August 29, 2025 , , and

Food Safety Training Season Starting

Fall and winter are the prime time for food safety training.  We will be starting in October with basic hands-on training for anyone starting to farm or wanting a basic refresher.  That is followed by a two day online Produce Rule Training.  This training is required for most fresh fruit and vegetable growers before the New Jersey Department of Agriculture inspects the operation.  See the details below on dates and how to register.

 October

Hands-on Produce Safety Workshop: Wednesday, October 8 from 10 am-2 pm EST.

This hands-on produce safety class in Cream Ridge, NJ is for farm owners, farm employees, farm managers, and those thinking about starting a farm. The class is focused on the various actions that can be part of a strong produce safety plan whether you have one or are just getting started. These activities include building a DIY hand-washing station, assessing wildlife risks in the field and developing an action plan, an interactive cleaning and sanitizing demonstration, and more.

December

Two-day online Food Safety Modernization Act: Produce Safety Rule Training: December 9 – 10.

You’ll need to attend both days to receive a certificate, and you must always have a camera on during the training according to the Produce Safety Alliance Online Training Policies.

The PSA Grower Training Course is one way to satisfy the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirement outlined in § 112.22(c) that requires ‘At least one supervisor or responsible party for your farm must have successfully completed food safety training at least equivalent to that received under a standardized curriculum recognized as adequate by the Food and Drug Administration.’

For more information on any of these classes or to sign up go to: Our Trainings – Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety (onfarmfoodsafety.rutgers.edu)

 

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety, Fruit, vegetable, Vegetable Crops
August 26, 2025

Spanish Course for Ag Workforce – Registration Open

People shaking hands in a field with the sun setting behind themThe Rutgers Office of Continuing Professional Education will host a course on ‘Spanish for Ag and Horticulture Workforce’ from January 16-March 6, 2026. This is an online, self-paced course with approximately 21 hours of course content designed to help participants study conversational Spanish and gain technical vocabulary specific to those in the agriculture and horticulture workforce.

There is a registration fee of $825 per person. Register by January 9, 2026 for the early bird registration rate of $795.

For more information and to register, visit https://cpe.rutgers.edu/spanish-for-ag-and-horticulture-workforce.

Filed Under: Blueberry, Christmas Trees, Commercial Ag Updates, Cranberry, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Nursery, Organic Production, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Turf, vegetable, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape Tagged With:
August 21, 2025

Fall Vegetable Twilight Meeting

Fall Vegetable Twilight Meeting  (REGISTRATION REQUIRED)

Norz Hill Farm & Market, LLC., 120 S Branch Rd, Hillsborough Township, NJ 08844 

Thursday, September 18, 2025 from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm 

AGENDA  

4:00 pm – 4:15 pm Welcome, load wagons, wagon ride to field  

 4:15 pm – 4:45 pm  Drone Seeding Winter Cover Crops into Pumpkin  

Peter Nitzsche, Agricultural Agent , Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Morris County  

 4:45 pm – 5:15 pm  Small Farm Robotic Equipment for Weed Control in Vegetable Production  

Thierry Besançon, Extension Specialist – Weed Science for Specialty Crops , Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station  

5:15 pm – 5:45 pm  Vegetable IPM Program Update  

Amanda Quadrel, Sr. Program Coordinator – Vegetable IPM, Rutgers Cooperative Extension  

5:45 pm – 6:15 pm  Update On Important Diseases in Vegetable Production  

Andy Wyenandt, Extension Specialist – Vegetable Pathology , Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station  

6:15 pm – 6:20 pm  Wagon ride to tent  

6:20 pm – 6:30 pm Meal provided by Vegetable Growers Association of New Jersey  

6:30 pm – 7:00 pm  Worker Protection Standard: Checklist for Compliance  

Kate Brown, Agricultural Agent , Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Somerset County  

 

MEETING CO- SPONSORED BY THE VEGETABLE GROWERS ASSOCIATION OF NEW JERSEY

CORE, 1A, AND PP2 Pesticide Recertification Credits have been requested from NJDEP for this meeting – TBD.

