Growing Produce

4 days ago | growingproduce.com | Paul Rusnak

Blackberry production in Arkansas is a growing business. Blackberry research is a big part of that. The annual Blackberry Field Day and Tour provides an ideal forum for learning about what’s new. The latest iteration of the industry event was held recently at the University of Arkansas Fruit Research Station in Clarksville.

2 weeks ago | growingproduce.com | Paul Rusnak

Time flies! Seriously. It’s now been a solid decade since I’ve started following Florida’s journey into growing hops for the burgeoning local craft beer market. Back in 2015, the possibility of actually growing hops in Florida’s less-than-hospitable environment was still a question. Since then, that question has been answered and then some — thanks in huge part to researchers at University of Florida.

2 weeks ago | growingproduce.com | Paul Rusnak

The latest “Dirty Dozen and Clean 15” lists from the Environmental Working Group are out. As part of the organization’s annual “Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce,” it lists 12 fruits and vegetables that were found most contaminated with pesticides. In addition, EWG’s report also shines a light on what it calls the “Clean Fifteen,” items that tested low in concentrations of pesticide residues. This annual report is eaten up by mainstream media channels year after year.

2 weeks ago | growingproduce.com | Carol Miller

Improved soil health is a key element of gaining regenerative farming certification, a standard many of the largest retailers in the U.S. are demanding from their food producers. But that creates a dilemma on two fronts. First, how do you establish a baseline when soil types and content vary within a single field, much less over an entire operation? A second problem? If you multiply the depth of the topsoil by an acre, the volume will be enormous.

3 weeks ago | growingproduce.com | Carol Miller

FDA has identified a Florida cucumber grower as the originator for a salmonella outbreak in April and early May. As of this post, 45 people have been infected, with 16 hospitalized. Eighteen states, primarily in the East Coast and Midwest, are reporting patients with salmonella poisoning, with the first case traced to April 2 and the last one so far reported on May 10.