News
Samples needed for potato seed trials
Washington State University (WSU) is seeking commercial potato seed samples for the 2016 Washington Seed Lot Trial. The university is requesting 50-pound samples of 2-4 ounce seed. If applicable, a representative amount of rotten tubers can be includ... more
PEI company debuts Rooster potatoes
W.P. Griffin Inc. of P.E.I., Canada has debuted its Rooster potatoes. The release coincides with St. Patrick's Day, as the variety was originally developed in Ireland. The company launched the new variety by partnering with Sobeys to offer free in-st... more
United Fresh releases 2015 Year in Review
United Fresh Produce Association released the 2015 Year in Review edition of the FreshFacts on Retail report, which examines overall retail trends in produce for the past year. The report also offers insights into performance and consumer data for fr... more
USPB now Potatoes USA
The U.S. Potato Board (USPB) now is doing business as Potatoes USA. Board members approved a motion to change the name of the organization at its annual meeting on March 16, in Colorado Springs, Colorado.Potatoes USA, known legally as the National Po... more
$62 million in grant funding available to growers
The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is making more than $62 million in grant funding available to support specialty crop producers through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). SCBGP grants are allocated to U.S. states and territo... more
Western Growers donates $1M to produce safety research
Western Growers (WG) announced it's $1 million donation to the Center for Produce Safety (CPS) to advance food safety research and develop ready-to-use solutions to improve the safety of fresh produce globally. WG's contribution puts CPS over the $10... more
ConAgra expands processing operations in Oregon
ConAgra Foods, Inc. announced that its Lamb Weston business will expand operations at its facility in Boardman, Oregon. The $30 million investment will add additional processing capacity for making formed products such as hash brown patties and potat... more
Public-private partnerships crucial in insurance safety net
Farming is in my blood, and I'm proud of that. I grew up on my family's sheep ranch in northern Utah and managed our raspberry farm before coming to USDA. For the past three years, as administrator for the USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA), I've sat ... more
Senninger releases Pivot Placer program
Senninger announced the release of Pivot Placer, a cloud-based portal. According to the company, Pivot Placer provides easy access to information on customers' irrigation equipment. Information avilable on the program includes geographical location, ... more
Ag Secretary Vilsack to travel to Cuba
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will join President Obama when he travels to Cuba later this month, the USDA announced. This historic visit - the first by a sitting U.S. President in nearly 90 years - is another demonstration of the President's com... more
