Mid-Atlantic

Tomato webinar teaches about Septoria leaf spot management

Septoria leaf spot is one of the more common foliar diseases of tomatoes, particularly in the East.

To help growers and consultants learn more about this destructive disease, Focus on Tomato has launched a free educational webinar.

Herb grower receives $1 million fine for illegal labor

A Duvall, Wash.-based organic herb operation, which ships to nearly 2,700 retailers nationwide, was fined $1 million for firing illegal immigrants, then secretly hiring them back on a night shift to avoid detection.

Study: Healthy convenience will drive value-added veggie sales

As the country emerges from the recession, touting the health benefits of value-added vegetables alone may not be a strong enough reason for consumers to increase purchases and consumption.

New production method lengthens Ohio strawberry season

Ohio strawberry growers are borrowing a growing method from California and Florida to extend their season from May into late October.

FDA missed deadlines may continue

The Food and Drug Administration badly missed statutory deadlines in January for issuing food safety regulations this year, and significant hurdles remain before any produce safety rule will take effect.

Teenagers still require safety training to work on farms

Family farms may have dodged a bullet recently when the federal government withdrew its proposed ban on children working on power-driven farm equipment.

But previous legislation still requires they receive training.

Spud webinar focuses on internal heat necrosis

The potato malady goes by several names—internal brown spot, physiological internal necrosis, internal browning, internal brown fleck and chocolate spot.

Regardless of the moniker, internal heat necrosis is an economically significant problem, particularly in the mid-Atlantic and South.

Garlic compound helps fight foodborne pathogens

A naturally occurring compound in garlic appears 100 times more effective than two popular antibiotics at fighting Campylobacter bacterium, a common cause of food poisoning.

But don't rush out and begin eating massive amounts of garlic in hopes of preventing foodborne illness, say researchers at Washington State University in Pullman.

Take steps to prevent bacterial fruit blotch of watermelons

During the 1990s, a major outbreak of bacterial fruit blotch severely affected watermelon growers in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.

Other outbreaks have followed, with 2011 being a particularly bad year, according to a University of Delaware Extension newsletter.

Organic standards help spur growth

This year marks the 10th anniversary of national organic standards in the U.S.