Month: January 2012

Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples announced the Texas Department of Agriculture is seeking proposals for projects designed to raise awareness and consumption of such specialty crops as fruits, vegetables, dried fruit, tree nuts and nursery plants. A total of $1.7 million in federal funds is available through USDA’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). The deadline for submitting proposals is Feb. 23, 2012. …

Wholesale buyers are increasingly requiring that farms adopt and quantify best practices in food safety, says Jim Slama, president of FamilyFarmed.org. We created this tool in order to give farmers access to a system that allows them to meet the needs of these buyers, while minimizing risk. …

As more Americans buy foods with the organic label, the products are increasingly removed from the traditional organic ideal: produce that is not only free of chemicals and pesticides but also grown locally on small farms in a way that protects the environment. …

And the Sweepstakes Trophy goes to…DOLE's "Preserving Paradise" float in the 2012 Rose Parade, making DOLE the first entry in the last 20 years to win in its first two years participating. DOLE's award-winning float "Preserving Paradise" honored the unsurpassed beauty of Thailand where DOLE grows some of its fruit with responsible and sustainable growing and operating practices.
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Strawberry season is just beginning in Florida. But some farmers fear the cold weather could sink the whole season. …