TO REGISTER: Complete this registration form or call the RCE Somerset County office at 908-526-6293 ext. 4. 

Questions? Email Kate Brown, Agricultural Agent with RCE Somerset County, at kbrown@njaes.rutgers.edu.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Organic Production, pesticide credits, vegetable, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , ,
August 15, 2025 , , and

Don’t Forget Financial Assistance for Food Safety Certification and Training Available

This is the chance for eligible fresh fruit and vegetable growers to recover some of their expenses for implementing food safety practices on their farms.

For 2025:

  • Application is due between January 1, 2025 and January 1, 2026
  • Eligible expenses must be between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025

Eligible specialty crop operations can apply for Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops (FSCSC) by working directly with the Farm Service Agency offices at your local FSA office for details. Applications will be accepted via mail, fax, hand delivery, or electronic means.

How the Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops Program Works

The FSCSC program provides financial assistance for specialty crop operations that incur eligible on-farm food safety program expenses related to obtaining or renewing a food safety certification in 2025. This program helps offset costs to comply with regulatory requirements and market-driven food safety certification requirements.  FSCSC will cover a percentage of the specialty crop operation’s cost of obtaining or renewing their certification, as well as a percentage of their related expenses.

Program Eligibility

Eligibility requirements for FSCSC applicants are outlined below. We recommend you review these requirements before initiating your FSCSC application.

To be eligible for FSCSC, an applicant must:

  • Have obtained or renewed: 2025 food safety certification issued during the calendar year.
  • Be a specialty crop operation (growing fresh fruits and vegetables); and meet the definition of a small business or medium size business.
  • A small (farm) business means an applicant that had an average annual monetary value of specialty crops the applicant sold during the 3-year period preceding the program year of not more than $500,000.
  • A medium (farm) business means an applicant that had an average annual monetary value of specialty crops the applicant sold during the 3-year period preceding the program year of at least $500,001 but no more than $1,000,000.
Category of Eligible Expenses Payment Amount of Eligible Costs
Developing a Food Safety Plan for First Time Certification                      75% (no maximum)
Maintaining or Updating a Food Safety Plan                      75% up to $675
Food Safety Certification                      75% up to $2,000
Certification Upload Fees                      75% up to $375
Microbiological Testing of Produce                      75% up to 5 tests
Microbiological Testing of Soil Amendments                      75% up to 5 tests
Microbiological Testing of Water                      75% up to 5 tests
Training Expenses                      100% up to $500

FSCSC payments are calculated separately for each category of eligible costs based on the percentages and maximum payment amounts.  The FSCSC application and associated forms are available online at  farmers.gov/food-safety.

You are encouraged to contact the Farm Service Agency office about FSCSC, program eligibility, or the application process. You may also call 877-508-8364 to speak directly with a USDA employee ready to provide one-on-one assistance.

For food safety resources, information on the Food Safety Modernization Act and third party audits go to Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety, Fruit, Organic Production, training, vegetable, Vegetable Crops
August 7, 2025 , , and

Traceability Rule (Section 204) in the Food Safety Modernization Act Delayed

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed extending the deadline for the traceability rule (Section 204) under the Food Safety Modernization Act until July 2028.  The rule was to go into effect in 2026, but FDA is allowing more time for the industry to comply based on the complexity of the rule.  FDA will publish in the Federal Register the final notices for the extension in the near future.  The extension only relates to implementation.  There are no proposed changes to the rule itself.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety, Fruit, vegetable, Vegetable Crops
July 9, 2025 , , and

New Addendums for the USDA Harmonized and Harmonized Plus Audits

On July 3, 2025, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service released 3 new addenda to the Harmonized and Harmonized GAP Plus+ Standards: Warehouse, Food Defense, and Integrated Pest Management. All of which will require additional records. Requirements in the existing Harmonized and Harmonized GAP Plus+ standards have not changed. These new standards, versions 3.1 and 5.1 respectively, are effective July 3, 2025.   Growers do not need to have these addendums audited unless a buyer requests one or all.  Go to USDA Harmonized Audits to review the additions here Harmonized GAP | Agricultural Marketing Service.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety, Fruit, Vegetable Crops