Organicgirl Acquires Braga Fresh and Dole Fresh
One of the biggest pieces of news out of fresh vegetable sector is that a company known for its branded organic salads made two big acquisitions. Organicgirl LLC acquired Braga Fresh and Dole Fresh Vegetables/Bud Antle (a former division of Dole plc). Organicgirl is owned by Arable Capital Partners; and while quotes in a press release expound on the combination meaning big things ahead, there are no details—including if they intend to convert more production into organic, or if the move is mainly about expanding market share in both organic and conventional produce.
Braga Fresh has both organic and conventional produce lines, while Dole has conventional produce. The co-founder of organicgirl, Mark Drever, said, “This combination unlocks exciting new potential for the organicgirl brand and presents meaningful opportunities for the dedicated teams across all three companies. With enhanced resources and scale, we are even better positioned to deliver on our promise of quality and care to consumers.”
We’ll see how it unfolds. In the meantime, you can read more
HERE.
BioSafe’s New BioPhyter
BioSafe Systems just introduced a new product called BioPhyter. An endophytic Beauveria bassiana product, it is derived from plants. BioSafe calls it "microbes with a mission," saying it minimizes abiotic and biotic stressors and offers systemic, full-plant colonization. They list faster germination, optimized plant vigor, improved nutrient distribution, and a two-year shelf life among its attributes.
BioPhyter can be applied using drip irrigation, plant dips, soil drenches, hydroponics, and foliar applications.
For more information, go
HERE.
Perennial Plant of the Year for 2026
This one just went on my wish list. The Perennial Plant Association recently announced their 2026 Perennial Plant of the Year. The ornamental grass Andropogon gerardii Blackhawks is an impressive big bluestem cultivar with a strong vertical habit, reaching 60-in. tall and 24-in. across. It starts the season dark green and develops reddish purple tips as the summer progresses. Blackhawks has eye-catching, near-black foliage in the fall.
USDA Zones 3 to 9
AHS Heat Zones 4 to 9
Upcoming Livestream: Spend a Little, Save a Lot
Weeds love to torment growers. But a new third-party study by Envu puts real numbers behind the actual costs, savings, and the sweet spot for a good return on investment when it comes to a comprehensive weed control program. (Turns out neglecting your weeds actually costs you a lot in the long run.)
Join GrowerTalks for their next free livestream to learn all about how to save time and money with pre-emergence herbicides. It's slated for Wednesday, August 27, at 1 p.m. Eastern/Noon Central.
The speaker lineup includes Janna Beckerman, Ph.D. and Steve Larson. Janna is the ornamentals technical specialist at Envu and part of their Green Services Team. Prior to Envu, she worked at Purdue University and the University of Minnesota as a professor of plant pathology and extension plant pathologist for 25 years.
Steve Larson, Greenhouse and Nursery Specialist for Envu, has worked as a grower and a technical sales rep in the turf & ornamental industry for more than 40 years. He has worked in container nursery production, greenhouse crop production, and technical sales while working for Hines Nurseries, The Scotts Company, BASF and Envu (formerly Bayer).
GrowerTalks editor-in-chief Chris Beytes will be your host and moderator for this informative session. You can count on him asking the good questions!
The Most Expensive Lawns
What’s driving the demand for drought-tolerant landscapes? One factor is the cost of watering.
Lawn Love recently ranked
the most expensive U.S. cities for watering lawns. Predictably, Arizona dominated the top spots, with 12 of the 15 priciest spots for lawn watering. California made up 51% of the top 100 cities. With tightening water resources, drought, and municipalities increasing rates, these places are really feeling the lawn-watering pinch. Conversely, cooler, wetter locales are seeing greener lawns and lower rates (Ohio, Massachusetts, New York and Michigan are faring well here).
Here are the top three most expensive places to water a lawn:
1. Buckeye, Arizona
2. Goodyear, Arizona
3. Brownsville, Texas
Report from the MT Outpost
I’m multi-tasking, swapping between newsletter writing and washing loads of linens as I prep the next-door rental cabin for its listing debut. There’s a mule deer lying in the front perennial bed amongst the catmint, rocks and yarrow, chewing her cud while my dog watches carefully from the big window.
These gardens need another year or two before they really start to shine, but count me among the growing group of consumers who want more natives and drought-tolerant options. That’s the latest topic from
this Fast Company article, which says that the nursery market can’t quite keep up with the demand for natives. Apparently, landscape designers are complaining they can’t source enough native plants. I’ve been lucky enough to find some good local sources, but they’re small businesses—not giant nurseries capable of supplying professionals.
The deer are one reason I rely so heavily on these kinds of plants, whether they are classified as native or drought tolerant—I have a good selection of perennials that can mostly co-exist with a sizable mule deer population. The arid summers here also make growing a challenge. Plus, at this cabin, with a cycle of short-term renters, I need watering and maintenance to be a low investment with eye-pleasing views.
Until next time,
Jennifer Duffield White
jwhite@ballpublishing.com
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