It is that time of year again to sign up for the annual NJ Agricultural Convention, co-sponsored by the Vegetable Growers Association of New Jersey, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, and the New Jersey Department of Agriculture. Visit the VGANJ website at https://vganj.com/convention-tickets to register.
For 2025 there are new and exciting opportunities to learn about all aspects of the agricultural industry at the educational sessions and from vendors at the trade show. If you came last year, you also saw many new improvements to the convention – more vendors, more educational sessions, a complimentary lunch (limited free tickets) on Tuesday highlighting “what’s new from industry”, a complimentary hot buffet at the Tuesday happy hour/charity auction, youth programs for FFA, and co-convention events with the NJ Department of Agriculture. These offerings and more are coming for 2025. New events like Monday afternoon workshops, a livestock session, an agricultural policy session, an environmental session, and others are confirmed for this coming year. Licensed pesticide applicators will see an increase in recertification credits on the program for 2025.
To check out the educational programming and NJDEP recertification credits for pesticide applicators see https://go.rutgers.edu/ConvProgram2025 – this is a draft program. Also, note that some events need special sign-up so read the program carefully to see what events need pre-registration.
NJ State Board of Agriculture information for the convention is coming soon. Check out their website at Department of Agriculture | Conventions.
If you have any questions about the VGANJ registration, go to https://vganj.com/#contact. If you need more information about the educational programs please contact the Rutgers Co-Chairs for the convention – bamka@njaes.rutgers.edu Bill Bamka, Agricultural Agent in Burlington County, or minfante@njaes.rutgers.edu Michelle Infante-Casella, Agricultural Agent in Gloucester County.
Once leaves begin to turn yellow, brown, and drop off, you can stop supplemental watering. However, if you are in a prolonged drought, as we are currently, there are some factors to consider. For perennial crops that overwinter, severe drought can compromise their ability to store sufficient reserves, which can lead to reduced vigor and potential losses during the winter. It can be the case that during periods of drought, plants may invest more energy into developing deeper root systems; however, over a prolonged period of time, persistent stresses can hinder root development, which can negatively impact water intake and nutrient availability. Additionally, whereas hydrated soils can buffer the penetration of freezing temperatures through the soil surface, dry soils do not offer the same protection, and freezing temperatures can penetrate deeper.
