Farmer Resource Fair in Somerset County

All New Jersey farmers are invited to attend this Farmer Resource Fair which will feature an array of agricultural service providers. In-between a light breakfast and a hearty lunch, there will be engaging presentations and opportunities to visit with service providers at their table displays. The program schedule, as well as a preliminary list of service providers who’ve confirmed their attendance, is included below.

The event will be held on Friday, April 11, 2025 from 8:30 am to 2:00 pm at the Ted Blum 4-H Center located at 310 Milltown Road, Bridgewater, NJ 08807.

Click here to register for this free event (registration is required). Please register by April 1, 2025.

This collaborative event is being organized by Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Somerset County, Somerset County Agriculture Development Board, and the State Agriculture Development Committee Next Gen Program. We hope you will join us! [Read more…]

TONIGHT: Farm Viability Extension Specialist Candidate Seminar

Kelvin Amon, candidate for Extension Specialist in Farm Viability, will deliver his stakeholder seminar “Willingness to pay for pest management information: Evidence from specialty crop growers” on Wednesday, February 26, 2025 from 7:00 to 8:00 pm. 

The seminar will take place at the Middlesex County E.A.R.T.H. Center located at 42 Riva Ave, North Brunswick Township, NJ 08902. We welcome you to attend in person, but a Zoom option is available. Email kbrown@njaes.rutgers.edu for Zoom attendance troubleshooting.

Wednesday, February 26, 2025 – Kelvin Amon

Flyer for seminar

Stop the Bleed Training in Hunterdon County: Registration Open

Rutgers Cooperative Extension, in partnership with the Vegetable Growers Association of New Jersey and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, will host a Stop the Bleed training on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. The training will be held from 6:30-8:00 pm at the Amwell Valley Fire Company, located at 22 County Road #579, Ringoes, NJ 08551.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn the life-saving skills of pressure application, wound packing, and use of tourniquets. Attendees of this free training will also receive a complementary bleeding control kit.

Space is limited and pre-registration is required. Please complete our pre-registration form by Friday, March 14.

Questions? Email Kate Brown, RCE-Somerset County Ag Agent, at kbrown@njaes.rutgers.edu or call 908-526-6293.

TONIGHT: Farm Viability Extension Specialist Candidate Seminar

Seowoo Lee, candidate for Extension Specialist in Farm Viability, will deliver her stakeholder seminar “Bridging People, Science, and Environment: Supporting New Jersey Agriculture Through Applied Economics” tonight, February 17, 2025 from 7:00 to 8:00 pm. 

The seminar will take place at the Middlesex County E.A.R.T.H. Center located at 42 Riva Ave, North Brunswick Township, NJ 08902. We welcome you to attend in person, but a Zoom option is available. Email kbrown@njaes.rutgers.edu for Zoom attendance troubleshooting. [Read more…]

Advanced Audit Training For Growers

Monday, March 3
9am – 12pm EDT

Cost:  $10.00 per person

Location:  Online, Zoom
You will receive the Zoom link by email approximately 1 week before class and a reminder email the morning of class

Registration Deadline & Refunds:

Deadline to register is Friday February 28, 2025
Refunds up to 7 days before event, online service fee is nonrefundable.

This online program offers growers a deeper dive into audit standards and on farm food safety issues they face on their farms. Compliance hot topics and recurring issues will be discussed as well as a timely update on traceability. This program is for growers who have already taken the Introduction to Audits Class, either online or in person.

Topics Covered Include:

  • Hot Topics in Food Safety
  • Cleaning and Sanitizing
  • Hazards v. Risks

Any questions email Jennifer Matthews at jmatthews@njaes.rutgers.edu, 609-675-4221

A minimum of 10 people required to hold the class.

Growers who complete this training will receive a certificate.

 To register go to https://rutgers.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9KygQyXTbRlVOLk

 

 

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