Rutgers Cooperative Extension
Fall is a good time of year to evaluate the past season’s successes and failures and plan strategies for the season ahead.
Give special consideration to determining soil nutrient levels and examining weed problems and infestations. Through proper record keeping, planning, and evaluation, you can better handle some of the effects of the previous growing season. [Read more…]
Although we were not hit as hard by the drought as other states, there is some evidence of diseases coming in on some ear tips from those fields that were significantly effected by the drought and are still awaiting harvest . The Plant Management Network, publisher of the Focus on Corn webcast resource, is re-opening two webcasts through December 31, 2012: “Ear and Kernel Mold Biology and Management” by Dr. Charles Woloshuk at Purdue University and “Corn Storage” by Dr. Ken Hellevang at North Dakota State University. [Read more…]
Part 11 of Preparing Your Farm Food Safety Plan
– Meredith Melendez and Wes Kline
Part 11 of your farm food safety plan addresses your packinghouse activities. This includes transportation of the product from the field to the packinghouse, product storage once it has been delivered to the packing house, the washing/packing line, ice, worker health and hygiene and packinghouse general housekeeping. Keep in mind that not all areas of the audit will apply to your farm based on your production practices. Those areas not applicable would be marked not applicable by the auditor. Areas that do apply and that you are deficient, would result in a reduction of audit points. A minimum of 80% must be achieved in each section to pass the final audit. Conducting a mock audit is the best way to determine deficiencies and changes that will need to be made to your farm infrastructure and/or production practices.
The following statements and procedures should be considered for inclusion in your packinghouse facility section: [Read more…]
