The Vegetable Growers News

August 2001

Maureen Torrey confers with Sammy Castillo, supervisor of the summer squash crew. The board with the buttons Sammy is holding is part of a computer system used in the field to record each worker’s starting time, number of boxes picked, and efficiency. Click here for the full story.

Commodity Challenges Cite Court’s Mushroom Decision
Commodity promotion boards are facing more challenges in the wake of the Supreme Court decision against the Mushroom Council.

Small Fruit Research Projects Underway at Penn State
Several small fruit research projects are underway at Penn State. These experiments should give growers some information on growing systems and options they may wish to implement on their own farms.

$169 Million
States to Receive One-time Grant for Specialty Crop Aid
Specialty crops will receive $169 million in block grants thanks to the most recent ag assistance package approved by the Senate and the House. The money will be available through state departments of agriculture.

NAFTA Free Trade Costly for Florida Fresh Tomato Industry
Florida tomato producers don’t move quite as many tomatoes these days, due in part to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). But Florida is still the leading producer of fresh market tomatoes in the United States.

Torrey Farms Works Hard to Attract Migrant Labor
Torrey Farms in Elba, New York has been very successful at attracting and keeping migrant labor.

Marketplace of Ideas
Man-made Droughts More Frustrating than Natural Ones

Make the Best of Negative Pesticide Stories in the Press

Question of the Month:
Marketing Orders?