Warm summer days have sweetened the Washington peach season, which could run through most of next month and has some area restaurants turning the fruit into desserts and pizza toppings. The state's peach growers produce around 9,000 tons of fruit annually, most of which stays in the region, James Michael of the Washington State Fruit Commission said.
Florida grower Miami Fruit is producing long-necked Pura Vida avocados that can sell for up to $47 per box. An Instagram post by the farm went viral, driving up demand for the fruit, and the company is now sold out and taking orders for next season.
Maine has an ideal climate for growing yellow field peas, a legume that's in high demand as an ingredient in a growing number of plant-based meats and other vegan products. Prices for the legumes are on the rise, and the crop is drought tolerant and adds nitrogen to the soil.
The balance between supply and fast-growing demand has challenged plant-based meat makers including Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat, both of which have raised additional funds to boost production. Plant-based chicken nugget maker Rebellyous Foods is also expanding production with plans to move into a 21,000-square-foot Seattle facility that could ultimately produce 100,000 pounds of food per month.
USDA stations in Colorado and other parts of the Southwest are testing drones and other tech tools to monitor crop conditions and soil moisture as part of an effort to make the most of scarce water resources. Seven US states count on water from the Colorado River for irrigation.
UK farmers are addressing climate change using several agricultural practices and new tech tools. Their solutions include using drones and sensors to create more precise applications of fertilizers and planting trees to curb soil erosion and trap carbon.
Spraying orange trees with the antibiotic oxytetracycline to fight citrus greening doesn't appear to be effective, researchers from the University of Florida have found. Injecting the drug directly into the trees' trunks proved more effective in killing off the bacteria.
The FDA earlier this year committed to building what it calls a Blueprint for a New Era of Smarter Food Safety. The initiative will focus on digitally tracking food through supply chains as well as prioritizing transparency through technologies like artificial intelligence and the internet of things.
Asking people why their energy or enthusiasm seems low can be enlightening and creates space to explore their feelings, writes Dan Rockwell. Be careful to observe rather than judge, which can put people on the defensive.
By setting routines and taking care of your health, you can reserve your mental energy for bigger, more important tasks, writes Wally Bock. "Conserve your energy for the big moment, like a long-distance runner saving energy for the kick at the finish," he writes.
