Produce Grower magazine

Produce Grower magazine Serving vegetable and fruit greenhouse operations of North America. Subscribe for free at producegrower.com. Published by GIE Media.

We know you're under pressure to lower operating costs and stay competitive in today’s dynamic market as you work to pro...
09/04/2025

We know you're under pressure to lower operating costs and stay competitive in today’s dynamic market as you work to produce high-quality, low-cost crops.

Apart from labor, energy is probably the top operating cost for most growers. So, one of the best ways to help reduce costs is to improve the energy efficiency of your operation.

Daniel Ciolkosz, an associate research professor at Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, shares some of the most common successful measures greenhouse growers can use to reduce energy use without compromising the performance of your greenhouse:

https://www.producegrower.com/article/energy-efficient-greenhouse-tips-climate-control-ventilation-fans-penn-state-research/

Each year, we take the pulse of the controlled environment agriculture industry through our annual State of the Industry...
08/28/2025

Each year, we take the pulse of the controlled environment agriculture industry through our annual State of the Industry survey, and we need your help!

Your participation is vital for accurate and meaningful results. It's time to look at how our industry is shaping up as we prepare for 2026.

If you own or manage an operation that grows produce under cover in North America, please take 7 minutes to complete our survey today:

https://www.research.net/r/pgsocial

Justin Bartlett, co-CEO at Legacy Labor, Inc., explains the connection between access to consistent H-2A labor and effic...
08/26/2025

Justin Bartlett, co-CEO at Legacy Labor, Inc., explains the connection between access to consistent H-2A labor and efficient operations:

"Greenhouse production is growing fast, and we saw a need in this ever-changing and expanding space for reliable, consistent and compliant labor. Also, we understand greenhouse work, especially the food supply chain. Work in CEA greenhouses is typically consistent and predictable compared to field harvest work. We want to provide work for our employees that is in a clean and safe environment."

Hear more from Justin in our Ask the Experts section:

https://www.producegrower.com/article/h2a-seasonal-cea-horticulture-legacy-labor-ask-experts-sponsored/

Most shoppers have a mixed system of buying vegetables for specific meals and having some vegetables on hand without a s...
08/21/2025

Most shoppers have a mixed system of buying vegetables for specific meals and having some vegetables on hand without a specific meal in mind.

But more shoppers plan exactly what fruit they want to buy before going to the store — though fruit also has a lot of impulse power.

These insights were revealed in “The Power of Produce,” a study from FMI – The Food Industry Association. Find out more here:

https://www.producegrower.com/article/consumer-purchase-research-power-produce-food-industry-association-fmi/

The best decisions are made when they are informed ones.We are constantly faced with questions in hydroponic and control...
08/19/2025

The best decisions are made when they are informed ones.

We are constantly faced with questions in hydroponic and controlled environment food crop production. Incorporating data into our decision-making processes allows us to feel more confident.

Learn how you can maximize yields in controlled environment food crop production by monitoring light, temperature, humidity and carbon dioxide for optimal greenhouse performance:

https://www.producegrower.com/article/greenhouse-hydroponic-production-light-temperature-carbon-dioxide-environment/

Substrates are just as important as the plants they nurture.While plant varieties may shift with market fluctuations and...
08/14/2025

Substrates are just as important as the plants they nurture.

While plant varieties may shift with market fluctuations and ease of production, it seems the highly technical substrates used by growers are more constant.

And in a survey sent to greenhouse and CEA owners and operators in May by our sister publication, Greenhouse Management magazine, the majority of respondents said they purchased standard growing media mixes from a manufacturer.

A significant percentage, though far fewer, will supplement standard mixes by blending some of their own growing media in-house. The same percentage of owners and operators who purchase custom mixes from manufacturers only blend their own growing media in-house.

Find out what drives growers regarding product purchases in the 2025 Growing Media Market Report:

https://www.producegrower.com/article/2025-growing-media-market-report-greenhouse-management-research/

Pathogens infecting potted culinary herbs have gone largely understudied in the U.S. despite an increase in demand over ...
08/12/2025

Pathogens infecting potted culinary herbs have gone largely understudied in the U.S. despite an increase in demand over the last decade.

New control strategies for greenhouse-grown herbs are advancing through the USDA-funded project CEA HERB: Controlled Environment Agriculture Herb Extension & Research Base.

Limiting mildews has been an early focus, and in partnership with the USDA The IR-4 Project, new control options have become available, with others in the pipeline.

Learn how to prevent and control basil downy mildew and powdery mildew with proven greenhouse strategies, resistant cultivars and targeted fungicide programs in our latest CEA HERB series article from Madeline Anthony and Mary Hausbeck in the Plant, Soil, & Microbial Science Department at Michigan State University / Michigan State University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources:

https://www.producegrower.com/article/sweet-basil-downy-mildew-mint-spearmint-powdery-mildew-cea-herb-research-michigan-state/

Summertime is here, and farmers markets are abuzz with produce, color and choices for consumers.As a grower, it can be c...
08/07/2025

Summertime is here, and farmers markets are abuzz with produce, color and choices for consumers.

As a grower, it can be challenging to stand out due to the number of vendors and products available to customers. Peppers, in particular, can overcrowd the summer market.

A great way to differentiate is by showcasing unique and flavorful varieties that also perform well in production.

Here, we explore a few great options from PanAmerican Seed and how they can boost your market presence:

https://www.producegrower.com/article/panamerican-seed-vegetables-peppers-fresh-market-standouts-variety-spotlight-sponsored/

Robotics typically cost more than other forms of AI, and their implementation will require careful analysis of costs and...
07/31/2025

Robotics typically cost more than other forms of AI, and their implementation will require careful analysis of costs and potential returns.

Their deployment encompasses a wide range of specialized machines designed for specific tasks, from $30,000 for autonomous pot-spacing robots up to hundreds of thousands of dollars for the most advanced harvesting and grading systems.

Discover how greenhouse automation powered by AI and advanced robotics can boost efficiency, optimize operations and keep your controlled environment agriculture business competitive in the second story in our multipart series on advanced robotics in CEA from the Resource Innovation Institute:

https://www.producegrower.com/article/ai-advanced-robotics-greenhouse-automation-controlled-environment-agriculture-cea-resource-innovation-institute/

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Produce Grower Magazine

Produce Grower is a business management and production publication for growers that specialize in growing vegetable and fruit crops in a protected environment. Produce Grower provides readers with the most relevant and up-to-date information, including topics such as pests and diseases, food safety, marketing and management, new varieties, production and others, to run their growing operation more efficiently and profitably.