Archives for February 2021

February 28, 2021

Energy Efficiency Incentives for Indoor Agriculture – Webinar

New Jersey offers a variety of statewide energy efficiency programs that are designed to offer full project development assistance from information on best practices to rebate payments and financing tools.

“Incentives for Indoor Agriculture” webinar will be presented by New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program on Thursday, March 4, 2021 from 11:00am to 12:00pmEDT. This webinar will discuss how New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program is helping the indoor agriculture industry with state funded incentives and rebates for highly energy efficient technology and money-saving solutions to maximize plant growth potential while reducing utility costs.

Registrations are accepted online by clicking here.

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) provides oversight for the NJ Clean Energy Program.

As stewards of our environment, farmers can reinforce their pledge to sustainable agriculture by using renewable energy and help reduce pollution, global warming, and our dependence on imported fuels. Installation of energy efficient equipment, adoption of energy-saving practices and renewable energy generation is a viable option for New Jersey farmers seeking to reduce their operating costs.

For additional information, please call the NJ Department of Agriculture’s Division of Agricultural and Natural Resources at (609) 292-5532 or visit their website.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Nursery, Organic Production, Turf, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , ,
February 26, 2021

Tree Fruit Growers Meeting – I (virtual)

March 9 (Tue) 9 am– 10:15 am

9 am – 9:30 am:  Peach Rootstock Performance in Recent Trials
Dr. James Schupp, Professor of Pomology, Pennsylvania State University
Dr. Schupp will update on the some of the promising new peach rootstocks from the multi-year NC 140 trials.

9:30 am – 10 am:  Updates on Tactics for Improved Weed Management in Orchards           
Dr. Thierry Besancon, Extension Specialist, Weed Science, Rutgers NJAES
For open discussion, a feed-back from fruit growers expected, such as: Any Weeds that are
troublesome? Any weeds that may be developing resistance? Any herbicides not working?

10 am – 10:15 am: Questions, Observations, and Comments on any topics

Join Zoom Meeting using the link below:

https://rutgers.zoom.us/j/95644703253?pwd=NEFBNGNvOVlWNjBLQTNvNElUWHRwQT09

Meeting ID: 956 4470 3253 and Meeting Password: 578456

For assistance contact program organizers
Hemant Gohil gohil@njaes.rutgers.edu or Megan Muehlbauer muehlbauer@njaes.rutgers.edu

Filed Under: Blueberry, Cranberry, Fruit, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Wine Grape Tagged With: , ,
February 26, 2021

Free Food Safety Webinar Series

The Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety Team will be presenting three free webinars in March from 12:00 pm to 1:00pm.  These will cover issues related to audits and the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) – Produce Safety Rule.  On March 12 we will have an “Introduction to FSMA and Audits” discussing the difference between them, if a grower needs to comply with either and what is involved.  March 19 “Backflow Prevention in the Field and Packinghouse”, types of different devices, how to maintain them and where to place them.  March 26 “On-Farm Record Keeping” for FSMA and audits including the type of records required, what needs to be on the records and now long to maintain them.  To sign up for these free webinars go to RutgersOnFarmFoodSafety.Eventbrite.com.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety, Fruit, Organic Production, Vegetable Crops
February 24, 2021

NJ WIC Senior/Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program

The NJ Dept of Health’s Women, Infants and Children program administers the Senior/Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program that provides vouchers to purchase fresh produce only through authorized on-farm and community farmers’ markets. They now serve over 80,000 NJ residents and are recruiting new Farmers and Market Managers to help them reach even more eligible customers.

If you are interested in finding out more about the program and becoming a participating market able to accept and redeem S/FMNP vouchers for yourself or on behalf of your smaller farm market vendors, please contact Jose Quann asap at the NJ Dept of Health. He can be reached at <jose.quann@doh.nj.gov>.

Please note – In order to become an Authorized Farmer or Market Manager, you will be required to attend a mandatory training program. There are only four scheduled virtual sessions between now and early March 15. If you miss the the mandatory training, there is an appeal and hearing process, but otherwise, you will not be able to participate this season.

Time is of the essence!

 

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Fruit, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , , , , ,
February 24, 2021

2021 NJ Ag/VGANJ Convention Virtual Educational Sessions – Thursday

Day 4 is here already. Thank you for participating this week. We hope this has been a useful program for you.

Please use the following links for Thursday’s sessions.

Access for all morning sessions begins at 9am Thursday Feb 25 here:  https://go.rutgers.edu/a6s5d8nq with presentations beginning at 9:15am.

All morning sessions will be in ‘breakout rooms’ accessible from the main Zoom session. Afternoon sessions will each have a unique link to allow us to track attendance better for those seeking pesticide credits.

As always, all links are also available for all sessions at vganj.com/schedule or go directly to the agenda page here https://go.rutgers.edu/yw2aminv.

