Lane's trees are usually loaded with apples this time of year, but the sparse crop is a result a series of hard spring freezes. Typically, September is the time when apple picking begins, but local growers said an unseasonable cold snap in April has destroyed most local crops. Some farmers, including Lane, have their fruit crops covered by insurance but there will still be additional costs for many of them. Those hoping to enjoy some locally grown apples this year may be out of luck. Other...

It was about this time last year that a sudden rush of telephone calls urged me to go to "Plum Day" - an event promoting local fruit at an orchard in the Cambridgeshire Fens. The ones that remain have shrunk and switched from growing fresh fruit for sale to growing apples for apple juice and cider. The average supermarket has a few tired, under-ripe and oversized Victorias and the rest are enormous, tasteless apologies for plums imported from Italy and South America. Consequently, plum...

Monday, September 10, 2007 C-130 ferries Sulu farm produce to metropolis markets By Bong Garcia AIMED at bringing livelihood to the people in the remote areas, the National Government is sending on Monday to Jolo, Sulu the Air Force s C-130 cargo plane to fetch products of farmers and bring these to big markets in the metropolis. Monday, September 10, 2007 C-130 ferries Sulu farm produce to metropolis markets By Bong Garcia AIMED at bringing livelihood to the people in the remote areas,...

The orchard has had a good year for apples. The apple promotion board urges people to buy apples from local Maryland orchards or look for fruit bearing the Maryland With Pride logo at the supermarket. The health benefits of apples and apple products were first recorded as early as medieval times, giving rise to the old saying, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away. She attributes the attraction to the orchard's 15-apple variety, preserves, jams, honey, maple syrup, salad dressings and...

The story of the English apple is one of patriotism, dysfunction and cheap jam Ian Jack Saturday September 8, 2007 The Guardian The season of the English apple is approaching, the season when apple-eaters wonder why there aren't more of them in the shops, contesting the dominance of fruit from North America, Chile, Europe, South Africa, New Zealand and China. The story of the English apple is one of patriotism, dysfunction and cheap jam Ian Jack Saturday September 8, 2007 The Guardian The...

Such machines, now in various stages of development, could become essential for harvesting delicate fruits and vegetables that are still picked by hand. Last year, amid heightened immigration enforcement, California's seasonal migration was marked by spot worker shortages, and some fruit was left to rot in the fields. LOS ANGELES With authorities promising tighter borders, some farmers who rely on immigrant labor are eyeing an emerging generation of fruit-picking robots and high-tech...