Crops
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Permission granted by National Honey Board
More snacks to include fruit and vegetable ingredients: report
As consumers' eating habits evolve, so has the way food manufacturers think about ingredients and their placement in products.
By Elizabeth Flood • Oct. 17, 2024 -
hauged via Getty Images
Organic crop farming faces shrinking profits
A recent study shows that average net returns for organic commodity crops has plummeted to the lowest ever recorded.
By Rose Palazzolo • Oct. 17, 2024 -
Explore the Trendline➔
Courtesy of Guardian Agriculture
TrendlineTop 5 stories from Agriculture Dive
Declining farm income and other production challenges have pushed farmers to rethink their operations and adopt new technology in a bid to diversify potential revenue streams.
By Agriculture Dive staff -
Courtesy of Deere & Co.
Deep DiveDriving automation on the farm: Self-driving tractors look to fill agriculture’s labor shortage
John Deere and startup Agtonomy are introducing new ways to bring artificial intelligence to the field, with execs saying the technology holds the potential to open new job pathways for the next generation of farmers.
By Jesse Klein • Oct. 16, 2024 -
Courtesy of Fresh Del Monte
Fresh Del Monte boosts regenerative agriculture 11% across farms
The produce giant said it's met a number of sustainability targets ahead of a 2030 deadline and also introduced new goals to improve human rights in agriculture.
By Sarah Zimmerman • Oct. 15, 2024 -
Scott Olson via Getty Images
Understanding EPA’s new rules protecting farmworkers from pesticide exposure
Changes controversially expand the boundaries for “application exclusion zones” to include areas outside the farm.
By Sarah Zimmerman • Oct. 15, 2024 -
Scott Olson via Getty Images
US farms on track to harvest record corn and soybean crops
Latest production estimates from USDA contribute to expectations of sharp profit declines for growers.
By Sarah Zimmerman • Oct. 14, 2024 -
Permission granted by Blake's
From a small apple farm to a $54M cider business: Charting the rise of Blake’s Hard Cider
A third-generation farmer has grown his family’s Michigan orchard into a multi-million dollar operation with a national footprint.
By Jennifer Lawinski • Oct. 14, 2024 -
Megan Varner via Getty Images
Helene damage to Georgia agriculture tops $6B in preliminary estimate
"The future is uncertain for thousands of Georgia farmers," the state's agriculture commissioner said, with poultry growers and pecan farmers facing years of recovery from widespread destruction.
By Sarah Zimmerman • Oct. 11, 2024 -
Jay Yuno via Getty Images
ColumnAgtech Seedlings: Deere launches dairy sustainability tool with DeLaval
Also in this week's farm technology news: Cibo Technologies partners with Scoular to prepare for biofuel tax credits, and AcreShield raises $2.5 million to help farmers with seed selection.
By Sarah Zimmerman • Oct. 11, 2024 -
Scott Olson via Getty Images
Mormon Church pays $289M for dozens of US farms
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' real estate arm is acquiring more than 41,000 acres of land with the intention of leasing it to farmers.
By Sarah Zimmerman • Oct. 10, 2024 -
Amarita via Getty Images
Pecan farmers suffer devastating blow from Hurricane Helene
The recent storm shows why farmers and manufacturers need to be proactive for the next disaster, according to the CEO of pecan milk brand PKN.
By Elizabeth Flood • Oct. 10, 2024 -
Joe Raedle via Getty Images
Hurricane Milton takes aim at Florida’s Citrus Belt
The life-threatening storm could also wreak havoc on the state's phosphate industry, keeping fertilizer prices elevated.
By Sarah Zimmerman • Oct. 9, 2024 -
Caroline Colvin/Agriculture Dive
Vegetable grower settles claim that HR staff required harassment victim to obtain restraining order
A female employee at Pero Family Farms Food Company repeatedly attempted to report a male co-worker’s sexual harassment and physical threats, federal investigators alleged.
By Ryan Golden • Oct. 9, 2024 -
Scott Olson via Getty Images
Drought shrivels cotton, delays wheat planting in US Plains
Dry conditions are challenging production in states like Texas and Oklahoma, a stark contrast to the destructive flooding from Hurricane Helene that has waterlogged fields across the Southeast.
By Sarah Zimmerman • Oct. 8, 2024 -
Melissa Sue Gerrits via Getty Images
‘Decades of progress gone in a single instant’: Assessing the farm damage from Hurricane Helene
With billions of dollars in damages expected, the USDA is deploying "surge teams" to assist with recovery efforts as farmers and food giants work to rebuild local communities.
By Nathan Owens • Oct. 7, 2024 -
Courtesy of Starbucks
Starbucks buys more innovation farms to create climate-proof coffee
Farmers in Costa Rica and Guatemala will test drones and hybrid crop varieties as the company aims to address some of the most pressing challenges facing the region.
By Sarah Zimmerman • Oct. 7, 2024 -
Courtesy of Chiquita Brands International
ColumnAgtech seedlings: Chiquita unveils ‘breakthrough in sustainable banana production’
Also in this week's farm technology news: Biopesticide startup AgroSpheres raises $37 million for sustainable crop production, and Syngenta adds generative AI to its Cropwise platform.
By Sarah Zimmerman • Oct. 4, 2024 -
Photo illustration: Industry Dive; Joe Readle/Getty Images; Brandon Bell/Getty Images
Deep DiveElection 2024: Where Trump and Harris stand on agriculture
Higher food prices, trade relations with China and other farm issues are becoming more central to party platforms.
By Sarah Zimmerman • Oct. 3, 2024 -
David McNew via Getty Images
OpinionWe need a Farm Bill for all farmers – not the few. Here’s how we get there.
The House’s proposed bill would only benefit wealthy farms while adding to the deficit and cutting food assistance, experts with the Environmental Working Group argue.
By Anne Schechinger and Jared Hayes • Oct. 2, 2024 -
Courtesy of National Farm Machinery Show
Top agriculture conferences in 2025
As attendance increases at farm-related shows, some events are relocating to larger venues to accommodate more exhibitors and programming. Here’s an early look at some of the biggest upcoming shows.
By Agriculture Dive staff • Oct. 1, 2024 -
Sean Rayford via Getty Images
Hurricane Helene devastates farms across the Southeast
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said "every commodity in the state has been damaged," with cotton farmers anticipating hundreds of millions of dollars in losses.
By Sarah Zimmerman • Sept. 30, 2024 -
Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
How a new type of ‘smart soil’ can capture water out of thin air
A hydrogel developed by researchers from the University of Texas at Austin could give plants the power to feed and water themselves, allowing farmers to rely less on irrigation.
By David Silverberg • Sept. 30, 2024 -
Courtesy of Plenty Unlimited
ColumnAgtech Seedlings: Plenty opens ‘world’s first’ indoor berry farm
In other farm technology news, Ginkgo Bioworks partners with a Missouri-based firm on cost-effective animal feed, and Minnesota’s Ag Innovation Campus closes after one year.
By Nathan Owens • Sept. 27, 2024 -
Joe Raedle via Getty Images
Hurricane Helene threatens crops in the Southeast
Cotton, peanut and citrus growers are preparing for a potentially catastrophic storm that could bring widespread damage to farms in Georgia and Florida.
By Sarah Zimmerman • Sept. 26, 2024 -
Permission granted by Renw
New molded fiber company will use industrial hemp as main feedstock
Renw seeks to minimize reliance on forestry assets in packaging through partnerships with farmers to adopt industrial hemp as a rotational crop.
By Katie Pyzyk • Sept. 26, 2024
