Such machines, now in various stages of development, could become essential for harvesting delicate fruits and vegetables that are still picked by hand. With authorities promising tougher border tactics, farmers who rely on immigrant labor are eyeing an emerging generation of fruit-picking robots and high-tech tractors designed to do everything from pluck premium wine grapes to clean and core lettuce. Last year, amid heightened immigration enforcement, California's seasonal migration was...

usDiggRedditYahooMyWebGoogleWhat's this? Colder temperatures, cooler produce Local farmers begin to say farewell to summertime peaches and hello to eccentric fruits and veggies ANNA BLOOM, Of the Record staff Click photo to enlarge The Park City Farmers Market and the Park Silly Sunday Market has new produce on its stands for the new fall season. usDiggRedditYahooMyWebGoogleWhat's this? Colder temperatures, cooler produce Local farmers begin to say farewell to summertime peaches and hello...

At the farm on Argilla Road, the family manufactures the fuel from their own used donut oil and vegetable oil but also gets oil from local restaurants. The oil is mixed with methanol and lye and left to "jiggle and bubble," Russell says, in the equipment the family bought specifically to make bio-diesel fuel. It's all part of Russell Orchards' quest to conserve resources by using on-site materials as much as possible to run the farm and by producing less pollution. Now, Russell says, only...

While most Jews associate apples and bread dipped in honey with the New Year, pomegranates are considered one of the most spiritual fruits of the holiday. Called pomum granatum by the Romans, or seeded apple, the pomegranate is one of the oldest and most beloved fruits, and some believe it was the "apple" in the Garden of Eden. The first pomegranate trees in California were planted by the Spanish in 1769, and the Southland's cool winters and hot summers are the perfect conditions for the...

By Jacob Adelman, Associated Press 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 tractors to do everything from pluck premium wine grapes to clean and core lettuce. By Jacob Adelman, Associated Press 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...

I ve had more than one person come up to me at one of my apple tastings and say, I did not realize that apples had such a wide spectrum of tastes, Burford said. Consumers are becoming more discerning about apples and many are seeking out the uncommon flavors that can be sampled in roadside stands or farmers markets around rural America. There were some real jewels among them with great flavors, rich with juices and unusual aromas, said Tom Burford, an author, lecturer, orchard and nursery...