To further align our breeding programs with our key growing areas and to serve our customers better, Harris Moran is expanding its flagship Davis, California facility, its breeding programs in Salinas, and creating a year-round breeding
station in southwestern Florida.

"It's research by design," said Jeff McElroy, vice-president of research, who's spearheading the five-year expansion program. "These projects bring our breeding programs closer to our markets. For example, our Florida presence will mean new products for the southeast. It also will allow selection of germplasm across those subtropical markets that constitute our future, such as Central America and South America."

To bolster our presence in the burgeoning southeast vegetable market, Harris Moran's new Florida station will feature breeding programs for all crops except lettuce and carrots. The recently chosen 6.5-acre site near Immokolee will give
Harris Moran year-round breeding capabilities.

"We're negotiating the lease on the land now. Expect the breeding station to be up-and-running within two years," said McElroy.

In Davis, construction continues on Harris Moran's main research facility. The headhouse and lab are complete. Construction on the breeder greenhouses and office building will begin this year, said McElroy. With its 35 researchers, Davis is the central research and development center for hot arid climates.

As for Salinas, the consolidation of the recently sold San Juan Bautista facility is done. The only thing left to complete is finding a breeding site for lettuce and broccoli. The search is on for land in the Salinas area. "Once established, it will put us in the heart of the business: Salinas, Yuma, and Huron," said McElroy.

The five-year, $5 million research projects may seem like an increase in research spending, he said. But it's the same annual budgeted dollars.

"It's a $5 million investment in innovation," he said. "These changes to our R&D are meant to speed, improve, and streamline Harris Moran's research efforts. The goal is better products faster, which means better service to our customers.

Harris Moran is part of the largest independently owned seed company in the world. It is owned by Groupe Limagrain, a cooperative owned, run, and operated by farmers.

Harris Moran breeds innovative vegetable varieties designed to boost yield, reduce chemical inputs, and increase freshness, flavor and fruit quality from plow to plate. The Modesto, CA-company breeds vegetables for markets in more than 65 countries.

Harris Moran's Michigan trials answer local grower needs
(18 October 2002)

Harris Moran Seed Company recently premiered its newest disease-resistant vegetable varieties at field trials in Michigan, including Ambra, a fresh market snap bean that's outpaced the competition in yield, earliness, and field holding ability.

For two days at Benton Harbor, the fruits of Harris Moran research efforts were on display as 75 people inspected an array of vegetables across many species. Customers from the U.S. and Canada poked, smelled, and tasted fresh market beans, squash, corn, bell pepper, cucumber, and tomatoes -- up-close-and-personal.

"The number of species illustrates the depth and progress of our product development and overall research effort for this area," said Bob Hamilton, Harris Moran's sales representative for the Midwest. "Local grower needs are our priority. These new varieties are tested in their own backyards, under local conditions. The result is usually a good match."

Staged at the Michigan State University Research Station, the annual trial featured 120 varieties, including 45 experimental, close-to-commercial varieties.

Generating attention was Ambra, formerly HMX 0104, a fresh market snap bean. In trial after trial, Ambra has bested the competition, providing good yields and excellent quality. This consistent performer grows straight, smooth pods, the kind the market demands.

In the corn rows, Shooting Star (HMX 8343) and Polaris (HMX 8344), drew the most attention. An SH2 bi-color main season, Polaris has it all including moderate resistance to rust, MDMV, Stewart's Wilt and moderate susceptibility to SMUT and NLB. Along with a strong disease package, its bright kernel color contrasts with its good husk cover. It has good fill, good shipping, and is very sweet ? good eating quality.

Shooting Star, also an SH2, main, is performing well in the bicolor shipper market, all the way from Southern Florida to New York and Michigan. It features good rowing and kernel color with an attractive husk. It's an easy hand pick and an excellent shipper. It has multiple resistance to Rust, NLB, MDMV, and Stewart's Wilt.

In bell peppers, Conquest, a blocky bell green-to-red, has consistently yielded among the tops in trials with the leading commercial varieties for high quality marketable fruit. It's resistant to TMV, PMMV, PVY, and PEMV, and tolerant to CMV.

