Spinach is the quintessential leafy green. It’s often what people think of when they think “healthy.” It is also a highly versatile green that consumers use for salads, dips, garnishes, sandwiches, pasta, casseroles and more. When BrightFarms, a commercial scale greenhouse operation with locations in Bucks County, Pennsylvania; Culpepper County, Virginia; and Rochelle, Illinois, launched … Read more
Spinach was catapulted into the national spotlight in 1929. Thanks to Popeye the Sailor Man, the vegetable has been known to all as the “original superfood.” As his song lyrics proclaimed, “I’m strong to the finish ’cause I eats me spinach,” the cartoon character credited his incredible strength to the spinach he ate. – Spinach Ironically, … Read more
In Yuma, Arizona, John Boelts of Desert Premium Farms and past president of the Arizona Farm Bureau, raises nearly 2,000 acres of crops by season’s end. Crops range from romaine, leaf and head lettuce to broccoli, cauliflower, melons, cotton, wheat, sudangrass and alfalfa. – Labor Shortages Planting, caring for and harvesting the grain crops is relatively … Read more
Plant diseases are caused by pathogens, as well as directly by environmental conditions. Environmental issues such as drought, excessive moisture, air pollution or nutrient deficits or imbalances can cause plant disease. Abiotic diseases, like blossom end rot, are noninfectious, whereas biotic diseases, or those caused by a pathogen, are infectious. Cultivation practices, weather conditions and … Read more
Climate-smart, agricultural system, climate resilience, adaptive capacity, and soil carbon sequestration are terms that evolved to help farmers and researchers communicate about climate change. – Climate Change A climate-smart agricultural system is a farm designed to operate and thrive through the extreme conditions caused by a changing climate. The terms “climate resilience” and “adaptive capacity” refer … Read more