NOTE that if you missed Wednesday’s wonderful Tribute to New Jersey Farmers, it is posted front and center at vganj.com/convention.

The program and links for Thursday’s sessions are:

2021 NJ Ag/VGANJ Virtual Convention – Educational Sessions Agenda

Thurs Feb 24, 2021 – 9:15am-11:45am
Access ALL MORNING sessions HERE

https://go.rutgers.edu/a6s5d8nq

Grapes I
9:15-9:30am-Welcome & Intro
9:30-10:00am-Frost Protection in the Vineyard
10:00-10:30am-Panel Discussion – New Jersey Grape Growers’ Response to Frost Events
10:30-10:45am-Preventing Herbicide Drift & Injury to Grapevines
10:45-11:15am- Wine Grape Varieties for North New Jersey
11:15-11:45am- Alternative Wine Grape Varieties to Consider

Through the Looking Glass – Future Technologies for NJ Farms
9:00-9:15am-Welcome & Intro
9:15-9:45am-Applications of Cold Plasma in Hydroponics
9:45-10:15am-Farm-IT – Cost Effective & Open-Source Management Solutions for Small Farm Operations
10:15-10:45am-Agriculture & Solar – History and Status of the Massachusetts Solar PV Dual-Use Program
10:45-11:15am- Controlled Environment Agriculture – A Tool to Understand Flavor Profiles and Consumer Demand for Baby Leafy Greens
11:15-11:45am-From the Horizon to the Far Out – Production Enhancing Ag Technologies

General Vegetables & Herbs I
9:15-9:30am-Welcome & Intro
9:30-10:00am-Bacterial Leaf Spot Populations & Copper Resistance Development in Vegetable & Tree Fruit Crops in NJ
10:00-10:30am-Understanding Bacterial Leaf Spot Populations on Tomato & Pepper
10:30-10:45am-What’s New from Industry/Break
10:45-11:15am-Update on X10R Bell Pepper Varieties in NJ
11:15-11:45am-Grafting Tomato & Peppers for Controlling Bacterial Wilt & Root Knot Nematode

Thurs Feb 25, 2021 – 12:00pm-1:00pm
Access AFTERNOON sessions individually
Pesticide credit sessions require logging in within 10 minutes of start and remaining through the entire session to be eligible for credits.

Respiratory Protection Requirements of WPS-Labeled Pesticides
https://go.rutgers.edu/idc7d8nj
(1 hour for 2 CORE credits)
Pat Hastings
Session will highlight the requirements of the federal WPS and New Jersey Worker Protection regulations covering use of respirators for pesticide applications.

 

Thurs Feb 25, 2021 – 1:00pm-3:45pm

Grapes II
https://go.rutgers.edu/9ryhlfx9
1:15-1:30pm-Welcome & Intro
1:30-2:00pm-Understanding Risk and Evaluating Growing Practices in the Face of Emerging Invasive Pathogens
2:00-2:30pm-Application of CRISPR-Gene Editing to Improve Grape Disease Resistance
2:30-2:45pm-What’s New from Industry/Break
2:45-3:15pm-Spotted Lantern Fly Update
3:15-3:45pm-Pesticide Safety and Regulation Update for 2021

Integrated Pest Management
https://go.rutgers.edu/jci205ae
1:15-1:30pm-Welcome & Intro
1:30-2:00pm-Refining Your Disease Management Program for Pumpkin and Winter Squash
2:00-2:30pm-Battling Corn Earworm in Sweet Corn
2:30-2:45pm-What’s New from Industry/Break
2:45-3:15pm-Invasive Jumping Worms – Are There Any Risks to Agriculture?
3:15-3:45pm-The Plague of Peppers – An Unexpected Tale of the Pepper Weevil in Ohio

General Vegetables & Herbs II
https://go.rutgers.edu/1ag4acby
1:15-1:30pm-Welcome & Intro
1:30-2:00pm-Understanding & Controlling Cucurbit Downy Mildew in 2021
2:00-2:30pm-Managing White Flies & Thrips in Field Vegetables
2:30-2:45pm-What’s New from Industry/Break
2:45-3:15pm-Alternaria Diseases of Brassicas-an Emerging Problem in the Mid-Atlantic
3:15-3:45pm-Pepper Anthracnose-Appetite for Destruction

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,
February 24, 2021

Tree Fruit Canker Removal and Scouting for Scale While Pruning.

Pruning fruit trees is an important horticultural practice that promotes proper tree vigor and canopy architecture for optimal fruit production. Generally the best time for dormant pruning pome fruit in the northeast is January through early March. Stone fruit, with the exception of sweet cherry, may be safely pruned as late as the delayed dormant and early bloom periods.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Tree Fruit Tagged With: , , , , , ,