Archives for November 2020

November 4, 2020

Statewide Wine Grape Twilight – III

The Wine Grape Twilight –III meeting is scheduled at 6 – 7 PM on Nov 10 (Tue). There is no registration requirement for this meeting. Please use the Webex link below for attending the meeting.

https://rutgers.webex.com/rutgers/j.php?MTID=m7a85d84aabb245de7dd9a70b05891f76

Topics

 Who Gets to Say When the Epidemic is Over?

Peter Oudemans, Professor, Small Fruit Pathology, Rutgers NJAES

Fall Weed Management Strategies for Vineyard

Thierry Besancon, Extension Specialist, Weed Science, Rutgers NJAES

Discussions on Questions and Observations

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Blueberry, Cranberry, Fruit, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Wine Grape Tagged With: , ,
November 2, 2020

NJ PPE Access Program For NJ Businesses

On the New Jersey COVID-19 Information Hub, there is news that NJ Businesses can receive discounts to purchase PPE from approved retailers. There is a 10% discount on PPE products for all businesses, and qualified small businesses may receive an additional 25% discount. If you are planning your PPE purchases for the winter or next season, this may be an opportunity to save some money in the process. The site links to participating vendors, has tools to determine if you qualify for additional discounts and estimating your PPE needs, as well as letting you sign up for notifications of future discount programs.

If you have questions about the program, you can ask them at SmallBusinessPPE@njeda.com.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , , , ,
November 2, 2020

Univ California Survey on Uses of Specialty Asian Produce

Ruth Dahlquist-Willard, Ph.D., Small Farms and Specialty Crops Farm Advisor with the University of California Cooperative Extension in Fresno and Tularie Counties is conducting a national survey of growers and consumers of specialty Asian produce.

The purpose is to identify which types of specialty Asian produce are almost always cooked before eating, so that Southeast Asian and other small-scale farmers can receive exemptions from federal food safety regulations for low-risk crops. She would appreciate your help by both taking the survey and also sharing it widely with consumers of these crops, so she can gather data to provide to the FDA on whether they are eaten cooked or raw.

Click here to take the survey and enter to win a $50 gift card

Food safety regulations have exemptions for produce that is usually cooked instead of eaten raw, because the risk to consumers from human pathogens is much lower. Crops like potatoes, pumpkins, or lima beans that are almost always cooked before eating have a much lower risk than leafy greens such as lettuce and spinach that are frequently eaten raw.

The FDA’s current list of “rarely consumed raw” produce does not include many types of produce that are culturally important to diverse communities of consumers across the US, because the FDA does not have data on how they are eaten. Because these crops are not on the list, small-scale farmers growing specialty produce cannot receive the exemptions that mainstream crops do, even if their crops are never eaten raw.

We now have an opportunity to submit data to the FDA on additional crops that usually are cooked, pickled, or fermented to kill any disease organisms before eating. Data will be shared with the FDA to recommend additional culturally important crops to be added to the “rarely consumed raw” list, so that these crops can receive the same exemptions as mainstream “rarely consumed raw” crops under the federal Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

Please help us contribute to making federal food safety regulations more inclusive of diverse communities of farmers and consumers. Click here or on the link above to take the 15-minute survey, and please share widely with any individuals or organizations who might be interested.

As a thank you for completing the survey, respondents can enter a drawing to receive one of ten $50 gift cards.

Thank you for helping to support. This effort will help diversified farmers here in NJ as well!

If you have questions about the survey, you may contact Dr. Dahlquist-Willard at:

Ruth Dahlquist-Willard, Ph.D.
Small Farms and Specialty Crops Farm Advisor
University of California Cooperative Extension, Fresno and Tulare Counties
Voicemail: 559-241-7513 (working remotely)

http://smallfarmsfresno.ucanr.edu/

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety, Fruit, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
November 2, 2020

Governor Murphy’s Executive Order No. 192

Governor Murphy issued Executive Order (EO) No. 192 on October 28 which goes into effect November 5, 2020.  Note:  This does not only apply to agriculture, but all employers and employees.  This EO reenforces what has been in several EO over the year.  The main points follow:

  1. Requires that individuals at a worksite maintain at least six feet of distance from one another to the maximum extent possible. If the distance can not be maintained employees must wear masks provided by the employer and install physical barriers between each workstation wherever possible.
  2. Requires employees, customers, visitors, and other individuals entering the worksite to wear cloth or disposable face masks while on the premises. The employer may be required to provide a customer or visitor who declines to wear a mask due to a disability services or goods via a reasonable accommodation unless the accommodation would pose an undue hardship on the employer’s operation.  However, the employer or employee can not ask the individual for medical documentation.
  3. Employers must make available, at their expense, face masks for their employees
  4. Employers may deny entry to the worksite to any employee who declines to wear a face mask. If an employee states, they cannot wear a face mask for medical reasons the employer can require the employee to produce medical documentation.
  5. The employer must provide sanitization materials such as alcohol (at least 60%) hand sanitizers and wipes to employees, customers, and visitors at no cost to those individuals.
  6. Employers may require employees to wear gloves if so, the employer must provide the gloves.
  7. There must be a routine cleaning and disinfect program for high-touch areas in accordance with NJDOH and CDC guidelines.
  8. Prior to beginning to work there must be daily health checks of employees. This can be temperature screenings (temperature below 100.4 F), visual symptoms checking, self-assessment checklists and/or health questionnaires consistent with CDC guidance and confidentiality requirements.
  9. Immediately separate and send home employees who appear to have symptoms and promptly notify all employees of any known exposure, consistent with ADA confidentiality requirements.
  10. Clean and disinfect the worksite in accordance with CDC guidelines when an employee at the site has been diagnosed with COVID-19.
  11. The Commissioner of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOLWD) has setup a complaint system process.
  12. The DOLWD is to provide compliance and safety training for employers and employees plus informational materials.
Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops
November 1, 2020

Livestock Risk Management Webinar November 12, 2020 at 2 pm

The national Extension Risk Management Education Program and the United States Department of Agriculture are collaborating to deliver a webinar for agricultural producers and professionals focused on livestock risk management. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock Tagged With: ,