MDARD Director Jamie Clover Adams The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) Oct. 18 announced 17 recipients in the state would receive more than $1.5 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) Oct. 18 announced 17 recipients in the state would receive more than $1.5 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. “This group of awardees really speaks to the diversity and scope of Michigan agriculture,” said MDARD Direct ..read more

Edward Frick (Sponsored) Much of the Southeast experienced temperatures at or below freezing for extended periods with snowfall as far south as Georgia this winter. But that alone won’t be enough to hold back insect pests as temperatures warm.  “As we are coming out of winter and into spring, our insect pest populations are increasing,” says Edward Frick, sales representative with Coastal AgroBusiness in Monetta, South Carolina. “Our first insecticide sprays may vary by four to six weeks from year to year depending on winter temperatures, but the insects are coming.”  Of particu ..read more

Cultiva LLC (cultiva.com), a provider of food-grade biofilms used in agricultural markets, announces the appointment of agri-business start-up leader and consultant, Mark Zettler to the company’s Board of Directors. Mark Zettler Zettler is currently president of AgroAdvisors International, LLC and is a principal consultant with NGT BioPharma Consultants. He built a strong background in agriculture, horticulture and related technologies over his 22 years with Dow AgroSciences and AgroFresh, most recently serving as vice president of Research and Development (R&D), and Innovation at AgroFres ..read more

Online sales giant Amazon recently released U.S.-only seasonal and year-end highlights of data from its shoppers in what it said was a record-breaking year and holiday season. Spinach was among the best-selling items for grocery delivery, according to the press release from Amazon. Other healthy best-sellers included avocados, blueberries and pears. Amazon said it delivered tens of millions grocery items from Whole Foods Market and Amazon Fresh this holiday season. The number of Prime members who tried grocery delivery for the first time this holiday season increased by more tha ..read more

Carpac, Michigan-based Mike Pirrone Produce has promoted an employee to be the new company’s new president. The company distributes and ships Michigan hothouse rhubarb and other fresh vegetables. The staff changes won’t affect its regular business process, CEO Donna DeBlouw said in a written statement. Chief Operations Officer Matthew DeBlouw has been promoted to president. He has a degree in food industry management from Michigan State University. “He will oversee the implementation of a new vision for Pirrone’s future, focused on quality, customer service, dependability and transparency, whi ..read more

The Potato industry is making a strong statement about potatoes to demonstrate the performance-boosting benefits of America’s favorite vegetable. Potatoes USA, a Denver-based national marketing group representing 2,500 growers and handlers, worked with its members to identify a nutrition-based lifestyle benefit that challenges consumers’ preconceived notions about potatoes. Extensive research led to a marketing strategy based on a key truth: Potatoes fuel performance. Potatoes provide the energy, potassium and complex carbohydrate people need to perform at their best, according ..read more

Michigan’s asparagus producers have approved a referendum to continue the Michigan Asparagus Industry Development Program. The program will continue for an additional five years, beginning June 8, 2018, and ending June 7, 2023. The current assessment is at a rate not to exceed two cents per pound. A total of 55 valid ballots were cast in the referendum. Of those, 51 producers voted yes (93 percent) representing 11,217,520 pounds of asparagus or 98 percent of the total, and 4 producers voted no (7 percent) representing 209,800 pounds, or 2 percent. For renewal of the program and its activi ..read more

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue Thursday morning debuted Farmers.gov, a grower-friendly, “one-stop shop” maintained by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Purdue unveiled the website  Feb. 1 at a breakfast hosted by the Michigan Farm Bureau at Robinette’s Apple Haus, an orchard and market outside Grand Rapids, Michigan. “We want to connect you to your USDA through a website called, specifically for you, Farmers.gov,” Perdue said at the meeting. “It’s for you, it’s a one-stop shop for you to go in there. We’re going to continue to grow Farmers.gov, where you can sit in th ..read more

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue Jan. 24 spoke about the USDA’s Farm Bill and Legislative Principles for 2018 during a town hall at Reinford Farms in Mifflintown, Pennsylvania. “Since my first day as the Secretary of Agriculture, I’ve traveled to 30 states, listening to the people of American agriculture about what is working and what is not. The conversations we had and the people we came across helped us craft USDA’s Farm Bill and Legislative Principles for 2018,” Perdue said in a written statement. “These principles will be used as a road map – they are our way of letting Congress ..read more

Photo: Greenspire Global Greenspire Global recently launched Procidic, an agricultural bactericide and fungicide that provides disease control without synthetics. “What sets Procidic apart is its safe formula; there are no added stressors to crops,” said Steve Knauss, President of Greenspire Global. “It is proven safe on a wide variety of fruit and vegetable crops, ornamentals and cut flowers.” Procidic is an organic fungicide and bactericide formulated to protect crops during all stages of growth, working systemically and on contact, according to a release from Greenspire.  Procidic is r ..read more