Fruit and Vegetable: From the Editor, New beginnings
by Alex Barnard
It’s been illuminating to find out more about the many challenges involved in growing fruits and vegetables – from pests and diseases, to soil and water management.
Cherries Alex Barnard
March is here, which means spring is just around the corner – a time of renewal, light, and working hard to ensure the approaching growing season is a successful one.
I’m thrilled to say this is the first editorial I’m writing for Fruit & Vegetable as its editor, though the savvy amongst you will notice that I’ve been writing these for the past year. I’ve lived most of my life in southwestern Ontario, so picking strawberries and blueberries, watching crops grow and ripen, and tending to my little vegetable garden are essential parts of summer for me. Adding professional interest to personal simply means understanding more fully what growers contend with.
It’s been illuminating to find out more about the many challenges involved in growing fruits and vegetables – from pests and diseases, to soil and water management, to the effects of weather and climate, to international trade and the impacts of global trends on local farms. The past two years have been exceptionally difficult due to the pandemic’s shifting regulations and effects on markets and supply chains, too.
This article originally featured in Fruit and Vegetable Magazine. Read the full version here.