Patriot, (HMX 0640) another green-to-red blocky bell, is an early maturing pepper with a concentrated fruit set. This high-yielder develops blocky, thick walls. It's resistant to BLS 1,2,3,5, and PVY.

In slicer cucumbers, Stonewall (HMX 8416) stood out. It has out-performed the competition in: the highest number of No. 1 fancy fruit, fruit quality, fruit shape, size, and storage ability.

In nearby squash rows, visitors inspected Lioness (HMX 0709), a yellow, green-stemmed straightneck with tolerance to the main four viruses that affect squash production areas.

Another innovative solution from Harris Moran came in the form of HMX 0800, a new choice for tomato growers in TSWV-plagued areas. It combines an armor-like disease package along with high fruit quality and high yields.

In summing up the trials, Ian Jenkins, Harris Moran's product development representative, said "We're not just breeding vegetables, we're breeding solutions for growers. This latest crop of new varieties is a testament to our commitment here."

Harris Moran is part of the largest independently owned seed company in the world. It is owned by Groupe Limagrain, a cooperative owned, run, and operated by farmers.

Harris Moran breeds innovative vegetable varieties designed to boost yield, reduce chemical inputs, and increase freshness, flavor and fruit quality from plow to plate. The Modesto, CA-company breeds vegetables for markets in more than 65 countries.

Four veteran seedsmen join Harris Moran
(17 October 2002)

Harris Moran Seed Company, part of the largest independently held seed company in the world, announces four new additions to its worldwide sales team.

David Drews comes to Harris Moran as western regional sales manager. A graduate of Texas A & M with a Master's Degree in Horticultural Science, Drews has 18 years experience in sales, product development, and marketing in the south central U.S. and northeast Mexico. He will be based in McAllen, Texas.

On the other side of the country, Greg Davis joins Harris Moran as sales representative in the south, covering north Florida, south Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. A graduate of the University of Florida, Davis grew up on a family farm in north Florida, and has been very active in the southeastern agricultural industry. He will be based in the Gainesville area.

Joining Harris Moran's international sales corps is Amjad Elayan, new regional sales manager for the Middle East. A graduate of the University of Jordan with a Master's Degree in Agricultural Sciences, Elayan will be based in Amman, Jordan. His 10 years of experience includes three years in horticultural production across the Middle East.

Further north in Europe, Frederic Savin, will serve as regional sales manager for Europe. Savin, a graduate of the University of Paris with a Master's Degree in Genetics and Plant Breeding, has worked in the seed industry for 15 years, most recently with Harris Moran's sister company Vilmorin, where he was the director of marketing. He will be based in Les Ponts de Ce, near Angers, France.

Matthew Johnston, Harris Moran's vice president of marketing and sales, said of the quartet: "David's broad experience and knowledge in the southwest, Greg's background and success in the southern U.S., Amjad's intimate grasp of the Middle East, and Frederic's experiences in Europe will translate into our continued success in these four vastly different markets."

Harris Moran is part of the largest independently owned seed company in the world. It is owned by Groupe Limagrain, a cooperative owned, run, and operated by farmers.

Harris Moran breeds innovative vegetable varieties designed to boost yield, reduce chemical inputs, and increase freshness, flavor and fruit quality from plow to plate. The Modesto, CA-company breeds vegetables for markets in more than 65 countries.

Harris Moran appoints Garden Trends home garden distributor
(25 June 2002)

Harris Moran Seed Company, the largest independently owned vegetable seed company in the world, has chosen Garden Trends as the exclusive distributor for Harris Moran’s home garden business.

Matthew Johnston, vice president of marketing and sales for Harris Moran, said New York-based Garden Trends has a successful history with Harris Moran and is the perfect company to handle its wholesale seed business -- moving top vegetable varieties to the home garden packet seed sector.

"Our focus has and always will be the professional vegetable grower. Our innovative breeding programs and our company makeup are designed with the farmer in mind," said Johnston. "However many of our proven winning varieties such as Merlin and Howden Biggie pumpkins have found a home in America's backyards. This partnership with Garden Trends will ensure these and other varieties will also be available to the home gardener and the hobbyist with the Green Thumb."

