Archives for February 2021
Farm and Safety highlight: Livestock Safety webinar
The March 4 11:00 CST discussion will focus on Livestock Safety. UMN Extension Cattle Production Extension Educator Joe Armstrong, DVM will discuss and demonstrate proper animal handling in both confinement and pasture systems.
The Farm Safety Webinar Series is offered free of charge. Participants must pre-register.
To Register for this event, please visit:
https://umn.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_zLS5HT_ST6-MKPka-baQfw
Second notice: Pepper Weevil Management and Research Priorities
Pepper Weevil Management and Research Priorities
March 3, 2021, 1:00 – 3:00 pm
Online Zoom Meeting
Pepper growers/agribusiness professionals/extension personnel are invited to attend a virtual meeting to discuss current pepper weevil management tactics and to set research priorities.
Since 2006, at least one farm each growing season has been infested with pepper weevil. So far, timely spraying after detection has occasionally been successful in eliminating weevils. Otherwise, insecticide applications have only suppressed weevil populations. Pheromone traps are useful in detecting weevils, but often fields are infested before the weevils are trapped. What else can be done? What are the priorities in attempting to manage weevils?
Please join the discussion to help develop tactics to reduce the impact of pepper weevil.
To register please go to https://go.rutgers.edu/3bm2r3xl
The registration deadline is March 1, 2021, and you must pre-register to get the zoom link.
Food Safety for Blueberry Growers Virtual Program March 16, 2021
To register for the program, go to rutgersonfarmfoodsafety.eventbrite.com. The closing date to register is Tuesday, March 2nd
10:00-10:30 Microbial Life and Biofilms
10:30-11:00 FSMA PSR Inspection Update
11:05-11:50 Building a One-Way Street: Backflow Prevention
11:50-12:15 Cleaning and Disinfection- What have we learned from Covid-19?
Harmonized Audit Training
With a new Harmonized Audit taking affect May 1 this is your last chance to hear about the changes. The training from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm will cover each question in the Audit and discuss the changes. Closing date for the March 2nd training is Friday, February 26th. Go the RutgersOnFarmFoodSafety.Eventbrite.com to register. After the closing date each participant will receive login information.
VGANJ 2021 CORE Session: New Jersey Private Pesticide Applicators in a Virtual COVID World…
2021 NJ Ag/VGANJ Convention Virtual Educational Sessions – Wed
Please join in via the following links for Wednesday’s sessions.
Access for all morning sessions begins at 9am Wed Feb 23 here: https://go.rutgers.edu/vdh6okge with presentations beginning at 9:15am.
Like Monday and Tuesday, once you’ve logged in you will be directed to ‘breakout rooms’ for each of the morning sessions. When the Wednesday morning sessions end, please return to the main room for a ‘Tribute to New Jersey Farmers’ by Vegetable Growers Association president John Banscher beginning at noon.
All links are also available for every session at vganj.com/schedule or direct link to the agenda page here https://go.rutgers.edu/yw2aminv. NOTE that the morning sessions are all through the same link, but afternoon sessions each have a unique Zoom link that will be seen directly next to the agenda for that session.
This is the program and links for Wednesday’s sessions:
2021 NJ Ag/VGANJ Virtual Convention – Educational Sessions Agenda
Wed Feb 24, 2021 – 9:15am-11:45am
Access ALL MORNING sessions HERE
https://go.rutgers.edu/vdh6okge
Soil Health/Cover Crops
9:30-10:00am-Soil Health 101
10:00-10:30am-Soil Organisms, Their Functions & How to Increase Beneficial Microbes in the Soil
10:45-11:15am-The Great Debate – Residue Management Pros & Cons
11:15-11:45am-Cover Crop Selections for Vegetable Crop Production
Creating Value-Added Products & Services to Increase Profits
9:15-9:30am-Welcome & Intro
9:30-10:00am-Growing Beer & Agritourism at the Bullock Farm
10:00-10:30am-Snapping Turtle Farm – Direct Marketing Ideas for a Changing Consumer Landscape
10:45-11:15am-On-Farm Cold Press Juices & Other Value-Added Products on the Marchese Family Farm
11:15-11:45am-Creating Value Added Products at the Rutgers Food Innovation Center
11:45am-Bringing it All Together Roundtable
Food Safety
9:15-9:40am-Welcome & What’s New from Industry
9:40-10:10am-Produce Safety Research Update
10:10-10:40am-Navigating Food Safety in the Pick Your Own Patch
10:40-11:10am-Postharvest Priorities to Reduce Produce Safety Risks
11:10-11:40am-Audit & Inspection Updates
VGANJ Tribute to New Jersey Farmers
John Banscher, President
Join VGANJ President John Banscher in a celebration of all New Jersey’s
farmers recognizing your essential work throughout the 2020 pandemic.
please return to main session room after breakout sessions end
https://go.rutgers.edu/vdh6okge
Access AFTERNOON sessions individually
Wed Feb 24, 2021 – 1:15pm-3:45pm
Pesticide credit sessions require logging in within 10 minutes of start and remaining through the entire session
to be eligible for credits.
Small Fruit
https://go.rutgers.edu/igyafi17
1:15-1:30pm-Welcome & Intro
1:30-2:00pm-What Affects the Flavor of Strawberries & Can You Do Anything About It?
2:00-2:30pm-A Decade After Spotted-wing Drosophila Invasion in the USA: Lessons Learned
2:45-3:15pm-Double Cropping Raspberries
3:15-3:45pm-Strawberry Diseases New & Old
Creative Marketing/Agritourism
https://go.rutgers.edu/vdh6okge
1:15-1:30pm-Welcome & Intro
1:30-2:00pm-Challenges and Opportunities in Urban Farmers’ Markets
2:00-2:30pm-Utilizing Social Media for Great Customer Service
2:45-3:15pm-Expanding My Farmers Market in 2020 – Creative Marketing in Tough Times
3:15-3:45pm-Innovative Marketing Interviews with New Farmers
3:45pm- Roundtable Q&A/Adjourn
Blueberry
https://go.rutgers.edu/gjhj4ufi
1:15-1:30pm-Welcome & Intro
1:30-1:55pm- Green Drop in the Draper blueberry variety, research conclusions
1:55-2:25pm-Pest Management Highlights from 2020 – The Year in Review
2:25-2:50pm-Modern methods of blueberry virus detection
2:50-3:15pm-Update on Black Shadow Management
3:15-3:45pm- Searching for novel repellents to manage spotted-wing drosophila