July 2019 - 1

'Lost,' antique apples of
the West examined
Storage Control's
SafePod manages CA
performance
8
14
20
Algal stem blotch a
significant disease in
Florida
July 2019 | Volume 58 |
Issue 7
SMART
TECHNOLOGY
By Melanie Epp
FGN Correspondent
In the agriculture world, we're used
to seeing all sorts of food processing
innovative technology come to market.
Earlier in the value chain, the farmers
who grow the food you process are also
reaping the benefits of automation and
robotics. Here are just some of the many
innovations that are changing the face of
agricultural production.
Farmers face a slew of challenges
throughout the growing season,
including inclement weather, short
growing seasons and labor shortages.
Robotics and autonomous solutions
could help farmers address some of
those challenges.
Case IH, for example, launched its
Cutting corners
key focus of ag
advancements
SeedMaster's autonomous DOT unit helps growers save on costs and reduces overall CO2 emissions. Photo: DOT
PATS' small drones, top and bottom, are
currently being used indoors on flowers, but will
soon find their way to agricultural fields to help
increase productivity. Middle, AGCO's Xaver,
launched in 2017, is a robotic unit that plants
corn in swarms. Photos: Melanie Epp
first autonomous
tractor at the
Farm Progress
Show in Iowa
in 2016. Using a
tablet, farmers
can operate and
monitor the tractor from the side of the
field while it moves along a pre-mapped
route using GPS coordinates.
High-Tech Tools
2019
Case IH has been testing the concept
in North America. The company believes
the autonomous tractor could free
farmers up for more important tasks, as
the tractor can be programmed to work
longer hours than human operators can.
While the advent of autonomous
vehicles certainly raises questions,
See SMART, page 5
Survey: U-pick blackberries take top
dollar for farm market operators
By Stephen Kloosterman
Associate Editor
Pick your price.
Farm marketers across the country
this spring again participated in a
Fruit Growers News survey of what
they charge for commodities and
food items.
More than 180 marketers from 34
states voted multiple-choice-style,
picking the price in the survey that was
closest to the price at their market.
For an example of how this works,
look at blackberries.
Forty-three percent of marketers chose
$7 per pound, the highest price reported
by participants last year for that category
(39% voted for $4.50, the middle price).
Blackberries must be selling well - there
were only the few items in the survey
where the high price got the most votes.
Search through the chart on Page 7
to compare notes with your colleagues
across the country.
The product, the process and the
region's clientele all play a role in
pricing. An organic, pick-your-own
SweeTango apple will sell for more
in the suburbs of New York City
than a bagged Granny Smith will in
Wenatchee, Washington. That's why,
this year, again FGN asked people how
they went about picking their prices.
Making markup
For most farm market managers,
See MARKETS, page 6

July 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July 2019