South Jersey Integrated Vegetable Crop Management Meeting April 7, 2022

Integrated Vegetable Crop Management Twilight Meeting

NOTE – change of date from earlier announcements

THURSDAY, April 7, 2022

6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

East Vineland Fire Hall

4931 Landis Ave., Vineland, NJ

across from the Savoy Restaurant

(please park behind the building and enter conference room door in rear)

6:30 pm    Tools for Pesticide Safety & Regulatory Compliance for Growers & Pesticide Handlers

  • Pat Hastings, RCE Pesticide Education Program Coordinator

7:00 pm    Understanding the New FSMA Water Rule

  • Wes Kline, RCE Cumberland

7:20 pm    Cover-crops for Fertility Management

  • Michelle Infante-Casella, RCE Gloucester

7:40 pm    Cover-crops and Other Weed Management Strategies for Plasticulture Crops

  • Thierry Besancon, RCE Specialty Crop Weed Specialist

8:10 pm    Disease Control Options for Spring Vegetable Crops

  • Andy Wyenandt, RCE Vegetable Plant Pathologist

8:40 pm    Pepper Weevil & Early Season Diamond Back Moth Management Options

  • Joe Mahar, Vegetable IPM Coordinator

9:10 pm    COVID-19 and New Roles for Extension Going Forward

  • Rick VanVranken, RCE Atlantic

9:30 pm    Adjourn

Pesticide Recertification Credits 

PP2 (PRIVATE APPLICATOR CATEGORY)     04
CORE (BASIC SAFETY & HANDLING)          01
1A (AGRICULTURAL PLANT)                       04
10 (DEMONSTRATION & RESEARCH)         03

Hope to see you there!

Sincerely,

Richard VanVranken, Agricultural Agent, Atlantic County

Wesley L. Kline, Agricultural Agent, Cumberland County

Michelle Infante-Casella, Agricultural Agent, Gloucester County

RCE Seeks Input Regarding COVID-19 Resources For 2022 Season

Rutgers Cooperative Extension’s EXCITE team is requesting NJ farmers input via a short five-minute survey about COVID-19-related resources for the upcoming growing season.  

Please click here to go to the survey: https:/go.rutgers.edu/mcgr9pzt 

This survey is totally anonymous, you do not have to answer any questions you do not want to, and you can stop at any time.  

After taking the survey, please take a minute to forward this post to other NJ farmers who may not see this message. You can copy the link or just forward this message.  

Thank you. 

2022 NJ Ag Convention & Trade Show Update – Pesticide Credits Posted

The final program agenda for the educational sessions of the 2022 NJ Ag Convention & Trade Show with assigned pesticide re-certification credits has been posted at the Vegetable Growers Association of NJ website:  vganj.com on the ‘Schedule’ tab. Pesticide credits will only be issued to those attending and signing the roster in the educational sessions in Atlantic City. There are no options for viewing presentations online.

There has been some confusion about COVID-19 protocols for attending. The NJ Department of Agriculture/State Board of Agriculture sessions and meal functions (luncheons and banquet) will have strict masking and pre-testing requirements to enter those rooms per memo from Secretary of Agriculture Doug Fisher earlier this week. There will be some on-site testing opportunities available in case you are unable to be tested before getting to Atlantic City.

However, these mandates are not requirements, though highly recommended, for attending the educational sessions or the trade show portions of this event. There will be some masks available throughout the conference venue.

Hope to see you there!

On-line Ordering of Free COVID-19 At-Home Test Kits Now Open

Per the National Association of Community Health Workers <https://nachw.org/>,

“The COVID-19 pandemic shows no signs of slowing down, especially given the rise of the Omicron variant. … It is more important than ever … to have the necessary tools to safeguard … against the disease. As a result, NACHW [is] be supporting the Biden-Harris Administration’s rapid test distribution [program] … to equitably distribut[e] over 500 million tests, with the end goal of the initiative being the proliferation of testing and vaccine resources to our hardest-hit and highest-risk communities.

Ordering for free at-home COVID-19 tests is now open. When you click on the order link below, you will be asked for your zip code. Ordering today will be available to zip codes with the highest vulnerability to COVID-19. Starting this Wednesday (January 19), ordering for free at-home COVID-19 tests through this program will be open to everyone. There is a limit of 4 tests per household address and kits will be shipped by the end of January via the US Postal Service.

Use this link to order – https://nachw.org/covidtests/

 

Your Input Needed on Vegetable Insect Pest Management

Dear vegetable producer,

Joe Ingerson-Mahar and I are collaborating with researchers at Purdue University and The College of Wooster and are asking you to participate in a study titled “Insect Pest Management in Vegetable Crops Survey” (Purdue IRB protocol no. 2021-979). The purpose of this study is to gather information on insect pest management practices and strategies used by vegetable producers in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic regions. The information provided will help direct pest management research and extension programs in specialty crop production.

You must be at least 18 years of age to participate. The survey will take approximately 20-25 minutes to complete. The survey is anonymous and the researchers have pledged to keep your data confidential. Only aggregated results will be reported in any publications or presentations about the study.

In appreciation of your participation in the survey, you can choose to enter a raffle for a hardcopy of one of two complimentary production guides:  the Midwest Vegetable Production Guide for Commercial Growers ($21 value), or the Mid-Atlantic Commercial Vegetable Production Guide ($25 value). Instructions for entering the raffle will be given at the end of the survey.

To begin the online survey, click this link.

Participation in this study is voluntary and you may withdraw from participation at any time. If you have any questions, you may contact the researchers:

Dr. Carlo Moreno (First point of contact)
The College of Wooster
931 College Mall, Wooster, OH, 44691
Phone: 330-287-1982
Email: cmoreno@wooster.edu

Dr. Elizabeth Long
Purdue University
901 W. State Street, Lafayette, IN 47907
Phone: 765-496-1918
Email: long132@purdue.edu

Upcoming Webinar Spotlights Agriculture in Region

Regional news of note:  The Philadelphia Society of Agriculture is hosting a webinar on Thursday, January 6, 2022 at 1:00 pm with the Secretaries of Agriculture from PA, NJ, DE, and MD who will share their reflections on 2021 and their hopes and plans for agriculture in their state in 2022.

“A Visit with the Secretaries of Agriculture for the Region”

COVID has changed the agriculture and food industry in many ways. The leadership of the state departments of agriculture has been critical in filling the gaps that have arisen while, at the same time, carrying on their continuing mission of safety in the industry. Each state is different given the mix of agriculture in each. The Secretaries will address the differences and similarities in agriculture in the four states.

  • There is no registration fee but pre-registration is required by contacting pspaonline@gmail.com with the name(s) of the people attending, their affiliations, and emails. You will receive a Zoom link in return.
  • Contact Scott Sheely at pspaonline@gmail.com with any questions.  Registrations end by COB on Wednesday, January 5, 2022.