Agriculture US
Randy Krotz Randy Krotz
shared this article 5 years ago
Topics: Agriculture US, Fertilizer, AgriBusiness,
John LaRose Jr. John LaRose Jr.
shared this article 5 years ago
Topics: Agriculture US, Fruit, Economics, Coronavirus/COVID,

By Chris Sullivan "Washington state exporters have been getting crushed this year, whether it’s Boeing not delivering planes or our geoduck farmers not able to sell their products to Asian markets. So, how long will this last, and will closed ports and the lack of shipping options doom our farming industry? US-China trade war hits Washington farmers hard Washington’s farms generate around $7 billion of economic impact on the state. The industry is why Washington is always one of the top exporters in the country. Preexisting tariffs and now the coronavirus have been taking a big toll. We heard in March how geoduck farmers couldn’t get their products to Asia because the ports were closed. Our state’s cherry farmers and apple farmers could very well experience similar issues of their own.rs/"

John LaRose Jr. John LaRose Jr.
shared this article 5 years ago
Topics: Agriculture US, Education U.S. West, Fruit, Economics,

"GRAND JUNCTION — Food suppliers in western Colorado said they are concerned about peach crops after a potentially devastating freeze struck Grand Valley orchards. National Weather Service meteorologist Kris Sanders reported a record low 19 degrees Monday in Grand Junction, two degrees below the previous record set in 1933 by an Arctic cold front, TheDaily Sentinel reported. The extent of the problem may not be known for a few days, but freeze damage to buds is likely when the temperature drops below 28 degrees. “Anything 28 and down, you’re getting beat up,” said Bruce Talbott, owner of Talbott Farms in Palisade. “I know we have an awful lot of damage. I would say there’s less than half-crop at this point." Other crops such as pears and cherries may also have been affected by the low temperatures, while apples and grapes may have been spared because they have not hit full bloom."

John LaRose Jr. John LaRose Jr.
shared this article 5 years ago
Topics: Agriculture US, Urban Farming, Tomato,

By Lee Miller, Special to The Stockton Record It is time to think about getting vegetables planted for delicious summer meals and for next winter, too, if you have enough to freeze or can. Many homeowners are reduced to small backyards so having a large garden may not be possible, but room for a few tomatoes, peppers, zucchini or eggplants are often doable ― provided there is 6-8 hours of sunshine. According to a national poll, 26 percent of all U.S. households have a vegetable garden, with tomato the most popular crop. Bell peppers rank a distant second. Amazingly, there are 7,500 varieties of tomatoes. There are red ones, yellow ones, green ones, black ones; little cherries and large two-pound slicers and everything in between. There are so many seeds and so little time to explore this great variety. Here is a bit of garden trivia: The tomato was classified by our Supreme Court as a vegetable in 1893 even though botanically it is a fruit. Tennessee, Arkansas, and Ohio have all rebelled and have declared the tomato their state fruit. I used to have a large garden area, which permitted me to experiment a lot with a variety of heirloom tomatoes and peppers to see which ones would do well and were tasty. I would save seeds from the heirlooms I liked for future plantings, and although I now have less room, I still like to grow a variety of vegetables. This year I am planting 18 varieties of tomatoes and perhaps 12 varieties of peppers and 4 eggplants. I have grown plants for the Linden Garden Club plant sale for several years (this year’s sale was canceled due to the coronavirus). One of the most popular tomatoes each year is “Sungold,” a hybrid cherry tomato that is the tomato candy of the garden. Some customers only want red tomatoes and some are more adventurous and willing to try something yellow with names like “Azoychka”or “Golden Jubilee,” or one that is bicolor, yellow and red, like “Kellogg’s Breakfast.”

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