Harris Moran is part of the largest independently owned seed company in the world. It is owned by Groupe Limagrain, a cooperative owned, run, and operated by farmers.

Harris Moran breeds innovative vegetable varieties designed to boost yield, reduce chemical inputs, and increase freshness, flavor and fruit quality from plow to plate. The Modesto, CA-company breeds vegetables for markets in more than 65 countries.

Tarka recently hired on as Chief Financial Officer of Harris Moran, which is owned by Groupe Limagrain, the largest independently owned seed company in the world.

"I've always had an attraction to agriculture," said Tarka. "I grew up on a farm in Pennsylvania and worked on surrounding farms. I still enjoy growing things, and see this position at HM as a way to blend my business experience with my personal interests, and to broaden my exposure to the science of seeds."

Before coming to Harris Moran, Tarka held various financial management positions in the ag chemical business. He is a graduate of West Virginia University with a Bachelors and Masters degree.

Harris Moran is part of the largest independently owned seed company in the world. It is owned by Groupe Limagrain, a cooperative owned, run, and operated by farmers.

Harris Moran breeds innovative vegetable varieties designed to boost yield, reduce chemical inputs, and increase freshness, flavor and fruit quality from plow to plate. The Modesto, CA-company breeds vegetables for markets in more than 65 countries.

Harris Moran's seedless watermelon Millionaire rules in Florida trials
(2 February 2002)

Harris Moran is part of the largest independently owned seed company in the world. It is owned by Groupe Limagrain, a cooperative owned, run, and operated by farmers.

Harris Moran breeds innovative vegetable varieties designed to boost yield, reduce chemical inputs, and increase freshness, flavor and fruit quality from plow to plate. The Modesto, CA-company breeds vegetables for markets in more than 65 countries.

Harris Moran vegetables best competitors in Ohio trials
(14 January 2002)

Harris Moran pumpkins and green peppers fared well in recent university trials, finishing at the top in yield performance.

In research conducted by Ohio State University, Karma, an HM bell pepper, out-yielded all comers in first-harvest pick.

Totaling 201 boxes at first harvest, Karma continued its winning ways by coming in first in the "total of three harvests" category, with 1244 boxes. About 70% of the total harvest graded XL, L, M, and S; with about 40% at XL and L, according to research data.

Another Harris Moran bell pepper, Conquest, finished second at 1167 total boxes for three harvests. About 75% of the fruit graded XL, L, M, and S; with 38% ranking as XL and L. Conquest is highly tolerant to Phytophthora Capcisi and resistant to a formidable array of viruses.

"What we're seeing is performance in yield, size, and disease resistance," said Jana Middleton, HM's product manager for bell peppers and pumpkins. "Our breeders are concentrating on those two attributes and it's showing. And there's more in the pipeline."

The pumpkin trial was equally impressive.

HMX 6689, an experimental variety with a dark orange color, nice handles, and powdery mildew tolerance, and Magic Lantern, the industry's choice, nearly topped the yield charts. HMX 6689 counted 18.7 tons and acre; and Magic Lantern totaled 18.5 tons an acre.

Fruit size for HMX 6689 averaged 22 pounds, while fruit weight for Magic Lantern 17 pounds.

Another good showing came from Sorcerer, another HM pumpkin. It averaged 16.1 tons an acre; and 17 pounds per pumpkin.

"When people think of pumpkins they think of Harris Moran," said Middleton. "Yield, quality, and disease resistance continue to set our products apart from the competition. We're continuing to strengthen our product line."

Trials were conducted by the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, Plant Pathology, Entomology, The Enterprise Center at Hillsboro, The Ohio State University, Columbus.

Harris Moran is part of the largest independently owned seed company in the world. It is owned by Groupe Limagrain, a cooperative owned, run, and operated by farmers.

Harris Moran breeds innovative vegetable varieties designed to boost yield, reduce chemical inputs, and increase freshness, flavor and fruit quality from plow to plate. The Modesto, CA-company breeds vegetables for markets in more than 65 countries.