Olive Hill Greenhouses, which farms in Fallbrook, is continuing a long history of supporting local organizations by donating thousands of plants to first responders and those on the front line of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. The multi-generation family-owned company decided to team up with one of its customers in Southern California — Plantscapers Inc. in Irvine and Palm Desert, CA — to provide beautiful flowering…
Now that the state of California has defined certified farmers markets as an essential service for food supplies, a number of markets that had been shut a week earlier by local governments and property owners are back up and running. Market operators continue efforts to reopen other markets. “The state Office of Emergency Services has made it clear: People involved in agriculture, food production, distribution…
A few others grow herbs and spices in Southern California, but none grow as many as Cindy and Mark Pearson, whose Pearson’s Gardens & Herb Farm features close to 700 varieties. “They have the largest, and most diverse, selection of herbs in San Diego County,” said Nina Fox, president of the San Diego County Herb Society. “Cindy Pearson is extremely knowledgeable about the herbs botanically,…
Three of San Diego County’s Top 10 Crops reached their highest total values in the past decade in the annual Crop Report released by the County this week, while total agriculture values dipped slightly after two straight years of increase. The total value of all agricultural crops and commodities slipped by one-quarter of 1% in the new report, which covers the 2018 growing season, decreasing…
Ah, Avocados; it’s been a tough month, but Henry Avocado Corp. is back from a listeria recall and so far, no Trump border closure. His threatened U.S.-Mexico border closure would mean no avocados on store shelves within three week, according to experts. With all the controversy, however, avocado prices jumped higher than an NBA all-star at the dunking competition. Prices have remained higher than usual…
Lessons from the Last Surviving San Diego Dairy “My family has always been in the dairy business. It’s a…different sort of business,” laughs Frank Konyn of Frank Konyn Dairy. Established in 1962 by his father, Konyn’s 250-acre dairy farm is nestled on the San Pasqual Valley floor 35 miles northeast of downtown San Diego. With over 800 cows, he estimates his monthly feed bill to…
The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch opened Friday The final day? It’s always Mother’s Day, which is May 12 in 2019. El Nino rain in February should mean magnificent Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch blooms now in session through May 12. Mellano & Company of San Luis Rey is the production arm and onsite grower. The Ecke family owns the land. Over 50 acres are devoted to…
Facing the heat of global warming, farmers in San Diego are trying to survive and build resilience through practice—and are pushing policymakers to keep up. At Pauma Valley, a flat stretch of crop- and rangelands at the base of the Palomar Mountains in North San Diego County, July is usually a month of hot weather and raucous growth—with lemons, avocados, blackberries, and peppers all flourishing….
At war with the Asian citrus psyllid since it was found in North San Diego County in 2008, California citrus growers and packers have had unprecedented success in slowing the spread of the tree-killing bacteria the psyllid can carry. People in the citrus business say part of that success relates to the testing and distribution of clean citrus plant material through the University of California,…
Not all bananas are created equal. When it comes to organic bananas, Mayra Velazquez de Leon knows that for everyone to understand this, consumers are going to have to strengthen their awareness and education about organic agricultural sustainability, the identifiers of true organic foods and environmental preservation. “Organic really is the whole picture,” she told The Produce News earlier this month. “It is about protecting…