $200,000 from the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund and $190,000 from the Tobacco Regional Opportunity Fund, according to the release.

AeroFarms also qualifies for benefits from the Virginia Enterprise Zone Program and job creation support from the Virginia Jobs Investment Program.

“AeroFarms is a leader in agricultural innovation with farming technologies that make high-quality, local produce available to more communities,” Northam said in the release. “We are bringing capital investment and economic opportunity to rural Virginia by recruiting innovative companies like AeroFarms.”

Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Bettina Ring said agriculture is Virginia’s largest private-sector industry.

“I look forward to working with AeroFarms as they expand the use of agriculture technology to strengthen Virginia’s food system and provide increased access to healthy foods,” Ring said in the release.

Aerofarms grows leafy greens including kale and arugula, along with herbs and Dream Greens, a line of baby greens and microgreens.

Related stories:

Time Magazine names AeroFarms as a best invention

NJ-based AeroFarms receives sustainability award, launches microgreens

AeroFarms has new products in the works

Virginia produce distributor awarded federal contract

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 16:38:27 GMT

Hampton Roads Produce Distributors Inc., Virginia Beach, Va., has been awarded a maximum $15.1 million contract to provide cross-docking and transportation for the East Coast Export Mission.

The contract, with the Defense Logistics Agency, consists of shipping fresh fruits and vegetables, frozen meats, baked goods and dairy products, according to a news release . The five-year contract has no option periods, with the ordering period end date of Jan. 18, 2028.

USApple taps Mitchell Liwanag to manage environmental affairs

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 20:00:50 GMT

The U.S. Apple Association has promoted Mitchell Liwanag to manage the association’s environmental affairs.

In his new role, Liwanag will represent USApple on environmental topics such as pesticides, water, energy, climate and stewardship, as well as identify new areas for the organization to engage and participate in the areas of sustainability and the climate, according to a news release.

“Apple growers have long embraced sustainable farming practices and environmental stewardship,” USApple President and CEO Jim Bair said in the release. “As the industry continues to help lead the charge in sustainability initiatives, it makes sense to add environmental affairs capacity to USApple’s issue portfolios, and Mitchell’s background in environmental policy lends itself to the endeavor.”

Related news: Cosmic Crisp sales trending strong

Liwanag has proven himself to be a valued member of the USApple team with a varied skillset, added Bair.

Liwanag joined USApple in January 2022 as an association manager. He previously worked at the National Communication Association and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture.

Liwanag holds a master’s degree in public policy with a concentration in environmental policy from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and a bachelor’s degree in agricultural communication from the California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo.

Top retailers in the Midwest by market share

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:42:33 GMT

Each year, The Shelby Report showcases valuable retail market share data. In the interactive map below, find each major market around the Midwest. Also, highlighted are the major cities in each market.

All markets are “labeled” or identified by their primary state (with metros or key cities). Percentages are estimates based on annualized sales, industry data, institutional research and store footprints. Shares are updated as market metrics dictate and retailers supply their store lists.*

Market shares are for chains, independents and/or the wholesalers (voluntary or cooperative) which supply them within each region’s distribution area, extending well beyond typical metros or CBSAs. Each market is defined by the sphere of distribution, not by a rigid geographic boundary.

Major cities in each market:

Illinois /Indiana - Chicago, Gary
Indiana/Ohio - Indianapolis, Fort Wayne
Iowa/Illinois/Montana/Minnesota - Des Moines, Sioux City, Cedar Rapids
Kansas/Missouri - Kansas City, Topeka, Wichita, Columbia
Michigan - Detroit, Ann Arbor, Flint, Saginaw
Western Michigan - Grand Rapids, Lansing, Kalamazoo, Traverse City
Minnesota - Minneapolis, St. Paul, Dultuh
Missouri/Illinois/Indiana/Kentucky - St. Louis, Springfield, Champaign, Terre Haute, Evansville, Paducah
Nebraska/Colarado/Iowa/Kansas/South Dakota - Omaha, Lincoln, Sioux Falls
North Dakota/Montana/South Dakota/Minnesota - Fargo
Ohio - Cleveland, Akron, Canton, Youngstown
Ohio/West Virginia/Kentucky - Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus, Toledo, Huntington
Wisconsin / Upper Michigan - Milwaukee, Madison, Eau Claire, Marquette

Department of Labor says investigation recovers $45K in back wages from fruit company

Thu, 03 Aug 2023 14:17:06 GMT

The Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division has found the Timberville, Va.-based Mt. Clifton Fruit Co. LLC violated multiple requirements of the H-2A agricultural worker program.

The company grows and ships apples, according to a news release from the Department of Labor .

The agency said the company failed to:ZCompensate 55 workers, 50 of whom came from Mexico, for all hours worked.

Comply with the requirements of the agricultural job order.
Pay the hourly adverse effect wage rates of $13.15 in 2021, $14.16 in 2022 and $14.91 in 2023.
Comply with safety and health requirements for housing and transporting H-2A workers.
Request a preoccupancy inspection of housing in a timely way.
Comply with other applicable federal, state and local employment-related laws and regulations.

According to the release, $45,384 in back wages were recovered and civil penalties of $8,998 were assessed to the company. Fifty-five workers were affected, including 50 H-2A workers and five other workers.

“Our investigation found the Mt. Clifton Fruit Company denied dozens of agricultural workers, many of whom traveled to the U.S. at the company’s request, safe housing and transportation, and their legally earned wages,” Wage and Hour Division District Director Roberto Melendez said in the release. “In addition to recovering back wages, we assessed penalties for these deliberate violations.”