The Smith family has been farming in America since 1859. Despite all that boots-on-the-ground experience, what might have worked in the business before, even for a whole generation, doesn’t necessarily endure. “The propensity for generational business to press play then repeat is real,” said Tara Smith, CEO of Smith’s Farm Sales. “We want our anchor in history to be stabilizing but not keep us from exploring new things.” The East Coast-based grower-shipper identifies humility, gratitude and grit as key values that must be enduring. Smith said the company is always working to stay hungry to

Wegmans has launched a pilot with Instacart's Caper Carts in Syracuse, NY. This marks the first deployment of the smart carts at Wegmans. Caper Carts enable customers to track their spending and check out seamlessly. Caper Carts automatically recognize items as they are dropped into the cart and customers can bag as they shop, tapping signals from an array of Caper Cart cameras, digital scale and location sensors connected to NVIDIA Jetson hardware. Wegmans customers can log in to their Shoppers Club account on the cart’s screen in order to shop with a Caper Cart. “Caper Carts are transforming

Homegrown Organic Farms is offering a selection of Regenerative Organic Certified blueberries from Oregon this season. This certification reflects the ongoing commitment of its vertically integrated family of companies — Homegrown Organic Farms and AgriCare — to responsible farming practices, environmental stewardship and the well-being of farmworkers. This expansion builds on Homegrown’s growing portfolio of Regenerative Organic Certified fruit, which already includes organic stone fruit and fall fruit commodities. “As an employee-owned company, we take our mission seriously — to exceed

With more than 150 years of experience growing watercress and other similar crops, it is the understatement of the last century and half to call B&W Quality Growers leafy green specialist. “B&W Quality Growers has been farming responsibly since 1870, making us one of the oldest leafy greens growers in the United States — and we’re proud of that legacy,” said Marketing Manager Anna Klawitter. “What started as a single farm has grown into a national network spanning eight states.”

This spring, the American Floral Endowment announced the selection of nine students as recipients of internships through the Vic & Margaret Ball Intern Scholarship Program and the Mosmiller Intern Scholarship Program. These individuals are stepping into hands-on roles at top horticultural and floral operations across the country, gaining vital industry experience that bridges their academic studies with professional practice. The Vic & Margaret Ball Intern Scholarship Program places students at commercial greenhouses or nursery operations for periods of three, four or six months, with

A wet spring will likely force some gaps in sweet corn and other vegetables coming from New York state’s Finger Lakes region this summer and fall. Jason Turek, a partner at Turek Farms based in King Ferry, NY, said some of his fields have received almost 14 inches of rain since early May. As of the second week of June, Turek said his farmland hadn’t seen a completely dry weekend in about 30 weeks. In April, early indications pointed to nice weather conditions for Turek Farms’ sweet corn, cabbage, summer squash and other vegetables. Jason Turek is a partner in the farm’s marketing arm, Cayuga