At the annual general meeting of the Nova Scotia Fruit Growers’ Association, members elected a new president. Peter Eisses, Centreville takes the reins of a sector that grows 4,200 acres in the Annapolis Valley.

Seedless watermelon is only one of the specialties carried at Howe Family Farm Market near Aylmer, Ontario. Kevin Howe says ground cherries and canary melons also pique the interest of consumers. The on-farm market has been so successful that the family has opened another location south of London Ontario.

Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, speaks with Kevin Howe, Howe Family Farm Market near Aylmer, Ontario.

As details are unearthed about the American trade deal with China, growers are learning that processing potatoes could be eligible by February 24, 2020. Last-minute negotiations are anticipated regarding market access protocol.

American food safety authorities declared that as of January 15, 2020, the E. coli outbreak connected to romaine lettuce from Salinas, California is now over. A total of 165 people were sickened. No deaths were reported.

The showcase of 2020 Innovation Award nominees will be a top attraction in Berlin from Feb 5-7. One of them is a cross between Chinese green cabbage and broccoli with a distinctive purple stalk.

The Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers confirmed its 2020 board. The sector earned just under $90 million in farmgate sales in 2019. Sweet corn had its strongest showing in four years with an estimated $8.017 million in farmgate value.

Will 2020 be the year for commercializing robotic harvest of apples? Technical obstacles remain for the companies trialling in New Zealand, Europe and the United States.

Miravis is the global umbrella brand for several group 7 fungicides containing Adepidyn, the trademarked name for the active ingredient. Miravis Duo is for cucurbit and fruiting vegetables while Miravis Prime is for grapes.

Headquartered in Leamington, Ontario, Plant Products Inc. is building on its core greenhouse base to include outdoor fruits and vegetables with the addition of a crop protection veteran.