When it comes to making educated decisions in today’s hi-tech world of vegetable and crop farming, growers have a number of ways to provide themselves with the information they need to make wise choices. Making the most of technology and data analysis is one of the best ways to help get that job don...

Consider growing hydroponic herbs and greens in your greenhouse this fall, in place of traditional fall crops with “commodity” prices. Greens and herbs grown in a fall greenhouse have several advantages, according to Dr. Chris Currey, of Iowa State University. First, herbs can be sold value-added si...

You know you’re guilty of saying it, or at least thinking it, at some point: “Ugh. Young people these days!” And often, you are probably justified in the sentiment. I’ll admit to something we Millennials have valiantly tried to keep secret: we do make mistakes — a lot of them. And sometimes, those m...

In 1911 Maricopa County AZ, the Spur family began to farm about 15 miles west of Phoenix. In 1956 Spur’s successors began to develop feedlots, and in May of 1959 developer Del Webb started planning a retirement community to be known as Sun City, about 10.5 miles north of the Spur feedlot. By 1965, t...

Maybe it was a teacher, coach or co-worker, but if you were fortunate enough to have a mentor sometime in your life, you understand the benefit of another person’s willingness to share wisdom gained from experience. In business, having a good mentor helps you identify your strengths, as well as prep...

by Kristen Park, Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University Introduction The role of buyers and category managers has become fundamental to the success of supermarket companies. In a world where fresh produce is procured globally year round and where food safety and sustain...

Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University Introduction This is the first in a series of four Smart Marketing articles reviewing the results of a study that describes changes in produce procurement. It provides the produce industry with information on buying practices so th...

Sometimes a farm seems close to perfect, but needs just a bit of help. That’s what Will and Judy Stevens found when they purchased a former dairy farm in Shoreham, VT. “Prior to buying this farm in 1984, we grew apples, so we were learning about apples,” said Judy. “When we got married, we asked for...

It is only spring, but already many Rhode Island fruit growers are expressing grave concerns about this year’s harvest. The mild winter may have been welcome to many, but Rhode Island peach growers are not among them. The warm temperatures meant that peach trees began gearing up for spring in Januar...